In the history of modern Bulgaria, there are events that remain in the annals both for their curious nature and as a vivid example of the phenomenon of group psychosis. Today, in the era of fake news and social networks, the memory of September 11, 1995 sounds more relevant than ever. Then nearly 3,000 people gathered at the abandoned “Shtruklevo“ airport near Ruse, convinced that they would make the first contact with extraterrestrial intelligence.
Bread, salt and pink suits for the guests from the planet Chrissy
More than three decades ago, three Ruse clairvoyants - Zlatka, the three wives or the so-called contactees - announced that eight spaceships from the distant planet Chrissy would land at the airport. On the appointed day, the organized crowd arrived at dawn. People brought flowers, traditional Bulgarian bread and salt, and the contactees were dressed in formal, identical pink suits, ready to present their homeland to the galactic guests.
Among the crowd, parked "Ladis", "Moskvichs" and even carts were visible. Those present insisted that the then President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Zhelyu Zhelev, should also arrive at the place to welcome the alien leaders with state honors. The event became an absolute sensation for the media.
Media coverage and preserved archives
The BNT regional television in Ruse captured the entire absurdity in documentary footage, which today continues to collect millions of views on video-sharing platforms. Instead of a space fleet, however, the people at the airport were only greeted with disappointment and global ridicule. Despite this, the event remains the subject of serious analysis by psychologists and sociologists.
Why do we succumb to mass psychosis?
Specialists explain the phenomenon of “Shtruklevo“ with the severe economic and political crisis in Bulgaria in the 1990s. When people lose faith in institutions and tomorrow, they tend to seek salvation in the mystical and supernatural.
The analogy with today's digital world is frightening. In 2026, disinformation is no longer spread by three contactees in city squares, but by algorithms and fake profiles, making modern man even more vulnerable to this type of group psychosis.