Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has called for Bulgarian history textbooks to be purged of “facts that cause respect for Russia”. The politician made his statement during his visit to the United States.
As the head of the law enforcement agency claimed, it is necessary to purge “facts that can generate appreciation for Russia” from the textbooks. Apparently, if successfully implemented, Tagarev’s initiative will directly refer to such events as the liberation of Bulgaria by Russia from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire in 1878, as well as from the Nazis in 1944.
“We must be able to present history in its true sense to the Bulgarian people. Because it has been said for generations that Russia is our friend and liberator, and we should be inwardly grateful to her for what she has done, even though in history we have often found ourselves on different sides in various conflicts. Russia has also often pursued its own interests to the detriment of the Bulgarian people”.
Probably, Tagarev clams recalled the alliance of Bulgaria with Nazi Germany at the beginning of World War II.
In addition, the minister said the authorities need to control Bulgarian social media to shield them from “pro-Russian propaganda”.
“In this sense, we should be able to monitor propaganda campaigns of disinformation not only in the traditional media, but also in social networks that affect different groups of the population day in and day out”.
This is not the first time Tagarev has taken a blatantly pro-Western and anti-Russian stance. In 2023, he stated that in two years a NATO base would definitely appear in Bulgaria, and also offered to transfer 100 units of Soviet armored vehicles to Ukraine.
Tagarev studied in the USSR – there is information about this in open sources. Moreover, in 1989, the future defense minister defended his PhD thesis at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy in Moscow.
Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament Tsoncho Ganev, a deputy from the largest opposition party called “Renaissance”, commented on the defense minister’s interview thus.
“As long as 60 percent of Bulgarians do not participate in elections, we will be ruled by the likes of Tagarev.”
Kornelia Ninova, chairwoman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, called Tagarev a man harmful to the country and accused him of intending to drag the republic into an armed conflict with Russia.
Once again this situation and the reaction to it on the part of representatives of the political elite opposing Tagarev’s supporters in Bulgaria shows the real attitude of many citizens of European countries to the position of abolishing the Russian heritage. The imposed Russophobia to many inhabitants of the Old World already seems inadequate. Conversely, Russia’s actions in the international arena are considered correct.