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BarkellWH -> RE: Making traditional sweet bread (with pics!) (Apr. 16 2020 22:04:44)
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quote:
A little anecdote I read in a book recently, from an old Bulgarian diplomat: When relations between US and Bulgaria after the communist takeover were finally reestablished for good (this is likely referring to early 60ies), the US was offered 3 buildings to choose from, for an embassy - two away from downtown, and one right downtown, right across from the national archaeological museum. Apparently they thought it would be easy to monitor communications in that downtown building sandwiched between other buildings, so it was considered almost like a troll offer.
Except the US took that exact one - which I am sure you know very well as the embassy was there till 2004 when it moved to near South park. So the party apparatchiks were really surprised the US decided to accept that building, and reasoned that maybe the US has very advanced counter-measures, and belatedly figured that it might actually be easier for the US to monitor comms in neighbouring buildings. Also, apparently Zhivkov and others were pissed off that the US embassy would then use the ground floor for displays of various cultural, technological and other accomplishments
Yes, I know that old American Embassy building well, Konstantin, having worked in it for two years. Western diplomats had apartments that were heavily bugged. We never discussed classified information outside the secure area of the Embassy. The Bulgarians were not too subtle about it either, as in our case their State Security organ had agents occupying the top floor of our apartment building.
A few vignettes of our life in Bulgaria during the mid-1970s, at the height of the Cold War. Many of us in the Embassy would take a four-day leave and drive to Salonika, Greece. The Bulgarian border crossing was Kulata. You noticed a huge difference the minute you crossed from Kulata into Greece. Gone were the drab communist gray and ochre yellow buildings on the Bulgarian side, and all of a sudden you had bright Mediterranean blue, green, and white buildings in Greece.
On one trip when we were returning to Sofia from Salonika, we were about an hour past the border and around a bend came a huge Bulgarian army missile carrier carrying a Soviet SS-20 Intermediate Range Missile. It was coming toward us at high speed, and I had to quickly pull the car off to the side of the road, as he was not going to give way. Obviously they didn't want anyone, even Bulgarians, getting too close a look at the missile. I surmised that as a Warsaw Pact nation, they were going to install the missile within striking range of Greece, a NATO country.
In those days there were many shortages of nice goods, from clothing to food. Everyone was clothed and nobody starved, but the selection was poor. As a result, whenever Bulgarians saw a line forming in front of a store, whether the department store or a food market, they automatically got into line, even though they didn't know what was being sold. If there was a line it meant that something good had been imported, whether, say, sweaters from Europe or oranges from Greece. They automatically got into line. Of course the high-level apparatchiks had their own store from which they could purchase nice items. We diplomats also had access to that store.
Western diplomats could not socialize with Bulgarians, other than with those Bulgarians who received approval to do so. If you attempted to get too friendly with a Bulgarian you put him in jeopardy with the government. So everything was done on an official basis--receptions and that sort of thing. We invited a Bulgarian couple over for dinner and to watch a movie (Murder on the Orient Express), and they accepted (both worked for the government, he a medical doctor, she a microbiologist), but they certainly had to gain approval from the authorities to do so.
Sofia was a very pleasant city. In spring and summer it was very green with parks and places to walk (including on Mount Vitosha), and sidewalk cafes. It was much nicer than Bucharest, Rumania. Bucharest (under Ceausescu) had a military air about it, with guards in strategic places (airport, government buildings, etc.) carrying machine guns. In fact, members of the American Embassy in Bucharest would take extended weekend trips to Sofia for rest and relaxation.
I could go on, but I fear I am detracting from the real theme of this thread, which is your sweetbread. At any rate, those days of the Cold War and our first-hand experience of it in Bulgaria are long gone. It was certainly an interesting experience, though, one that I would not trade for anything.
Bill
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