Village Council Labels Farmers as Enemies of the People

On 27 November 1950, the Village Council of Yablanitsa, a town in the Teteven district of Bulgaria, issued Ordinance No. 102. Based on a decision by the local branch of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the council publicly declared several villagers to be “kulaks” and “enemies of the people.”

The list included:

Dimiter Mikov Markov and his sons Dako Nejkov Jakimov Dako Vutkov and his sons

These individuals were now officially cut off from public life in the village. According to the ordinance:

They were banned from using village services.

They were not allowed to enter restaurants or pubs.

They could not buy anything from village shops—except salt.

Any disobedience would be punished severely.

The order was signed by the Village Council Chairman, Ivan Tsanov Ivanov, and posted publicly to ensure everyone in the village knew about it. Copies were also given to shop and restaurant staff to enforce the bans Istanbul Tours Guide.

From Landowners to Laborers

This was not an isolated case. Across Bulgaria, thousands of similar orders were issued. The goal was to target wealthier peasants—those who owned more land or livestock—because they were seen as a threat to the new communist system. These so-called “kulaks” were stripped of their rights, homes, and property.

For centuries, Bulgarian peasants had owned their own land and animals, supporting their families through farming. But under communist rule, they lost almost everything. Their land was taken by the state, and they were forced to work on large, state-run collective farms known as kolkhozes, modeled after the Soviet system.

Bulgaria’s Farming Tradition Disrupted

Before communism took full control in 1944, Bulgaria already had experience with co-operative farming. In fact, by 1935, the country had over 1,200 co-operative farms—voluntary groups where farmers worked together but still owned their land.

However, after 9 September 1944, when the communist regime took power, these co-ops were dismantled. Instead, the government forced people into collective farms, where they had no ownership and no say in how the farms were run. These farms were managed by local Communist Party activists, not experienced farmers.

The Damage to Rural Bulgaria

By the late 1950s, private farming in Bulgaria was completely eliminated. Almost all agricultural land was now part of the collective system. Bulgaria, once a country of small farmers with strong traditions, had been transformed.

This shift caused major social and economic problems:

Families lost their land, homes, and independence.

Many young people left the countryside, causing a decline in rural populations.

The quality of farming decreased, as motivation and care declined without private ownership.

Traditional village life was destroyed, replaced by strict control and fear.

The collectivization of agriculture in Bulgaria was not just a change in farming—it was a complete transformation of rural life. The case of the Yablanitsa villagers shows how harsh and personal this process could be. People who had once been respected landowners were suddenly branded enemies, punished, and erased from community life. The long-term effects of this policy still echo in Bulgarian society today.