Rozporuplný Gorbačov: Taubmanova biografie spojuje perfektní erudici s empatií

Author(s): Karel Svoboda / Language(s): Czech Issue: 2/2024

The reviewed book "Gorbačov: Život a doba" by the renowned American political scientist and historian William Taubman is a Czech translation of the English original "Gorbachev: His Life and Times" (New York, W. W. Norton & Co. 2017). According to the reviewer, Taubman has made use of almost all the really important sources, including interviews he conducted with Gorbachev himself and his associates, and has drawn on his extensive experience as an author. The result is a wide-ranging, honest, comprehensive, detailed and reader-friendly biography. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (1931–2022), General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the first and last president to lead the Soviet Union, emerges from the author’s empathetic perspective as a full-blooded man with strengths and weaknesses, a born politician, intelligent, single-minded, slightly vain and, above all, contradictory. Contradictory was already his family background, his communist beliefs combined with a critical vision of Soviet reality, and his visionary plans that failed to be put into practice. Contradictory as well were his economic and political reforms, too radical for some and insufficient for others, which in their consequences went beyond the original intentions and were sometimes downright disastrous, and finally his international policies that led to the collapse of the Cold War order, for which he received sympathy and recognition in the West but gradual condemnation by the majority at home. Related to this view of Gorbachev is the central question that the book seeks to answer, namely how far the architect of perestroika and glasnost sought to change the existing system.

Търговските контакти между Флоренция и Мехмед II Завоевателя

Author(s): Ivayla Popova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

This study explores the trade relations between Florence and the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Mehmed II the Conqueror (1451–1481). Drawing on various sources, including documents of the Florentine Commune, The Chronicle of Benedetto Dei, travelogues of Western travelers, and accounting records, the study examines both the interactions between Mehmed II and the Medici family and the broader trade relations between the two powers. An analysis of period documents reveals the existence of active political and commercial ties, which intensified during the rule of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1469–1492). Within the context of these trade relations, Florence’s role in the Levant becomes evident, as the city pursued an independent policy aimed at maximizing political and economic advantages from its favorable relations with the Ottoman sultan. This policy occasionally diverged from the plans of other Western states to organize a crusade against the Ottomans.

За съдбата на една търговска компания, отразена в завещанията на дубровничани от 90-те години на ХV век

Author(s): Elena Kostova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

The commercial activities conducted by merchants from Ragusa within the Balkan Peninsula during the Middle Ages are a key topic of interest for researchers. The testaments of Ragusan merchants who passed away within the Bulgarian lands in the 15th century have become invaluable historical sources, as they contain rich information about the economic history of the region. Simultaneously, these documents reflect the inner world of the medieval individual, concerned with the salvation of their soul and the desire to secure the well-being and material prosperity of their family and close ones. Additionally, the clauses in these testaments shed light on the fate of trading companies established by representatives of the Adriatic Republic in the Bulgarian lands. This article examines the history of one such trading company, founded by Dubrovnik merchants and operating in Bulgarian territories during the 1490s. It explores the redistribution of capital following the death of partners within the company. The study concludes that, through their final wills, the representatives of the Adria Republic meticulously regulated credit and debt relations, aiming to resolve financial matters fairly among members of their company, who were often close relatives.

Сведения за стопанството в средновековните български приписки

Author(s): Denitsa Petrova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

Various texts have been used as sources of information about the economy in medieval Bulgaria, yet marginal notes in manuscripts have largely been overlooked by researchers. The main reason is the scarcity of economic data contained in these annotations. Only a few marginal notes, dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries, offer insights into economic matters. These notes confirm the essential role of bread and grain in the sustenance of medieval society. They also provide rare evidence of rabbit and poultry farming in the Bulgarian lands, a topic scarcely mentioned in other sources. When compared with other materials, such as charters issued by Bulgarian rulers, works by Western authors, and later Ottoman documents regarding market and port fees, these brief annotations contribute valuable details that enrich our understanding of the medieval Bulgarian economy.

