Entry of Soviet Troops to Varna. War without a Shot

• Main Author: G I Kolarov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2015-12-01
• Series: Vestnik RUDN International Relations
• Subjects: война; революция; армия; офицер; политика; освобождение; страна; территория
• Online Access: http://journals.rudn.ru/international-relations/article/view/10738

This article provides a historical analysis of Bulgaria's liberation from the Nazis by the Soviet Army, as a result of its peaceful transition through the country. Special attention is paid to the meeting of Soviet soldiers with the Bulgarian partisans in the sea capital Varna and its implications for relations between the USSR and the USA and the UK, which could radically change the course of the war. During these events, the leaders of the great powers strictly followed the mutual observance of the Tehran Agreement of 1943, which provided for the division of spheres of influence in Europe as well as the inadmissibility of the Sovietization of the countries that were exempt from the Nazis by Soviet army. Therefore, any violation of the agreements became an occasion for diplomatic notes and was fraught with serious cooling of relations between Moscow, London and Washington. In view of the impossibility of publicly tell the truth about what happened on September 8-10, 1944, the participants shared their memories of these events with only close friends and in informal meetings. The first who dared to show footage of what really happened and to explain to them, was the director of Varna, a graduate of VGIK, assistant of Mikhail Romm, Vylchan Valchanov.