"The Bulgarian Trace" is a reference to the attempted assassination of the Pope. The title was, on the one hand, a purely ironic play on the cliché. In another sense, it is a title for people, Bulgarians, who have left a trace behind them, even if it is contradictory. This was told to the Bulgarian National Radio by the author of the book of the same name, Dimitar Kenarov – journalist and translator. The premiere of "The Bulgarian Trace" is today.
"The book has in a sense been translated back into Bulgarian. It is written in English, for a foreign audience, and is currently returning to its roots," he explained.
Kenarov shared his goal that the reader's expectations from the title would be overturned when they opened the book itself.
"What comes out in the West are clichés, exotic for us. My goal was to examine familiar names, phenomena, but to manage to complicate them. My idea was to make complex psychological portraits of these people and to present a more complex view of Bulgaria to foreigners."
We also live with clichés for ourselves, the journalist believes. According to him, "Bulgarians have something to learn from these texts".
The author had doubts about whether to remove "elementary stories about Bulgaria", but since, in his words, "our common culture is becoming less and less common and we live in algorithmic niches, you have to write about your own country as if it were foreigners".
"The texts will be useful, especially for younger readers."
The book also touches on the topic of monuments and obituaries. In relation to the Monument to the Soviet Army, which was dismantled, Dimitar Kenarov commented:
"For me, it was a mistake that it was demolished. It was also a mistake to preserve and protect it, as if it were some kind of sacred place. The new generation had to find its way to these monuments, decontextualize them and feel at ease with the past. Various art projects could be made there. We cannot constantly erase history. History is a kind of palimpsest. By erasing traces, we are erasing memory in a sense."
In the program "Before All", Kenarov, who has lived in the US for almost 12 years, compared what is happening in the US during Donald Trump's new term with processes in our country after 1944.
"Trump's first term was an anomaly, then he was the clown. He had 4 years to prepare for this 2025 project of the "Heritage" foundation, and although chaotic, he also acted systematically. Suddenly, a person came there who does not believe in institutions. We see dangerous processes that will not end in the next 4 years."
America is balkanizing in a sense, he reports.
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the journalist, who visited the country after the start of hostilities, expressed expectations for "a South-North Korea type of division, a separate peace and a freezing of the conflict".
According to him, the US business approach towards Ukraine is "a type of colonization" - "we see the harsh power behind the American state".
"The world will be thrown into chaos. 2025 is a watershed. We have no guide to what will happen next. Our familiar world will be turned upside down," Dimitar Kenarov commented in conclusion.