The lack of news does miracles! Usually the Bulgarian media inform about the appearance of sharks at Varna Bay at this time of the year. This year, however, we have a new sensation. The Bulgarian media have been dealing for over a week now with the miraculous water that welled out of an ancient well in Bulgaria’s town of Pliska which was once a capital of this country. Is this water really miraculous and healing? Is Bulgaria finally going to step on the road to prosperity?

Here is some background information: At the end of July Bulgarian archaeologists found water in an old dried-up well near the Great Basilica in Bulgaria’s former capital Pliska. The well was a sacred place for the Thracians who once inhabited these lands. It was active between the 7^th and the 19^th century AD. Later, the Ottomans buried the well with tons of soil. Two hundred years later archaeologists found water again. One of the most renowned contemporary Bulgarian historians announced recently that Bulgaria would soon step on the road to prosperity. The words of the Bulgarian Professor were based on the prophecy of famous Bulgarian prophet Baba Vanga who once said that Bulgaria would prosper when the country reconstructs the Boyana Church, the Holy Forty Martyrs Church in Veliko Tarnovo and the Great Basilica in Pliska.

Well, all of the above has already been done: the churches were reconstructed and recently the well in the Great Basilica filled with water again. Now the Bulgarian people have to wait and watch their country turning into a heavenly spot. Moreover, Professor Dimitrov even sprinkled Bulgaria’s Premier Borissov with this miraculous water for good health and prosperity of his country.

The topic regarding the water that welled in Bulgaria’s Pliska has been constantly on the newspapers’ front pages for nearly two weeks now. The media have been in a mad race to divine the miraculous power of this water. Health experts started to analyze its qualities and ascertained that the water in Pliska has very high nitrate content and is rather dangerous for human health. Moreover, theologians hurried to inform the Christians that water becomes holy when it is sanctified by a priest only. However, the tourists who have been flooding this place recently, in order to see the miraculous well and drink some water are not aware of this fact.

One must be very superstitious to drink this water for good health and prosperity. It turns out that the Bulgarians are very superstitious people, because most of their customs are based on mystical beliefs. Most people knock on wood or spit in their bosom. A Bulgarian mayor even dusted the roads in his municipality with sugar, in order to prevent heavy road accidents. The initiative of the municipal council was based on an old legend, the official announcement of the town mayor reads.

A Bulgarian daily newspaper even went too far and made many people angry with its initiative. The owners decided to fill small bottles with this miraculous water and sell them together with their newspaper on the great Christian holiday The Assumption of Mary. Bulgaria’s Premier also showed discontent and banned all types of commercial activities linked with the archeological finds in Pliska at a regular sitting of the Council of Ministers. Now people have to wait and see whether Baba Vanga’s prophecy would come true.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov