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Watched the whole of that.  A very interesting history indeed.  I shall be exploring that part of Bulgarian history further. I want to gain a better understanding of the feelings of Bulgarians today. A valuable video that should not be lost in archives.

@JimJ

Interesting link, thank you. Panorama did a lot of great reporting back in the day. It's a pity the uploaded video is such rubbish quality, it's a bit hard to watch.

My history isn't great, but I think the fall of communism was 35 years ago... and I'd imagine gulags were already being phased out years before that. Given the life expectancy of men in Bulgaria (70-odd), I doubt there are many folks left who were running the Bulgarian camp. Even if they were all alive, that's a few hundred staff scattered in a country of several million, so I doubt you'd need to worry about your neighbour's authoritarian tendencies. :-)

Of course, you're right that the former communist countries had brutal dictators and secret police and harsh regimes.  I doubt anyone rivalled Russia's Stalin... but perhaps he was the aspiration for leaders of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania and others.

But, realistically, it's all ancient history, and these countries have been transformed, especially if they already joined the EU. We can all (or most of us) agree that it was bad back in the day... but I'm not sure there are any useful lessons we can learn in relation to life in present-day Bulgaria.

@gwynj

All what’s written above is quite valuable. I would like to add only 2 shorts comments: first of all BBC is well known as a fair and reliable source. Secondly I wish you could be right withregards lessons from history. However I can’t help but think there are now bomb attacks less than 400 miles away. Sometimes history is back again, unfortunately.

@Boris-Gleb

"first of all BBC is well known as a fair and reliable source" 🤣

@Jules999

Like it or not , "Auntie" is the most trusted media outlet in the UK, followed by the FT. Some people like to scoff, of course, but are unable to offer any evidence to the contrary - apart from the opinion of that voluble guy in the local pub who likes a few pints....

@Boris-Gleb BBC a reliable source.....lol

maybe in 1989 when that film was produced but sadly in this century they are nothing more than a government propaganda machine with most people who work there after the money and have thrown journalism out of the window, and the rest are ***, or the cupboard under the stairs

    @Boris-Gleb
"first of all BBC is well known as a fair and reliable source" 🤣
   

    -@Jules999

@roywebb58

I'd guess that the Daily Mail is your news source of choice, by the sound of it.

@Jules999

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@JimJ

I don't trust any of the mainstream media channels! Least of all the BBC....... For reasons too many to list.

I'd rather watch UK Column for a more rounded and unbiased version of news telling.

@Jules999

Okay - 'nuff said; good luck sorting the wheat from the chaff there while you're being roundly "informed".....