The Bulgarian Factor in Russia’s Revolutionary Era, 1917–23

Abstract

In this article, I delve into the multifaceted roles and remarkable significance of the Bulgarian left in the Russian Revolutions of 1917 and the tumultuous period that followed. In particular, I look at the ‘special relationship’ of the Bulgarian and Russian left and the concrete ways in which people, materials, and ideas were exchanged via various channels, in particular across the Black Sea. The loyalties, ties, and contributions of the Bulgarian left to the Russian (and global) revolutionary project were considerable and in many respects out of proportion to Bulgaria’s size and international significance. Here I offer a window onto the different ways in which Bulgarians participated in and read the revolution through their own lens, but also reveal the story of the importance of the Bulgarian or, perhaps more accurately, Balkan factor in the series of events in which the Bolsheviks established, consolidated, and spread their power.