Page 366 [366]
364
Georgeta Nazarska
This study found also that Bulgarian cartoonists obeyed the Communist Party’s
order and were part of the atheistic propaganda during the second half of the 1960s.
Thus caricature, a popular and accessible art, became one of the means to combat
religion and reinforce negative stereotypes that existed in Bulgaria before the mid¬
dle of the twentieth century. Visual images became the sole mediator of communist
propaganda because most periodicals, which published cartoons, had high circula¬
tions. During the study period Starshel had circulations between 80,000 (1950)
and 240,000 (1972); Vecherni Novini, 90,000; Kooperativno Selo, 167,030; and Yeni
Isık, 20,000 (Balgarski periodichen pechat 1975: vol. 1, 127, 416; vol. 2, 275).
However, it is difficult to argue that this was successful in the fight against
religion and in changing the views of religious people. They used differentiated
strategies to attract the attention of their readers to atheistic themes,“ but it cannot
be claimed with certainty that they had substantial success.
Sources
Archival Documents
Central State Archive coll. 165 = Lenmpanex déprcasen apxue (Central State Archive), cb. 165.
Central State Archive coll. 1B = Lenmpanen Osp»casen apxus (Central State Archive), cb.1B.
Central State Archive coll. 405 = Lenmpanex déprcasen apxue (Central State Archive), d. 405.
Central State Archive coll. 3255 = Henmpanen depacasen apxue (Central State Archive), d. 325B.
State Archive, Sofia coll. 352 = Jépacasen apxue — Cofua (State Archive, Sofia), cp. 352.
Press
Atheistichna Tribuna = Ameucmuuna Tpu6yna (‘Atheistic Tribune’), 1972-1988.
Byuletin na Doma na Ateista = Bronemun na /[oma na Ameucma (‘Bulletin of the House of Atheist’), 1974.
Byuletin za Ateistichna Propaganda = Bronemun sa Ameucmuuna IIponaeanda (‘Bulletin of Atheistic
Propaganda’), 1972-1973.
Izvestia = Hssecmua na Hayunouscnedosamenckun Hncmumym no Kyamypa (‘Proceedings of the
Research Institute of Culture’), 1980.
Kooperativno Selo = Koonepamueno Ceao (‘Cooperative Village’), 1962-1965.
5 Taking into account the subscription system, clutching a large number of institutions and families,
these data should be multiplied at least by 3 to understand the number of readers. Indeed, a study from
1972 shows that Starshel had 820,000 readers and was in second place after Rabotnichesko Delo, the semi¬
official organ of the Communist Party. A similar poll on Kooperativno Selo (1980) showed that it was read
by at least 900,000, mostly men (see Jzvestia 1980: 48, 66; Hristova 1995: 99).
4 In Starshel almost all artists prepared atheistic caricatures, but the topic was not a priority, only periph¬
eral. In Yeni Issk few cartoons were published, but they were oriented to literate Turks and some of them
were even in Turkish. This greatly limited their audience.
5 A study of police by the end of the 1970s shows increasing participation of believers, including young
people, in religious holidays and services, a growing number of baptizing services, church marriages,
consecration of homes, establishment of church boards and Christian fraternities, and the building of new
temples (see Migev 2008: 111-113).