April 10 carries Bulgarian history from the football pitches of Sofia to orbit — from a city’s sporting passion to a grand scientific ambition.
April 10, 1913 — Slavia Football Club Is Founded in Sofia
On April 10, 1913, Slavia Football Club was founded in Sofia. Over time it became one of Bulgaria’s oldest and most recognizable sports clubs, its name tied to the early decades of organized football in the country and, later, to a range of other disciplines.
The football societies of this period were part of a new urban culture: they gathered young people, created neighbourhood identity, and turned competition into a shared experience. Founded during the Balkan War years, Slavia went on to endure wars, political regimes, and social change without losing its place in the memory of its supporters.
April 10, 1979 — Soyuz 33 Launches with Georgi Ivanov
On April 10, 1979, the Soyuz 33 spacecraft launched from Baikonur with Soviet cosmonaut Nikolai Rukavishnikov and Georgi Ivanov, the first Bulgarian cosmonaut, on board. A fault in the approach system prevented docking with the Salyut 6 station, but the crew returned safely to Earth.
Despite the interrupted main task, the flight remained historic. It placed Bulgaria within the Intercosmos programme and turned Georgi Ivanov into a symbol of scientific curiosity, courage, and the ambition to reach beyond Earth — an image that sustained public interest in science and aviation for decades.
