Boza
Wish wash drink with minimum content of alcohol. Made of fermented wheat flour and has thick consistency. Sweetened with sugar. Need time to become tastier. The specific taste is called tartness. Still there is a very delicate limit of fermentation, after which it causes stomach disorder. Common and nourishing alcohol free drink – specific for the Balkan States – Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey. Has a high nutrition value. Taken for breakfast with a cheese patty or afternoon in pastry shop with cake. Can be drunk on its own. One can still find it in pastry shops and groceries.
Taste is still the same.
The party
BCP has been a progressive anti-fascist organization with many young leftist till year 1944. Played a great role in overthrowing of monarchy in Bulgaria. In 1944 BCP got into government and seized whole political and economical power. Radical political party for period 1944 – 1989 (partner is the obedient BAU – Bulgarian Agricultural Union). Being a BCP member was a guarantee for a quick and problem free career in all areas of life. Ranging from fitters to engineers and artists – all received a quick start in life, once became BCP members. It was detested with veneration from those, who were not members. A special Letter of “reliability “ issued by schools, the local FFU or the party secretary was needed in order to apply for University or key positions. No matter what the personal and professional + skills were – if the Letter of “reliability “ was bad, the so wanted place remained a dream.
Boy scout
Member of children organization called “Septemvriiche” (from September) Membership is a must and there is an entry exam. Distinguishing line is the Boy Scout tie – red in colour. It is worn over a white shirt at special occasions – manifestations, national and party holidays. That is a smithy of good residents and would be members of the BCP. History of the revolutionary movement, BCP history are thought in that organization, as well as how to become a perfect resident and student. Main goal is unification and adjustment to the universal obedience model. Children visit Boy Scout’s camps sing Boy Scout’s songs, make Boy Scout’s fire, pledge their word of honour to have faith in the Party.
PC Pravetz 82
Totally illegal copy of Apple II computer. One /or many / originals were stripped to parts for that purpose and made Bulgarian way by our scientific-technical might. Bulgaria received the brotherly task to manufacture these computers for the whole communist bloc. First model of Pravetz-82 computer was worth over 4’000.00 leva and next model Pravetz-16 about 10’000.00 leva (as much as two Moskvitch cars). Huge manufacturing capacity was installed, throwing up thousands of computers. Result was an acceptable computer, matching its prototype and all the software. There were many manufacturing defects, especially in the “snoring noise” Floppy discs, because of the planned economy and low level of control at manufacturing phase. That computer provoked an unparallel increase of number of computer engineers. Their large number brought world reputation to Bulgaria, later, connected to computer viruses creation.
Shaving cream
Only shaving cream during socialism. Symbol of unified and neat daily routine, no right of choice, no personal identification and chic. Socialist marketing theory deemed that there was no need of assorted products with identical function. No need of different aroma, more or less foam, different consistency. That was welcomed by the planned economy, production once started, there was nothing to press for alterations and changes for the better. Simply there was no other choice. To be unshaved or with beard could draw down the socialist system anger upon you, a very good reason for Karo shaving cream to have an immense success. Everybody was allowed to choose his own brand of shaving cream – Karo.
Cheese patty
Pastry product made with cheese. In order to make a tasty cheese patty, sheets must be skilfully rolled out, which needs a real knack. Cheese patty are rich and normally with rectangular form. Most tasty when hot and beside that one feels full for a long time. That was the most common and almost obligatory breakfast for students and pupils during socialism time. Low priced – only 6 stotinki, that was the cheapest way for living. There is nothing like Cheese Patty in the West, that is why westerners do like it a lot. It has nothing in common with pies, cakes or hamburgers. The Cheese Patty over lived the socialism and these days, alongside with modern fast food chains, there are many Cheese Patty shops where people queue in the morning for a steaming Cheese Patty. Today’s price is 80 stotinki.
Concrete panel
Cracks and chinks often occur because of poor quality welding of single elements. That is why neighbours are very close to each other – no secrets between them. Thermal and Noise insulation are beyond any standards. That construction method was chosen for the mere reason it was much quicker than the convectional one and large housing estates could be built at a great speed. Result from that crazy planning was housing estates called dormitories – with an endless number of panel blocks and almost no greenery. Today these blocks are in miserable condition and need pressing repairs. Most of them have nearly reached the limit of their technical capacity – 50 years. Forty percent of Sofia residents live in such blocks.
Moskvich
Within reach during socialism time. In comparison to western cars everything is unimaginably difficult – gear change, speed acceleration, driving. There is no servo module on steering wheel and brakes, which is a bonus to physically strong drivers. Fuel and oil consumption is irrelevantly large for a 1360 cc / 58 hp engine. Maximum speed is 140 Km/h. Spring suspension systems. That factor determines its mood in curves – car swings and is difficult to drive. In socialism time people had to wait for years on a long queue to buy the car. Immediately after 1989 prices swept down and today a Moskvitch cost as much as a full petrol tank, or less than its value as scrap.
Mausoleum
Leader of Bulgarian Communist Party – George Dimitrov died on 2 of July 1949. Council of Ministers took decision on the next day to built him a Mausoleum. 2.5 acres in centre of town were fenced with tall wooden boarding. Workers had no right to leave the camp. They ate on spot and worked on four shifts. Timing was very tight. Dimitrov’s mummified body was put into the Mausoleum on the 10 of July.
Mausoleum was reconstructed in mid 70’ s+ – in case of war, it was earmarked for Members of CPC and mummy had to be transported by specially equipped bus to a state-hiding place in Stara planina. But it so happened that Dimitrov’s mummy left the Mausoleum rather ingloriously on the 18th of July 1990. It was collected by his son – Boiko, but not through the front door, emergency exit was used. Several years after the Mausoleum went on the record as the “ City toilet “ and its walls were covered with graphite’s. Municipality ruled out to blow it up in august 1999. Built up for 6 days, perhaps with some casualties still unidentified, demolished for 6 days at a still unknown price. Nobody has said what we gain when we delete History.
Passport
Bulgarian passport, in contrast to western passport, was an instrument for withdrawal of one’s liberty. All Bulgarians had two passports – one for Bulgaria and one for abroad. To receive permission to leave the motherland was the harrowing of hell. All state borders were incredibly well and sternly guarded. Not from illegible immigrants, but from local residents, pressing to leave the motherland at any price. Not the least negligible were cases, in which people; illegally crossing the borders were killed. Place of domicile was put in the passports. Marriage or state posting most often grabbed Sofia domicile. In fact that is a modern feudal system, where people are enslaved to the town they were born or to their place of work. Example – man and woman did not have the right to book a hotel room unless it was not stamped “married” in their passports.