site.btaTwo-Day Public Farewell in Sofia after Writer Elin Pelin’s Death in 1949

Bulgarian writer Elin Pelin, known as the bard of the Bulgarian village, died of a heart attack in Sofia in the early hours of December 3, 1949, turning his funeral into a two-day public farewell, archival BTA reports show.

His body lay in state in the Aula of Sofia University, where thousands of citizens, representatives of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture, the Union of Bulgarian Writers, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) and the country’s top political leadership paid their respects.

In the early hours of December 3, 1949, after suffering a heart attack, Bulgarian writer Elin Pelin died. Widely recognized during his lifetime as one of the classics of Bulgarian literature, his funeral turned into a two-day mass act of public homage.

The body of Elin Pelin was laid out in the Aula of the Rectorate of Sofia University, where thousands of citizens passed by, as did representatives of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture, the Union of Bulgarian Writers, which he chaired in 1940, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), of which he had been a member since 1941, and the country’s senior political leadership.

Elin Pelin was buried with honours on December 4 at Central Sofia Cemetery. At the writer’s grave, a eulogy was delivered by Aleksandar Balabanov, as well as by a representative of his native village of Bailovo, Sofia Region.

The BTA Daily News bulletin reported on the death of Elin Pelin:

Sofia, December 3, 1949 /BTA/ The Council of Ministers, with great sorrow, informs that on December 3 this year, early in the morning, the great Bulgarian national writer Elin Pelin (Dimitar Ivanov), holder of the Gold Medal for Science and Art, died.

Let us bow our heads in honor of his cherished memory.

***

Sofia, December 3, 1949 /BTA/ 

The Council of Ministers adopted the following decree:

1. To honour the memory of the writer Elin Pelin, a monument shall be erected to him in Sofia, with the site to be proposed by the Sofia Municipal People’s Council and approved by the Council of Ministers.
2. The Committee for Science, Art and Culture shall establish five special scholarships bearing the name of Elin Pelin for students of Slavic philology and literature.
3. The Bulgarian Bibliographic Institute (BBI) shall be named after Elin Pelin.
4. The Union of Bulgarian Writers shall prepare and publish the complete works of Elin Pelin, as well as a volume on his life and work.
5. A memorial plaque shall be placed on the house in Sofia where Elin Pelin lived.
6. The funeral shall be held at the expense of the State.

***

Sofia, December 3, 1949 /BTA/ Announcement by the Committee for Science, Art and Culture: Elin Pelin (Dimitar Ivanov), the great Bulgarian writer, the brightest and most talented representative of critical realism in our literature, the eminent master of artistic style, the creator of immortal images and scenes from Bulgarian life, the teacher of our young writers who are continuing his literary work…, died on December 3, 1949 in Sofia. A fervent patriot, who lived with the pains and aspirations of the working people for a bright and happy future, Elin Pelin greeted with deep enthusiasm the majestic sweep of the people’s construction… With the death of Elin Pelin, the Bulgarian people lost a loyal and gifted son, an immortal artist. Eternal glory to the great writer, to the exemplary citizen, to the fervent and honest patriot.

Committee for Science, Art and Culture: Aleksi Kvartirnikov, Georgi Nadjakov, Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin, Georgi Mihailov, Georgi Dimitrov, Dechko Uzunov, Dimitar Mitov, Dragomir Mateev, Encho Staikov, Elena Gavrilova, Jacques Nathan-Garamond, Iliya Petrov, Karlo Lukanov, Kiril Dramliev, Ksenofon Ivanov, Kamen Zidarov, Lyubomir Pipkov, Misho Nikolov, Mihail Dimitrov, Marin Vasilev, Petar Dimitrov, Stoyan Stoyanov, Todor Pavlov, Todor Samodumov, Hristo Radevski.

***

Sofia, December 3, 1949 /BTA/ On the 3rd of this month, the leading figure of Bulgarian fiction, member of the Presidium of the Union of Bulgarian Writers, Elin Pelin, died.

With his passing, Bulgarian literature lost one of its most distinguished representatives, and the Bulgarian people – one of its most inspired champions.

In his work, Elin Pelin gave a profound and truthful picture of the Bulgarian village… With unparalleled artistic power, he celebrated the lofty moral qualities of working people, whom he set against the exploiters and parasites. A major artist with an unbiased attitude to life, he is one of the giants of our artistic thought, the brightest representative of critical realism in Bulgarian literature. (…)

The work of Elin Pelin is a source of glory and pride for our national culture. It will live on and inspire our people to new feats.

From the Union of Bulgarian Writers.

