Bulgaria Month, June 12

Through the (Collier's Encyclopedia) (Y)ear(book)s with Bulgaria:

• 1945--Four parties (the Agrarians, Right Wing Zveno Group, Socialists and Communists) comprise the ruling Fatherland Front. The yearbook says that the most influential person in the party is a woman named Tsola Dragoytchova but doesn't go into any details. A Google search on her name appears to confirm the name and importance, but that's about it. Two other things from this year ... It is said that, through, March 26, 1945, 2,138 people had been convicted (of treason, it appears) by Bulgaria's People's Court and executed. Also, it is said that in October, Louisville editor Mark Ethridge visited Bulgaria to report on the elections there and contributed to the U.S. position that they failed to reflect the democratic opinion.
• 1955--"Of all the satellite countries in Eastern Europe Bulgaria has been the one most Sovietized. ... Little news came out of the country." So, for example, while Western media were allowed to visit some Communist lands in summer 1955, Bulgaria "remained secluded." Among the news that did seep through were these two items. Bulgaria in August shot down what turned out to be a passenger plane from Israel, killing 57 on board. (The Bulgarian government eventually apologized for the error.) Also in 1955, Bulgaria cut a deal to buy 500 Chevrolet passenger cars for a little more than $1 million, "but the agreement was cancelled by General Motors under a company rule against sales to Communist countries."
• 1973--Some interesting legislation from this year ... Citizens may own no more than one residence and one villa, neither larger than 120 square meters (about 1,290 square feet). Property being used to generate "non-labor income" was to be expropriated, with violators additionally either being resettled or jailed. Moms were extended six months of additional paid leave after their first child, seven months after their second, eight months after their third and an additional six months for each new child thereafter. Minimum wage was raised to 80 leva per month. Top teacher salary was raised to 145 leva per month; beginning physicians, to 130 per month.