Дипломация и търговия: хрисовулите на византийските императори за Венеция от ХІІ до ХV век (включително и от времето на Латинската империя)

Author(s): Snezhana Rakova,Galina Galabova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2025

The Republic of Venice received numerous privileges from the Byzantine emperors through chrysobulls issued to them. These official documents were signed by nearly every ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire from the tenth to the fifteenth century. This model of diplomacy and trade regulation was maintained despite significant changes during the Latin Empire and later in Palaeologan Byzantium. The practice was subsequently adopted by the rulers of the Slavic states in the Balkans and later by the Ottomans, who inherited Byzantine traditions. This research examines the commercial clauses within the chrysobulls, supplemented by information from other narrative and documentary sources, to outline the trade relations between Venice and Byzantium. The study traces changes in trade regulations and the types of goods exchanged during three main periods: Komnenian Byzantium, the Latin Empire, and Palaeologan Byzantium, concluding with the fall of the Empire in 1453.

Vas strunjit în lemn (urnă de vot) din proprietatea primarului Josef Gull (1820–1899), aflat în colecția Muzeului de Istorie Sighișoara

Author(s): Nicolae Teșculă / Language(s): Romanian,German Issue: 38/2024

Die Geschichte Schäßburgs ist seit Jahrhunderten mit Leben und Schaffen der Zunfthandwerker verbunden. Die Zünfte waren diejenigen, welche Maßstäbe des wirtschaftlichen, sozialen, militärischen und politischen Lebens setzten. Der Wohlstand der gesamten Stadt hing von der Entwicklung des Handwerks ab. Die Auflösung der Handwerkszünfte im Jahr 1872, führteschließlich dazu, dass das Museum deren Güter durch Spenden übernahm. So kam eine Reihe von handwerklichen Artikeln hinzu, die sich durch ihre Qualität und ihre außergewöhnliche Form auszeichnen, welche uns diese - ohne Zurückhaltung - in die Kategorie der Kunstwerke einordnen lässt. So auch bei einem gedrechselten Holzgefäß mit der Inventarnummer 514. Dieses Gefäß hat eine Höhe von 38 Zentimetern, der Durchmesser der Vase beträgt 13 Zentimeter und an ihrer Öffnung 9,5 Zentimeter. Sie hat auch einen Holzgriff, der aus dem gleichen Material ausgehöhlt wurde. Der Deckel fehlt. Außen ist sie schwarz lackiert und mit einem Emblem bemalt, das ein Schild über dem sich eine Krone befindet darstellt. Auf der Verzierung ist auch die Jahreszahl 1744 erkennbar. Aus dem von Julius Misselbacher erstellten Aktenblatt geht hervor, dass sie dem Bürgermeister der Stadt Josef Gull gehörte. Das Gefäß ist aus Holz gedrechselt und war vermutlich eine Wahlurne der Glockengießerzunft.Die Anwesenheit der auf das Drechseln spezialisierten Handwerker in Sighișoara zeigt, dass sie die notwendigen Techniken des Drechselns von Holz in Europa kannten. Die Kunstfertigkeit,mit der dieses Gefäß ausgeführt wurde, zeugt von der tiefen Kenntnis des Handwerks der Holzdreher, welche ihre Berufserfahrungen durch Reisen als Lehrburschen auf dem europäischenKontinent vertieften. Nicht zuletzt, kannte der Besitzer dieses Gefäßes die Moderichtung der Zeitund wollte sein Haus so ausstatten, wie es auch seine Zeitgenossen aus dem Westen des Kontinents eingerichteten, wobei die künstlerische Genauigkeit, mit der er dieses tat, zu der Vervollständigung unseres Bildes von der Privatsphäre und den damaligen Denkweisen beitrug.

Голямата компенсационна сделка от 1934 г. и преодоляването на кризата в българската тютюнева индустрия

Author(s): Marco Dimitrov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2024

The Great Depression (World Economic Crisis 1929 – 1933) did not significantly affect Bulgarian industry. The crisis inflicted the greatest damage on the tobacco industry because it produces tobacco products exclusively for the foreign market. The article examines the way in which the Bulgarian state manages to deal with this crisis. This is mainly due to the measures carried out by the government of the People’s Bloc (1931 – 1934), which were supported and continued by the next cabinet of the Military Union and the “Union” Political Circle. These actions of the two governments, known in the literature as the “Great Compensation Deal”, represent a significant breakthrough in Bulgaria’s foreign trade, which almost froze during the crisis. The article makes a small contribution to the objective and unintended assessment of the so-called “Regime of the Nineteenth Stomach” and its place in Bulgarian economic history in the 1930s.

