A new deluxe edition, the book A Dream About St. Boris I, takes readers back to the dramatic 9th c. in medieval Bulgaria. The book was released in the days when the nation celebrated the 1150th anniversary since the official Christianization of Bulgaria during the reign of Prince Boris I. The book was written by screenplay writer Angel Wagenstein. The book is written very personally, and here is a quote: „Listen now, brother of mine, I'll tell you what I dreamt of Boris, I'll sing it to you, and I'll weep it to you.” The book is a good compelling read with an epic story and generous ancient language; with scenes recreated with remarkable vividness and dramatic turns.

Prince Boris I was not known for great military successes. However, he had clarity of vision as to how his state should develop. „Even the worst peace is better for us than the best of wars. We need peace - lasting, why not eternal and good enough to let me create what I have in mind”, the prince says in the book. And his concept was to unite Bulgarians and Slavs venerating pagan gods, into a Christian state with a single alphabet. This plan sparked off the revolt of 52 aristocrats (boyars) whose families were destroyed. Boris I dealt with cruelty with his own firstborn son Vladimir Rasate who after taking the throne wanted to restore paganism. The prince ordered for Rasate to be blinded and thrown into a dungeon.

„Wagenstein's book reveals his amazing skill to walk into the shoes of various times in history”, poet Ivan Granitski said at the premiere. “The book's language is stunningly adequate to the era of Boris I. The prince was a glorious and tragic figure, the man who carried out the Christianization of Bulgarians with iron will and thus predestined the future of the country. He is Bulgaria's top statesman, because thanks to him the nation has survived to the present day.”

Here is what Boyan Angelov, Chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Writers, said: „The role of Boris I in Bulgarian history is of extraordinary importance because he prevailed over paganism thus letting a large and powerful state shine with unprecedented brilliance on the map of medieval Europe; a state that under his successor Simeon the Great would reach new heights and seize further territories - from the Black Sea to the Adriatic, from the Carpathians and Transylvania to Croatia all the way to the walls of Constantinople. A Dream About St. Boris I is not the only work of literature exploring that time but is the most poetic one though not arranged under a hexameter and in tidy stanzas because it is born from the depths of the heart, out of love and respect for the glorious past of Bulgarians.”

In his book Angel Wagenstein recounts of the disciples of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Slavonic script and co-patrons of Europe. Accepting their students to his state Prince Boris founded two literary schools: the School of Pliska and Preslav and the School of Ohrid that were to bear generous spiritual fruit. Those centers were training priests to profess Christian faith, translate liturgical books and write original works. The new script and the body of literature written in it were disseminated among other nations as well.

We should note here that the text that has been released in a book by Mr. Wagenstein is based on the screenplay of the picture Boris I shot 30 years ago by film-director Borislav Sharaliev starring Stefan Danailov.

English Daniela Konstantinova