site.btaBulgaria Acquires Historian Ivan Gadzhev's Archive

Bulgaria has acquired the building and archival holdings of the Institute for the History of Bulgarian Emigration in North America Ilia Todorov Gadzhev, the State Archives Agency (SAA) said on Thursday.

The Agency said that on July 29, 2026, under a decision of the Council of Ministers submitted by Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov, SAA Chair Mihail Gruev was authorized to conclude a contract for the purchase of the property on behalf of the State and for its transfer to the SAA for management free of charge. The acquisition comprises the building and documents of the Institute for the History of Bulgarian Emigration in North America Ilia Todorov Gadzhev in Goce Delchev, which will be established as a separate unit within the SAA's structure.

The Institute's documentary collection is of exceptional value to Bulgarian history, comprising approximately 152 linear metres of archival material and more than 3,000 archival units. Of particular importance to researchers are the documents of Ivan Mihailov, Smile Voydanov, Hristo Nizamov, Petar Semerdzhiev, Lyubomir Dalchev, as well as those of Dr Ivan Gadzhev himself. The collection also includes 18 complete and 50 nearly complete runs of émigré periodicals, many of which are absent from the holdings of Bulgarian libraries, including the National Library St. St. Cyril and Methodius.

The entire documentary collection constitutes invaluable evidence of the struggles of the Macedonian Bulgarians and the life of the Bulgarian emigre community in the United States. It is the largest private collection documenting the history of the Bulgarian presence in North America and the struggle for a free Macedonia, the SAA added.

Speaking on the Bulgarian National Television on Thursday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov said the archive documents the Macedonian emigre community and "clearly proves the Bulgarian character of Macedonia."

"This archive attracted interest from many countries. It could have been used against Bulgaria, but thanks to the swift action of the Bulgarian institutions over the past two months, we acquired these invaluable documents, including complete runs of Macedonian publications in the United States in which people with fresh memories after the Ilinden Uprising describe who they are, how they see themselves, and that they identify as Bulgarians," Hristov said.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the archive was purchased for "a very reasonable amount, well below EUR 1 million."

"So we are acquiring everything, including the building, because that was the heirs' wish and the condition under which they were willing to transfer the archive. We had to locate five heirs in the United States. All institutions provided wholehearted support for a cause of national importance, and I thank them for that," Hristov added.