Седемнадесетото столетие и бариерите на времето: нахия Кара Лом пред икономическа и демографска криза

Author(s): Nevena Nedelcheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2024

The present research is a kind of attempt to present all those barriers that appeared before the population living in the empire in the 17th century and that could reflect on its economic stability. Based on unpublished Ottoman documents, in combination with other types of data, the study presents indicators of a crisis experienced by the population in the empire during this century. The reasons that give rise to them (political, epidemiological, climatic) are marked, as well as the consequences they bring, brought out through the particular case of a territory limited in its scope (Nahiya Kara Lom). Although they are brought out through the particular case of a small territory of the Ottoman Empire, they are a clear marker of what was happening to the population in the empire in this century and are a starting point for the study of issues such as migration, Islamization and economic life.

„Непознатите“ и забравени търновски предприемачи Kермекчиеви

Author(s): Plamen Mitev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2024

Международна научна конференция „ 1010 години от смъртта на българския цар Самуил. Самуилова България – история и култура“

Author(s): Georgi N. Nikolov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 6/2024

ГОДИШНО СЪДЪРЖАНИЕ

Author(s): Not Specified Author / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 6/2024

Tsar Samuel († 1014) in the historical memory of the Bulgarians in 13th – 14th centuries

Author(s): Georgi N. Nikolov / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2024

The memory of Tsar Samuеl (997 – 1014) among Bulgarians has been preserved for centuries after his death. This is clearly noted in a number of historical sources: the correspondence of the Bulgarian Tsar Kaloyan (1197 – 1207) with the Roman Pope Innocent III (1198 – 1216), the Synodicon of the Bulgarian Church (13th – 14th centuries), the 14th-century Bulgarian translations of the Byzantine chronicles of Symeon the Metaphrast and Logothete (10th century), Ioannes Zonaras (12th century) and Constantine Manasses (12th century). The memory of Samuel in the Bulgarian Tsardom in the 13th – 14th centuries is a specific expression of the enduring sense of historicity, which was also one of the characteristics of Bulgarian society in the middle Ages. Tsar Samuel is among the few Bulgarian rulers from the early middle Ages whose memory has been preserved throughout the centuries.

Сведения за цар Самуил в Руския хронограф

Author(s): Denitsa Petrova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2024

The Russian Chronograph is the only Russian chronicle that includes information about Tsar Samuel and the Cometopuls dynasty. Only this period from Bulgarian history is described differently in the separate editions of the Chronograph. In the First edition from 1512, the main source is the Manasses` Chronicle with the Bulgarian additions to it. In the Basic and Common Editions of 1617, the source is the same, but the text is abridged. In the Western Russian edition, the notices are different, since it uses John Zonara’s Paralipomenon. Only in it does the narrative continue until the final conquest of the Bulgarian lands and information about Gavril-Radomir and Ivan-Vladislav appears.

Българското политическо, църковно и етническо присъствие в земите на днешно Косово през Средновековието

Author(s): Tervel Popov / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2024

During the Early Middle Ages Kosovo was an inseparable part of the Bulgarian political, ecclesiastical and ethnic space. For nearly two centuries (until ad 1018) the area was within the boundaries of the Bulgarian Khanate/Tsardom and after the Byzantine conquest was included in the diocese of the Ohrid Archbishopric. Kosovo was the centre of a rebellion leaded by the Bulgarian boyar Georgi Voyteh in 1072 – 1073. After the restoration of the Bulgarian Tsardom in 1185/1186, only part of Kosovo with the town of Prizren was under Bulgarian rule, only for a period of just few years. Slowly and gradually the Serbs conquered the area to finally settle in it in 1208/1211 and to overpower it not only politically, but also ecclesiastically. However, part of Kosovo’s population has preserved their Bulgarian ethnical self-awareness.

Песенно книжовно наследство от времето на цар Самуил (X – XI в.)

