Estonian-Bulgarian diplomatic relations 100

Bulgaria recognised the Republic of Estonia de jure on 20 May 1922, which established official diplomatic relations.

For the anniversary year, we have compiled a timeline of Estonian–Bulgarian relations. It is a chronological gallery of historical photographs, documents, and texts, which provides an overview of the important moments of the relations between the two countries over 100 years.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the collection of facts, photos, and documents!

To see the photo titles, move your cursor to the photo.

Happy time travelling!

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Bucharest

1918

Public reading of the Estonian Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Pärnu Endla theatre

photo collection of Pärnu Museum

At the initiative of the Salvation Committee, the Estonian Declaration of Independence was compiled, which was publicly read on 23 February 1918 from the balcony of the Endla Theatre in Pärnu. The next day, on 24 February 1918, the Salvation Committee declared Estonia an independent democratic republic.

20 May 1922

Bulgarian Prime Minister notified with his letter from 20 May, that his government recognizes Estonia as “sovereign, free and independent republic, with which Bulgaria wishes to initiate political and economic relations.”

Source: National Archives

The document is a telegram by Karl Robert Pusta to Tallinn, conveying the message of the letter of recognition. K.R. Pusta was at the time Ambassador to France and had led the Estonian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1921), which determined the outlook of the interwar period.

29 May 1922

Estonian legation in Paris confirmed receipt of the letter of recognition, conveying ’high appreciation’ of it.

Allikad: Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

January 1934

In January 1934, Mr Wöhrmann-Hill, the future Honorary Consul of Bulgaria, notified the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry of the unused potential for trade between the two countries.

Bulgaria could send tobacco and rose oil to Estonia, while receiving refrigerators, paper etc.

29 November 1934

Bulgaria appointed the businessman Nikolai Wöhrmann-Hill to be its Honorary Consul

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

Wöhrmann-Hill was born in 1887 in the Pskov General Government, studied law in St Petersburg and worked for the pre-revolution Russian government at various positions, before escaping to Estonia in 1919. In 1934 he was the owner of the Estonian Industrial Supply Co Ltd.

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

1923–1934

An overview of Estonian-Bulgarian trade between 1923 and 1934

Source: National Archives

Imports from Bulgaria, of mostly tobacco (to cigarette factories), were many times over Estonia’s exports of mostly linen. Estonia considered sending more impregnating oil, refrigerators, telephones, cellulose. The payment agreement from 1938 mention additional Estonian goods as potential export items, such as cellulose, paper, telephones, linen, sailing cloth, canned fish, shale oil, artificial horn, plywood, hides, refrigeration equipment. As import items from Bulgaria, beside tobacco, following items have been mentioned: corn, rice, oilcakes, hemp, sheep and goat skins, walnut plywood, wines, sunflower seed oil, almonds, nuts, rose oil, grapes, canned fruit.

10 July 1935

The Bulgarian government agreed with the nomination of Vassil Modestoff Rebroff to be the Honorary Consul of Estonia in Bulgaria.

Source: National Archives

He was recommended by Nikolai Köstner, an Estonian economist, who at the time was the League of Nations commissar at the Bulgarian National Bank

Source: National Archives

20 April 1938

Report about the shale oil excavation in Estonia: its extent, types, and export opportunities.

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

In time, extracting shale oil became one of the main industrial activities in Estonia. “As the demand for this product is rising abroad, the AS Riigi Põlevkivitööstus has just built new installations, to produce 19 000 t. of oil per year. AS Eesti Kiviõli is (also) building new factories.” Shale oil reached also Bulgaria. In 1936, about 100 000 kroon’s worth could have been sold there.

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

24 April 1938

President Konstantin Päts notifies czar Boris III of his election as President for the next six years by the electoral body.

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

March 1939

Creation of an Estonian-Bulgarian Cultural Society

Source: National Archives

„ On 17 March the Interior Ministry registered the Estonian – Bulgarian Cultural Society. The society’s objective was to a) develop understanding of Estonia and Bulgaria between its members b) strengthen connections between the countries c) tighten Estonian-Bulgarian friendship’ (ERA.31.3.4854). The membership of the Society reached 62 in 1940, before it was liquidated after Estonia’s annexation“. (B.Kibal artikkel. 'Unustatud suurmees Nikolai Köstner Bulgaaria-Eesti ühisnäitusel')

19 August 1940

Estonia was occupied by the Soviet military on 17 June 1940, after the arrival of additional Soviet forces.

Archives State Agency of Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Honorary Consulate in Tallinn received a note on 19 August 1940, ordering it to end its work. Similar letters were sent to the entire diplomatic corps (1934 data: 22 embassies, 40 honorary consulates).

