site.btaFoe/Friend Exhibition in Varna's Naval Museum Looks at Bulgaria's Past

A Foe/Friend exhibition opened in the Naval Museum of Varna on Saturday. It is staged by the National Museum of Military History, whose Director, Assoc. Prof.  Sonya Penkova, said at the opening that the exhibits trace "the complex puzzle of Bulgaria's relations with Turkey, Russia and Germany" between Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878 and World War II.

"We should know our past if we do not want it to haunt us in the future," Penkova said. The National Museum of Military History has focused for years now on the interpretation of historical facts, the director said, adding that the exhibition was curated professionally, not along ideological lines. It will inform people about the things that happened when interstate relations went from friendly to hostile. The exhibition challenges visitors to create their own interpretation of history.

Attending the opening were Defence Minister Todor Tagarev, the Bulgarian Navy Commander, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, officers and members of the public.

Tagarev said that in the course of history, the configurations of Bulgaria's allies changed frequently. He praised the exhibition for showing the way Bulgaria tried to ensure its security. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 paved the way for rebuilding Bulgaria, but during World War I, Russian seaplanes bombed Varna and a Russian naval squadron attacked the city in October 1915, leaving nine people dead, 24 wounded and significant destruction, the Defence Minister recalled. The port of Balchik was also destroyed by Russian artillery fire in December 1916. The Bulgarian coastal artillery played a major role in Balchik's defence, while German submarines defended Varna, Tagarev added.

"The prevailing narrative in Bulgaria is that Russia is its liberator, but it is important to know our history. We need to know our past, including military history, so as to find solutions to contemporary security problems," the Defence Minister said.