Forced Resettlement of Bulgarian Families

Forced Resettlement of Bulgarian Families (1944–1953)

Background Mass Relocation Under Communist Rule

After the communist coup in Bulgaria on 9 September 1944, the new government began forcibly resettling families considered a threat to the regime. This policy continued for almost a decade, until August 1953. The goal was to remove “unreliable” or “dangerous” individuals from big cities and sensitive areas such as border regions. The authorities believed that these people could not be trusted and might oppose the new socialist order.

Official Numbers and Real Impact

According to a confidential report submitted to the Politburo of the Bulgarian Communist Party by the Speaker of the House and the Minister of the Interior, between 1944 and 1953:

7,025 families were resettled.
This included 24,624 individuals Istanbul Day Trip.

However, even the report admits that the actual numbers may be higher. Many operations were done in secret, and not all were documented fully.

Specific Resettlement Statistics

Here are the key figures provided in the report:
Reason for Resettlement Number of Families Number of People
Relatives of people who escaped to the West (“renegades”) 2,397 9,739
People considered “enemies of the state” or a threat if living in large cities or border areas 4,359 13,651
Other reasons 169 1,224
Total 7,025 24,624
In Sofia alone, 2,548 families (5,075 people) were resettled. From border regions and district centers, 4,208 families (18,315 people) were forced to move.

Secret Orders from the Ministry of the Interior

In March 1953, Georgi Tzankov, the then Minister of the Interior, issued a strictly confidential directive. His order was aimed at further “cleansing” of the cities and border zones:

“To cleanse big cities and border areas from hostile individuals and to break their contact with those who have escaped to the West, I order preparations for the resettlement of their families.”

The directive named specific cities:

Sofia
Plovdiv
Bourgas

Stalin (now Varna)
Local Ministry officers were instructed to:
Identify all family members of “renegades” and “non-returners”
Propose their internment (forced relocation) by 20 March 1953
The Human Cost of Political Fear

These forced relocations were part of a larger campaign of political oppression. People were punished not for crimes they had committed, but simply for being related to someone who had fled the country, or for being considered a threat by the communist government. Those who were resettled often lost their homes, jobs, and access to education or healthcare. They were placed under constant surveillance, and forbidden to leave their new, often poorer, communities.

The Bulgarian Communist regime used forced resettlement as a powerful tool to silence dissent, isolate “unreliable” citizens, and maintain total control. Thousands of innocent people—entire families—were torn from their homes, stigmatized, and sent to live in isolation simply because of who they were or who they were related to. This dark chapter in Bulgarian history is a reminder of the harsh reality of totalitarian rule, where fear and suspicion replaced justice and freedom.