20 August 1991

The Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted a resolution on Estonia’s national independence. The Republic of Estonia was restored on the basis of legal continuity

Taking down the statue of Lenin in front of the building of the Central Committee of the Estonian Communist Party (now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Photo: Archives of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Peeter Langovits

10 September 1991

Estonian and Bulgarian Ministers of Foreign Affairs Lennart Meri and Viktor Valkov sign a joint declaration on the re-establishment of diplomatic relations

Joint Declaration of Estonia and Bulgaria on the Restoration of Diplomatic Relations. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

23 September 1999

The first Bulgarian ambassador to Estonia, Alexander Yordanov, presented his credentials to President Lennart Meri

Ambassador Alexander Yordanov and President Lennart Meri after the presentation of credentials. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Yordanov resided in Warsaw.

The next Bulgarian ambassadors to Estonia were:

Lachezar Petkov (2002–2004, resided in Warsaw)
Venelin Tsachevski (2004–2006, resided in Helsinki)
Plamen Bonchev (2006–2010, resided in Helsinki)
Petyo Petev (2009–2011, resided in Tallinn)
Liubomir Todorov (2013–2016, resided in Helsinki)
Martin Ivanov (2016–2020, resided in Helsinki)
Selver Halil (2021–…, residing in Sofia)

13 December 1999

The first Estonian ambassador to Bulgaria, Peeter Reštšinski, presented his credentials to President Petar Stoyanov

Peeter Reštšinski. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ambassador Reštšinski resided in Warsaw.

The next Estonian ambassadors to Bulgaria were:

Aivo Orav (2001–2005, resided in Warsaw)
Ants Frosch (2006–2007, resided in Warsaw)
Rein Oidekivi (2007–2011, resided in Sofia)
Toomas Kukk (2011–2017, resided in Sofia, Vilnius, and Tallinn)
Ants Frosch (2017–2019, resided in Bucharest)
Ingrid Kressel Vinciguerra (2019– …, residing in Bucharest)

11–12 June 2003

State visit of the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov to Estonia

Presidents Georgi Parvanov and Arnold Rüütel in front of the honour guard in Kadriorg. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

President Parvanov met with President Arnold Rüütel, Speaker of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma, and Prime Minister Juhan Parts. Parvanov also visited Tallinn Town Hall, the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the IT College, and the Rocca al Mare Open Air Museum. The presidents also paid a joint visit to Pärnu.

29 March 2004

Estonia and Bulgaria became members of NATO

Accession ceremony for new NATO members in Washington. Photo: NATO Media Library

As early as 2003, seven future NATO members, including Estonia and Bulgaria, signed the Accession Protocol and ratified the NATO Treaty.

18 November 2004

Official visit of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Estonia

Prime Ministers Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Juhan Parts at a meeting at Stenbock House. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

During the visit, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria met with President Arnold Rüütel, Prime Minister Juhan Parts, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristiina Ojuland, and Deputy Speaker of the Riigikogu Rein Lang.

25–27 May 2005

State visit of the President of Estonia Arnold Rüütel to Bulgaria

Presidents Arnold Rüütel and Georgi Parvanov at a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

President Rüütel met with the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov, the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Borislav Lubenov Velikov, and Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He also opened an Estonian–Bulgarian business seminar, visited the Bulgarian National History Museum, Boyana Church, Bachkovo Monastery, and the city of Plovdiv.

25 April 2006

Krista Kilvet, the first Estonian diplomat on site, started working in Sofia

Krista Kilvet. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Krista Kilvet was the charge d’affaires ad interim until the arrival of Ambassador Rein Oidekivi in October 2007.

16 November 2006

The Prime Ministers of Estonia and Bulgaria, Andrus Ansip and Sergei Stanishev, attended the opening. The Estonian Embassy was open in Sofia until 2012

Opening of the embassy. From the left: Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, Chief of Protocol Ivan Tsvetkov, Estonian Chargé d’Affaires Krista Kilvet, Estonian Ambassador to Bulgaria Ants Frosch. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Autumn 2008

The Bulgarian Embassy was opened in Tallinn

The embassy was located at Lauteri 5 and was open until 2011.

September 2011

Visit of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov to Estonia

Prime Ministers Boyko Borisov and Andrus Ansip on the balcony of Stenbock House. Photograph: Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

12–13 September 2013

Official visit of the President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev to Estonia

Presidents Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Rosen Plevneliev in front of the honour guard in Kadriorg. Photo: Office of the President of the Republic

Plevneliev met with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Speaker of the Riigikogu Ene Ergma, and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and visited the e-Governance Academy, the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ICT Demo Centre, and the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

20 January 2014

Working visit of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves to Bulgaria