A newspaper and a diplomatic handshake — July 25 in Bulgaria’s history marks the moment a newly liberated nation began speaking to both its own people and to Europe.
July 25, 1878 — Bulgaria’s First Nationwide Newspaper
The first issue of Maritsa rolled off the press in Plovdiv, becoming the first Bulgarian nationwide newspaper published after liberation from Ottoman rule. Founded on the initiative of Todor Burmov, the deputy governor of Plovdiv, and subsidized by the Russian civil administration then overseeing the region, the paper was published twice a week in both Bulgarian and French.
Over its run, it counted future statesmen and scholars such as Ivan Evstratiev Geshov and historian Marin Drinov among its contributors, before printing its final issue in 1885.
July 25, 1879 — Opening Ties with Italy
A year later, Bulgaria established diplomatic relations with Italy at the level of diplomatic agencies, part of the wave of agreements the young principality signed with European powers in its first months of independence.
The agreement reflected Bulgaria’s quiet determination to be recognized as a legitimate member of the European diplomatic community — a sovereign state, not a peripheral remnant of the Ottoman world.
Round out the week with neighboring days: July 24 | July 23 | July 21. Dive deeper into the country with our Bulgaria guides and the stunning visuals of Bulgaria From Above.
