Podcast in English
Audio Player
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

80 years since the communist coup in Bulgaria

Photo: historymuseum.org

It is 80 years, on 9 September, since the communist coup d'état which put an end to the Kingdom of Bulgaria.

On 9 September, 1944, as World War II was still raging, officers who had passed over to the so-called Fatherland Front seized the Ministry of War, the Central Post Office, the Central Railway Station and other key sites in Sofia. The cabinet ministers from the government of Konstantin Muraviev were arrested and Kimon Georgiev, who took the helm of the new government, declared, over the radio, the new government of the national committee of the Fatherland Front. Bulgaria, which had been an ally of Nazi Germany, had by that time severed relations with the Third Reich. Nevertheless, on the night of 9 September, 1944, the government was overthrown, and Bulgaria was occupied by the Soviet Union’s red army. Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence, and a wave of brutal violence and repressions ensued, with the so-called People’s Court later sentencing thousands to death, thus effectively beheading the country’s political, state, military and intellectual elite.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Georg Georgiev

Sanctions against Russia prove their effectiveness, says Bulgarian foreign minister

Any peace agreement must be sustainable and fair, respecting the principles of international law. This was stated by Foreign Minister Georgy Georgiev in a videoconference meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. On August 11, the Council discussed..

published on 8/12/25 9:13 AM

Varna exhibition traces the footsteps of Bulgaria’s endangered species

Until 29 August 2025, residents of Varna and visitors to the Black Sea city can explore the travelling exhibition, 'Traces of Disappearance', at the local Natural History Museum. The exhibition is part of a campaign dedicated to protecting Bulgaria’s..

published on 8/12/25 8:15 AM

Maximum daily temperatures expected to drop by 3-4°C

On Tuesday, minimum temperatures will range from 18 to 24°C, cooling to 19°C in Sofia. It will be mostly sunny during the day, with a light breeze. After noon, cumulus clouds will develop over the mountains, but there will only be isolated showers..

published on 8/11/25 7:05 PM