Author(s): Svetlana Kujumdzieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2024

The article defends the thesis that in Tsar Samuel’s time in Bulgaria a universal liturgical hymnographic book called tropologion was in use, which was also known in Greek, Georgian, Syriac and Armenian languages. The above claims, in addition to the wide dissemination of the book throughout the Orient, are backed up by some sources in Slavic written in the 10th – 11th centuries. Most of them are Glagolitic whose origin is connected with the western Bulgarian lands and especially with Ohrid. The criteria for the selection of the presented sources are, first, that they contain texts that were undoubtedly chanted; second, they exhibit proximity to each other in both palaeographical and structural aspects; and third, they combine Eastern and Western elements. Such are the Kiev Folios from the first half of the 10th century, the recently discovered Glagolitic fragment from a single folio dated from the first decade of the 11th century, the Sinaitic Euchologion from the second quarter of the 11th century, the Sinai Missal from the middle of the 11th century, the fragment of a two-folio tropologion from the 11th – 12th centuries and the Elijah Book, which, although it is from the 12th century and is in Cyrillic, it has been proven to reflect a liturgical practice from the end of the 9th – beginning of the 10th century. The structure of the presented books is commented on, which turns out to be close to the old type of the tropologion in its ‘global’ form. It is emphasized that the structure is an expression of memory and preserves the creative process. It is also stressed that the presented manuscripts are evidence of a heritage in which can be found traces of literary legacy of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius. That heritage proved the exceptional erudition of the brothers, who were deeply knowledgeable of both Eastern and Western worship and theology. A similar legacy could have been developed and practiced in a literary centre such as Ohrid, where the activities of both St. Clement of Ohrid and St. Naum of Preslav-and-Ohrid took place.Tsar Samuil; Macedonia; Bulgaria;The Russian chronograph describes the entire history of the Orthodox world. From the standpoint of time, Russian writers not only retell the facts, but also give an assessment of the events. Tsar Samuel gets an honorable place in their story.

За облеклото на цар Самуил (997 – 1014)

Author(s): Silviya Arizanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 4/2024

The present paper is devoted to the information about the clothing of the Bulgarian tsar Samuel (997 – 1014). Sources indicate that it was similar to that of the Byzantine emperors, but some elements found show similarities with the Armenians and had possible Eastern influence. At the same time, the way the Bulgarian ruler dressed did not differ significantly, except for the lavish decorations and insignia, from what was known for the high-ranking Bulgarians of that time. Characteristic of the ruler’s clothing were silk, tinsel embroidery, and probably at least pearl decoration. The insignia, like those of the Bulgarian tsars Simeon and Peter who preceded him, were similar to the Byzantine ones.

Финансирање развоја Београда путем општинских зајмова од 1929. до 1941. године

Author(s): Ranka Gašić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2024

The article focuses on Belgrade municipal borrowing during the Great Depression and its aftermath, up until the start of the Second World War in Yugoslavia in 1941. The loan terms, the distribution of municipal spending, and developments in the Belgrade Municipality’s loan financing during the 1930s are also analyzed. From 1929 to 1941, the Belgrade Municipality received 30 loans, all obtained from the local banking institutions. During the Great Depression, all Belgrade municipal loans were short- and mid-term, whereas following the Depression, they evolved into long-term. Throughout the 1930s, there was a rising trend of investment in infrastructure, cultural and social institutions, kindergartens and schools, and social housing. In contrast, there was a reverse trend in purchasing municipal properties.

Драгана Гњатовић, Весна С. Алексић, Париски компромис. Решавање спора о регулисању дугова Краљевине Србије између Француске Републике и Краљевине Југославије

Author(s): Vladimir Lj. Cvetković / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2024

Review of: Dragana Gnjatović, Vesna S. Aleksić, Pariski kompromis. Rešavanje spora o regulisanju dugova Kraljevine Srbije između Francuske Republike i Kraljevine Jugoslavije. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije, 2023.

Александар Р. Милетић, Стамбени пакао: Систем контролисане станарине у Југоисточној и Источној Средњој Европи, 1914–1930.

Author(s): Ognjen Tomić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2024

Review of: Aleksandar R. Miletić, Stambeni pakao: Sistem kontrolisane stanarine u Jugoistočnoj i Istočnoj Srednjoj Evropi, 1914–1930. Beograd: Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije, 2024.

Bulgarian Support for the Mozambique Liberation Front (1965–1974)

Author(s): Nadezhda Yankovska / Language(s): English Issue: 3-4/2024