Bulgaria as a Russian Propaganda Laboratory
Bulgaria as a Russian Propaganda Laboratory
Author(s): Milena Iakimova, Boryana Dimitrova, Veronika Dimitrova, Olga Nanova, Lyubomir Donchev, Valentin Valkanov, Dimitar VatsovSubject(s): Politics, Communication studies, Security and defense, Politics and communication
Published by: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Keywords: populism; strategic communications; strategic communication; Russian propaganda; narratives; mushroom websites; autocratic sentiments; Bulgaria;
Summary/Abstract: The paper analyses anti-democratic discourses - far-right populism and overt (pro-)Russian propaganda - in online media in Bulgaria after 2013. The main narratives and their variations are delineated, and the frequency of their dissemination over the years is measured. Using a case study, the story of the birth in 2022 and death in 2024 of the most powerful propaganda machine in the country is presented: a network of 4,000 mushroom websites disseminating one and the same propaganda content. The paper summarises several collective studies of the Human and Social Studies Foundation - Sofia (HSSF).
Journal: Defence Strategic Communications
- Issue Year: 16/2025
- Issue No: 16
- Page Range: 143-173
- Page Count: 31
- Language: English
