November 10 1989

On November 10, 1989, just a day after the Berlin wall came down, at a plenary session of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the former first secretary of the party’s Central Committee and chairman of the State Council Todor Zhivkov, who ruled Bulgaria for more than 33 years, was deposed. Immediately after that, local opposition began to restructure – new parties were formed, and old ones that had existed before 1944 were restored. Bulgaria became a part of the wave of democratic changes, which had already overwhelmed most of Eastern Europe. Following this crucial date, the country entered a period of serious transformations – both social and economic.