I am rereading Stefan Tanev's open letters from the Central Sofia Prison.
Stefan Tanev is the creator and permanent editor-in-chief of the first Bulgarian morning newspaper “Utro“ – from February 1911 to September 8, 1944. Brother of the artist Nikola Tanev.
On September 13, 1944, he was arrested and imprisoned in the Central Prison, as was his brother. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and died in 1952 at the age of 63, behind bars. Fate was more merciful to his brother – several years in prisons, camps and communist construction sites, but was released and died 10 years later by Stefan, crippled.
So in prison Stefan Tanev takes stock of his life in letters to his wife Ekaterina and besides - amazingly - preserved pride and dignity, he also shares a lot of bitterness.
My brother got out of prison and renounced himself, and my sister came only once to see me, he writes. For the people to whom he gave a path in life and bread in their hands - it's not worth it.
Everyone abandoned him.
As well as Professor Mihail Arnaudov, one of the brightest Bulgarian minds, for whom Stefan Tanev testifies.
The professor was also thrown into a communist prison. His fault - Minister of Education in Bagryanov's cabinet. Before the so-called People's Court he says - for me it was a duty.
Mikhail Arnaudov - an academician in a time when it was not mocking and contemptuous - learned in his own way that an order had been issued for his arrest and on September 15 he surrendered himself.
He was released at the insistence of the Soviet academician Nikolai Derzhavin, who had read his fundamental work "Psychology of Literary Creativity".
In some cases, Soviet comrades also played a positive role. Also with Soviet intercession, Ivan Ivanov, the longest-ruling mayor of Sofia, was released. Sentenced to death by the communists. Subsequently - amnestied so that he could build the "Iskar" dam, from which Sofians drink water today.
But about Professor Arnaudov. Stefan Tanev says that one day his colleague Professor Toma Tomov came to prison - coincidence of names, it's not the one with the two wagons... books.
He brings him a - white - loaf of bread and asks him about the archive of Professor Ivan Shishmanov, also Minister of Education. On behalf of the academic council.
The professor bitterly refuses the bread with the words - here in prison there is bread for everyone. And you, who are looking at your career, when did you think of me? Did you protect me in any way?
Communism in Bulgaria became possible also because we were silent.
Of course, this silence was imposed with cruel terror.
The destruction of everything intact and then several decades, until the revolutionaries - rather their children - became civilized.
But they are damaged in thinking, mentally, as they would express themselves. By birth.
And because they are at the top, whatever happens happens.
And finally – another episode of Stefan Tanev's “Letters“. The prison record for the most flies killed in one day is Atanas Burov - 243. Can you imagine, Tanev writes – Burov shakes flies. All day long.
I can imagine.
Ominous grotesque.