On November 4, 1945, Georgi Dimitrov returned to Bulgaria from Moscow after 22 years abroad. His arrival was kept secret, and at Sofia Airport he was welcomed by Sergei Biryuzov, head of the Soviet military mission in Bulgaria. Thus, the leader of Bulgaria’s communists returned to a country whose political power had already changed following September 9, 1944.
Dimitrov left Bulgaria after the September Uprising in 1923. He initially settled in Yugoslavia and Austria, and later worked for the Comintern. His international prominence grew sharply in 1933, when he was accused by the Nazi authorities in Germany, along with other communists, of setting fire to the Reichstag. During the Leipzig Trial, he defended himself and was acquitted. After the Bulgarian authorities refused to recognize his citizenship, Dimitrov received Soviet citizenship and remained in Moscow, from where he led the communist movement.
His first meeting with the public takes place in front of the National Theatre
His public appearance came three days after his return. On November 7, during a commemoration of the anniversary of the October Revolution, Dimitrov spoke in front of the National Theatre in Sofia. According to a bulletin issued by the Bulgarian News Agency at the time, several thousand people gathered in front of the building with flags, placards and slogans. The audience welcomed him with ovations, while his speech was directed against the anti-communist opposition.
In the same address, he stated that during the years of his absence he had never stopped thinking and working for the future, happiness and prosperity of the Bulgarian people. The welcome in front of the National Theatre turned his return into a public political event, although his arrival itself had taken place without prior announcement.
The return before the elections
Dimitrov returned at a time when the Fatherland Front was preparing for the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 18, 1945. His return two weeks before the vote was significant for the communist party’s campaign and for establishing its leader in the country. The elections were boycotted by the main opposition parties, while the government declared a victory for the Fatherland Front.
In November 1946, Georgi Dimitrov became prime minister. He remained at the head of the government until his death on July 2, 1949. His return from Moscow on November 4, 1945, marked the beginning of the final stage of his political career and of his direct involvement in the construction of Bulgaria’s post-war communist regime.
Sources: bta.bg, time.com