Interview with Father Dimitar Kaburov, St. Tsar Boris Parish, SofiaBulgaria.
When discussing religious repression under communist regimes, the Soviet Union or Ceaușescu's Romania immediately spring to mind. But Bulgaria, a loyal satellite of Moscow between 1944 and 1989, was one of the states where the fight against religion was among the most systematic and insidious. This country, deeply marked by an ancient monastic tradition—Rila, Bachkovo, Troyan—experienced an attempt to eradicate the faith, the effects of which are still felt today.
A priest of the post-communist generation
« I have been serving at Saint Tsar Boris since 2004 " explains Father Kaburov. This parish is recent: inaugurated in 2000, it did not experience the grip of the communist regime. Notably, it is the first priest in his familyThis reflects a Bulgarian reality: after 45 years of ideological pressure, there are few lineages where priestly transmission was able to continue.
His theological training took place in a context of transition. He entered the Bulgarian School of Theological Studies when it returned to Sofia after having been relocated to Cherepich in 1945 to escape Allied bombing. The institution itself had been closely monitored by the communist state, which appointed its directors and controlled the programs.
However, he said, Communism was absent from the courses :
"During my studies, the subject was never addressed."
The ideology, however, was instilled much earlier:
"In primary school, we were made fun of if we showed our faith or if we went into a church."
As in the entire Soviet bloc, social control began in childhood.
A stigmatized religion : the Bulgarian reality
When asked whether it was possible to attend services during communism, Father Kaburov was categorical:
"No, it was very frowned upon. People made fun of us, they considered it dangerous."
Unlike the USSR, Bulgaria did not massively close its churches — notably because the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was quickly infiltrated and placed under controlFrom the 1950s onward, Patriarch Kirill himself had to contend with the authorities, while many bishops were recruited as agents of the State Security (DS). Archives now open show that The Bulgarian Church was one of the most controlled in the Eastern Bloc., although less brutally persecuted than in Albania or Stalinist Russia.
Priests under surveillance, monasteries tolerated but silenced
Father Kaburov did not personally experience the repression, but acknowledges that the archives are explicit:
"Yes, the priests and monks were persecuted and driven out."
However, the great monasteries — Rila, Bachkovo, Troyan — have not been closedUnlike the majority of monasteries in Russia or Romania, they remained active, but under close surveillance. The monastic clergy, allowed to stay within the walls, were forbidden any outside influence.
"Monasticism existed internally, but when it went out, it was denigrated."
In other words : The monks were tolerated as long as they remained invisible..
As for monastic archives and libraries, Father Kaburov has no direct testimony, but documented history shows that:
- some were inventoried and sealed by State Security;
- others were left untouched but made their consultation impossiblebecause entering a monastery exposed one to police surveillance and professional sanctions.
Communist Bulgaria, unlike Albania (where all religion was banned in 1967), preferred control rather than destroy.
A liturgical tradition preserved despite everything
When asked about the survival of sacred chants — heirs to the Byzantine tradition, sometimes close to Eastern Gregorian chant — Father Kaburov confirms:
"There have always been choirs in churches. Even a priest alone could sing during a private liturgy."
This is a Bulgarian peculiarity: Liturgical music remained one of the few spiritual spaces that the regime did not dare to completely stifle., in particular because it was part of the national heritage. The compositions of Petar Dinev or the regional schools of Slavonic singing were thus able to survive, sometimes in a minimalist form.
What are the current relations with Moscow?
To the most political question — the relations between the Bulgarian patriarch and the patriarch of Moscow — Father Kaburov responds with a pirouette full of irony:
"The current ties are the same as those between the Patriarch of Bulgaria and the Vatican!"
An elegant way of saying: Officially cordial, unofficially distant.
Bulgaria was also one of the only Orthodox countries to not to follow Moscow in its break with Constantinople in 2018, during the recognition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Relations between Sofia and Moscow are today reduced and fluctuatingmarked by a past of dependence but a progressive desire for autonomy.
A faith that has remained alive
Despite surveillance, social pressure, and stigmatization, Father Kaburov reminds us of an essential reality:
"During communism, faith was preserved despite relentless attempts to crush it."
As in Poland or Lithuania, but in a more discreet way, religion has remained a private refuge, a form of silent resistance.
Today, Bulgaria is experiencing a religious revival, although the level of practice remains low compared to other Orthodox countries. Monasteries have once again become spiritual and cultural centers, and the memory of the communist period is slowly being written, particularly through the testimonies of priests like Father Kaburov.
Conclusion
The interview with Father Dimitar Kaburov confirms what historiography has been highlighting since the opening of the archives: Bulgarian communism sought to control the Church rather than annihilate it, but at the cost of a profound mutilation of spiritual life and religious freedom.
In a country where Orthodox Christianity has shaped the national identity since the 9th century, this period remains a notable parenthesis, the traces of which are still visible — but where the revival of faith, like the sacred songs reborn in the parishes, testifies to an astonishing resilience.
Interview conducted and translated by Daniela Krasteva