October 10 is the day when Bulgarian archivists celebrate their professional holiday. On this date in 1951, the Presidium of the National Assembly adopted a decree on the creation of the State Archives Fund, which brought the country's archival and information sector together and became an institution. "Seventy-one years of institutional life is not much, but it is not little either, especially when it comes to a relatively young state, in which political and historical vicissitudes are often associated with serious upheavals, mergers, reorganizations and dissolution of a number of state institutions," Prof. Mihail Gruev, Chairman of the Archives State Agency said on the occasion of the anniversary.

The Agency welcomes the anniversary with two newly developed websites, dedicated to the documentary heritage of one of the most significant Bulgarian revolutionaries, Gotse Delchev, as well as to the prominent statesman from the end of the 19th century, Konstantin Stoilov. The complete inventory of the old books located in the archives system, which will be published on the Agency's website, is almost complete. These are more than 1,000 titles from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 19th century, now already systematized and visible to every user of the archive fund, Prof. Gruev said in his address.

The life of Bulgarians seen through advertisements from the beginning of the 20th century

In the "Archives" hall of the Agency, we can also see an interesting exhibition dedicated to commercial advertisements in Bulgaria from the first half of the 20th century. Advertisements are not part of the archive documents that are the object of attention in the state institution. However, bits of print advertising material from the past have been found quite by chance among the archives of various important individuals. Historians were surprised by the vivid advertising messages that convey the spirit of the past in a unique way. This is how the idea to organize a first-of-its-kind exhibition with advertising materials that were printed a century ago was born.

"The exhibition selects the most interesting of nearly 900 advertisements found in printed publications, leaflets, brochures, etc.," says Dr. Nadia Zhivkova, one of the curators of the exhibition:

“These ads are very different from the ads of today. They have a different mood, they're more cheerful, they're simpler and are characterized by cute naivety that I guess was purposefully sought after by the people who were involved in advertising back then. They make one smile. The life of a Bulgarian from that time was no different than the one we live now. We noticed that many of the modern companies from which we buy household appliances, cars, etc., were also present on the Bulgarian market back then. Bulgarians also had the opportunity to travel around the world. We come across advertisements that are for the sale of tickets for transoceanic steamers. In addition to traveling, Bulgarians lived a modern life. For example, fashion trends from Paris were available, global cosmetics brands, which are still on the market today, were advertised. Modern household appliances were sold in this country, such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators. There is no particular difference between what is being advertised today and what was in demand 100 years ago," Dr. Nadia Zhivkova has told Radio Bulgaria.

English: Alexander Markov