Let’s get back in time, in order to recollect the “unbelievable rebel and original personality” Trifon Kunev. We offer you some an excerpt from his text, devoted to the period after the pro-Soviet coup d’etat on 9 September 1944:

“September 9 coup ruined the basics of the fascist misguidances in Bulgaria, following precisely the plans of its creators. Some awesome thesis spread its wings over our motherland and gave new directions to the political, public and cultural life of the Bulgarians. The history of people in this country should start as of September 9. Anything before that date was fascist governing and obscurantist intentions. Many other thunder-like voices fall from the sky of the Fatherland Front, but we will discuss those some other time. There were democratic orders on the common election list, as an expression of the densest of democracy, there was voluntary collecting of money for the rent of the people’s home for freedom-loving committees, for notes-loving unknown warriors in the field of the new era, there were new ways for investigations across prisons and concentration camps, implementing modern facilities and electric tools. There was a voluntary establishing of collective farms in villages. What else will happen due to human progress and the historical path of re-born Bulgaria – we do not know. For now, let’s finish today’s talk with the energetic Fatherland Front’s saying: “We are not afraid of the atomic bomb, so what’s so much with history?”

Because of feuilletons and articles like this one writer Triffon Kunev – one of the most famous Bulgarian humorists and writers from the first half of the 20^th century was persecuted and often sent to prison, both before and after the September 9 coup. A walk between prison cells and the parliament – that was the short version of his life. Kunev had to use many nicknames due to those persecutions. He was born in the village of Uglen, to the family of a wealthy man, who sent all his five sons to college and the results were: a doctor, an engineer, an officer, an agronomist and a lawyer. Triffon kicked off his career as a teacher in his village and then went to Sofia to study law. He started to write poetry. After his graduation he worked as a journalist, he also issued several collections of poems. The writer took part in both Balkan Wars /1912 – 1913/. After the 9 June 1923 coup d’etat he ended up in prison, along with many other leftist intellectuals and agrarian party activists. He was again arrested in 1925 after the terrorist act at the Sveta Nedelya church. From that point he was a frequent visitor to prisons and police stations, as Hristo Brazitsov pointed out: “Not a single Bulgarian writer has been in prison so many times…”

After September 9 Kunev chaired for a while the Union of Bulgarian Writers, he was also a director of the National Theatre. In 1945 he resigned from both positions and tried to defend actors and writers, persecuted by the communist regime. He went on publishing feuilletons and articles, which finally brought him once again in court. The case was temporarily suspended, as Kunev became a member of parliament. After the defeat of the United Opposition he was sentenced to 5 years of prison. The writer was persecuted by the authorities after his release as well – up till his death in 1954. In his feuilleton, named “Why Is Georgi Karaslavov Cussing Me?” Kunev writes on the pressure of the authorities due to his intransigence.

“The day before yesterday the newspaper of Fatherland Front’s Bulgaria published an article of proletarian writer Georgi Karaslavov, devoted to me and my political deeds. Karaslavov is not the first red attacker to pour verbal swill over my personality and actions. He was preceded by another one – Krum Kyulyavkov. Anyway, fans of mud literature will be disappointed, if they expect a similar answer. I cannot leave such words for the coming generations. Now, the question – why do those pretty boys cuss me? Do they have any personal reasons? Nope. They can’t have anything against me. They are simply following the orders of their masters. Why do they want to humiliate me in front of my readers? It is simple – I try, though from the last rows, to struggle for the freedom of Bulgarian people, for its wealth and for what’s right. It is also because I am a friend of those brave and selfless statesmen, who despised ministerial positions, the ease of power and the safe life of sheepishly politicians.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev