site.btaDocumentary Photo Exhibition on 1917 Bosilegrad Pogrom Unveiled in Parliament's Lobby

A documentary photo exhibition titled "The Pogrom in Bosilegrad of May 15-16, 1917" was unveiled by National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova in Parliament's Marble Lobby on Wednesday. The exhibition was organized by the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre; the author is Assoc. Prof. Angel Dzhonev of the Institute for Historical Studies with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 

In her speech, Kiselova said that the exhibition is an occasion to recall the fate of the Bulgarians from the Western Outlands (Bosilegrad and Tsaribrod regions), but also not to forget that the focus of the work of the National Assembly should be the persons who identify themselves as Bulgarians and their current problems. She expressed confidence that the parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad will be active not only on the topic of the Western Outlands, but also on the problems of all Bulgarians abroad. 

Dzhonev pointed out that the exhibition shows the events of May 15 and 16, 1917, when a Serbian paramilitary formation - a detachment of 250 men - infiltrated the pre-war borders of the Kingdom of Bulgaria and as a result of its movement through these settlements, 35 innocent Bulgarians, civilians, 317 households lost their property. The damage was estimated at about BGN 2.5 million at that time. The Bulgarian State approached this problem in an unconventional way - a compensation was made by the National Assembly, a grant with special legislation, and the population met its initial needs after the attack, he recalled. 

Dzhonev said that was not the first time the Bosilegrad region was in the focus of Serbian expansion. He noted that several years later, with the occupation of Bosilegrad and Tsaribrod regions and of parts of Trn, Vidin and Kula regions, the question of the Western Bulgarian Outlands was born. Dzhonev described it as an issue with a centuries-old history that should not be forgotten not only because Bulgarians live there, but also because "it is our most alive national issue at the moment, it is also the most passionate and needs the most substantial support." The scholar noted that to tha end, he  together with colleagues from the Institute for Historical Research, the Bulgarian Language Institute, and the Macedonian Scientific Institute prepared opinions, which they presented to the media on Tuesday. These opinions in a categorical way defend the Bulgarian character of the area, he specified, and handed the National Assembly Chair these opinions together with a book on the pogrom in Bosilegrad. 

Ivan Nikolov of the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre expressed his gratitude to the Bulgarian State for its support and to the Bulgarian scholars for issuing a position regarding "the speculations that are circulated 24/7 on the other side of the border against Bulgaria." He extended an invitation to the National Assembly Chair and the exhibition's guests to visit Bosilegrad soon and demonstrate their position of support on site. 

Also attending the exhibition's opening were Stoyan Taslakov, head of the parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad, MPs, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Bulgarians from the Western Outlands.

The exhibition was prepared for the 100th anniversary of the events in Bosilegrad and has already been presented at the old building of the National Assembly.