***

Sofia, December 3, 1949 /BTA/ Today in the afternoon, at 17:15 hrs, the mortal remains of Elin Pelin – a classic of our literature – were laid out for public homage in the Aula of the Rectorate of Sofia University.

At 13:10 hrs, the honour guard by the coffin was taken up by: the Chair of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture, Karlo Lukanov, the Deputy Chairs of the Committee, Professor Jacques Nathan-Garamond and Encho Staikov, and the Committee’s Executive Secretary, Elena Gavrilova.

After that, in succession, representatives of the Union of Bulgarian Writers, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Union of Artists in Bulgaria and others took turns at the honour guard by the body of the late writer to pay their last respects.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture, the relatives of the deceased and others.

Pupils and students from the capital’s secondary schools and higher education institutions passed in silent, mourning ranks by the mortal remains and paid him their last respects.

***

Sofia, December 4, 1949 /BTA/ The nationwide homage before the mortal remains of the great Bulgarian writer Elin Pelin continued today from 8 a.m. Thousands of working people from the capital passed through the Aula of Sofia University to pay their last respects to the memory of the beloved writer. (…)

At 13:30 hrs, the mortal remains of Elin Pelin were honoured and an honour guard was mounted by: the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party and Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers, Valko Chervenkov, the Chair of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture, Karlo Lukanov, and the Committee’s Deputy Chairs, Professor Jacques Nathan-Garamond and Encho Staikov. Chervenkov laid a wreath of fresh flowers by the coffin and then offered his heartfelt condolences to the relatives of the deceased.

The last to bow before the bright memory of their patron were the teachers and pupils of Second Primary School “Elin Pelin”. A member of the Dimitrov Pioneers Organization “Septemvriyche” recited poems dedicated to Elin Pelin.

The nationwide homage ended at 14:00 hrs. (…)

Before the crowd gathered in front of Sofia University, Georgi Karaslavov delivered an address on behalf of the Committee for Science, Art and Culture and the Union of Bulgarian Writers. Among other things, he said: “With deep sorrow our people and our cultural community meet the death of the eminent writer. Elin Pelin was one of those masters of the pen who, brought up in the spirit of the traditions of the deeply humanist, progressive Russian literature, helped under the new conditions to lead it to a higher stage… He is the brightest and most gifted representative of critical realism in our literature and is one of the irreplaceable, unforgettable teachers of Bulgarian writers…”

On behalf of the Dimitrov Union of People’s Youth (DUPY) and the Dimitrov Pioneers Organization Septemvriyche, a speech was given by a member of the Bureau of the Central Committee of DUPY, Albert Cohen. Among other things, Cohen said: "For several decades now and to this day, Elin Pelin has been and continues to be a constant companion of the young generations on their path of development, education and formation as loyal sons and daughters of their people, as ardent patriots of their homeland. With all his work, Elin Pelin has awakened and continues to awaken in the souls of young men and women… a passionate love for our beautiful land, for our hardworking and honest people, a strong optimism and faith in life, which must become better and more joyful.”

After that, an imposing funeral procession was formed which, led by members of the Septemvriyche movement and a multitude of wreaths, made its way to Sofia Cemetery. As the procession passed, the citizens paid their last respects to the national writer. (…)

Speeches were given by, among others, Professor Aleksandar Balabanov on behalf of the friends of the deceased, and a representative of the writer’s native village of Bailovo.

Numerous wreaths were laid on the grave.

Elin Pelin was born on July 18, 1877 in the village of Bailovo under the name Dimitar Ivanov Stoyanov. He is known in Bulgarian literature as a master of the short story. His first volume of short stories was published in 1904, and the second in 1911. He is the author of the novellas "Land”, “The Geraks” and “Evil Spirit”. Elin Pelin also wrote the collections “Black Roses”, “Under the Monastery Vine”, “I, You, He”, “Ash from My Cigarettes”, “From the Window”.

The website of the National Literature Museum notes that Elin Pelin is rightly called “the father of Bulgarian children’s literature”. For children he wrote poems, narrative poems and short stories. He is the author of the first Bulgarian children’s fantasy novel in two parts – “Yan Bibiyan – The Incredible Adventures of a Kid” and “Yan Bibiyan on the Moon”.

Elin Pelin was the first curator of the Ivan Vazov House-Museum in Sofia, a post he held until his retirement in 1944. In 1920, 1921 and 1940 he was Chair of the Union of Bulgarian Writers, and in 1941 he became a member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. His works have been translated into 48 languages. After Ivan Vazov, he is the most popular and most frequently translated Bulgarian author.