Before Varna became the permanent center of the Bulgarian navy, its beginnings were laid on the banks of the Danube. On August 12, 1879, the Danube Flotilla and Naval Unit were established in Ruse. Their ranks included vessels handed over to the Principality of Bulgaria after the Liberation, and with them began the construction of a naval organization for the new state.
Eighteen years later, this unified structure was divided. On November 12, 1897, Prince Ferdinand issued Decree No. 40, published in the State Gazette, issue No. 264 of November 28 of the same year. Under it, the Flotilla and the Naval Unit were formed as the Danube Flotilla with headquarters in Ruse and the Naval Unit with headquarters in Varna.
“Danube Flotilla with headquarters in Ruse and Naval Unit with headquarters in Varna”This wording reflected a change whose significance extended far beyond an administrative division. Varna now had its own naval formation and began to establish itself as the main base of the fleet on the Black Sea. Historical research and the Naval Museum recognize November 12, 1897, as the beginning of the Varna Naval Base. The date is according to the Old Style calendar and corresponds to November 24 in the New Style.
Paul Pichon Takes Charge of the Naval Unit
Captain 2nd Rank Paul Pichon, head of the French naval mission in Bulgaria, was appointed the first commander of the newly established Naval Unit. The French mission was tasked with helping to build the Bulgarian navy and train its personnel.
The decree was followed by the adoption of the Provisional Regulations for the Administration of the Naval Unit. They defined the leadership functions and responsibilities of the formation’s commander. Thus, the new structure in Varna received not only a headquarters but also an independent administrative organization.
From Ruse to Varna
The transfer of the center of naval activity to Varna was linked to the city’s growing importance, the development of its port, and Bulgaria’s need to build a permanent naval stronghold on the Black Sea. Ruse retained its role as the center of the Danube Flotilla, while Varna became the main hub of the Naval Unit.
The division, however, proved to be an intermediate stage. On January 13, 1899, the Danube Flotilla and the Naval Unit were merged into a Navy with headquarters in Varna. Thus, the city was finally established as the center of the unified command of the Bulgarian naval forces.
That is why November 12, 1897, remains more than just a date in the administrative history of the fleet. It marks the moment when Varna acquired an institutional role in the building of Bulgarian naval power—a role that continues to this day.
Sources: maritime.bg, old-news.bnr.bg, morskivestnik.com