THE COMMITTEE OF DEMOCRATIC BULGARIAN WOMEN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000100210001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 26, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 1, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMAT;ON
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorised person Is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form it prohibited.
25X1A
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT The Committee of Democratic Bulgarian
Women
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
25X1A
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR. L.Septelrber 1953
NO. CW PAGES' 7
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
SOURcE:
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1. Until November 1950 the Popular Union of Bulgarian Women (Bulgarski Naroden
Zhenski Suyuz) was the only women's organization in Bulgaria. At that time, a
national conference of the Union took place in Sofia, at which it was decided
that there was no need for a separate union of women. This decision was made
for the following reasons:
a. Bulgarian women had equal rights With men.
b. They participated on an equal foOting with men in the political economic,
and cultural life of the country.
c. Bulgarian women were advanced enough to be capable of taking part in an
organization together with men.
2. After it was decided that the Popular Union of Bulgarian Women had accomplished
its task, the organization was incorporated into the Fatherland Front. But in
order to justify the adherence of Bulgarian women to the Women's International
Federation (W1DF) in Berlin, the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women
(Komitet na Demokratichnite Bulgarski Zheni), whose principal task it was to
maintain connections with foreign women's organizations, was created. This
Committee planned International Women's Day on 8 March and International
Children's Day, preparing all of the pamphlets needed for these activities, for
the meetings of all excutive committee of the WIDF in Berlin, and for inter-
national congresses in which the Committee of Democratic Women took part.
3. The work of the Women's Committee was directed by a section in the Central Comm-
ittee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. The Chief of this Section was Madame
Magda GUINOVA. Within each local or regional committee of the Bulgarian Communist
Party, there was one woman who was responsible for work among women.
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Before the Third Congress of the Fatherland Front, which took place
in May 1952, one deputy responsible for work among women was attached
to every local committee of the Fatherland Front. After the Congress,
however, all women's activities were concentrated in the Bulgarian
Communist Party. The work among women consisted of holding meetings
and participating in various campaigns, for instance:
a. Preparations for International Women's Day, 8 March.
b. Preparations and campaign for the International Children's Day.
c. Campaign and collection of gifts for the people of North Korea.
d. Collection of signatures for the conclusion of a peace pact by
the five great powers according to the instructions of the World
Peace Council. In this connection, it is interesting to note
how the signatures were collected. At the time, I was working
as translator and interpreter in the Bulgarian Cinematography
State Enterprise (DUrzhavno Predpriatie Bulgarska Kinematografia
A meeting was held, at which selected speakers talked about the
fight for peace and about the great international peace camp
headed by the great Soviet Union. The speakers condemned the
instigators of a new war, that is, the Anglo-American imperia-
lists; they also spoke of dollars soaked in human blood and
mouthed many other similar stupidities. After these talks and
reports, one of the speakers said: "Now we are all going to
sign the appeal for peace of the World Peace Council"; and those
present began to sign the appeal. It was not a matter of choice;
we just had to sign.
Thus it is clear that the absorption of the Popular Union of Bulgarian
Women by the Fatherland Front was aimed at centralizing all organi-
zations which had even a semblance of independence under the dictator-
ship of the Bulgarian Communist Party.
5. The Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women was a fiction and a means
of having all Bulgarian women participate in the WIDF in Berlin.
The character of the WIDF is easy to understand when one knows that
it participated in all international conferences and congresses whose
general line was dictated by Moscow.
Or anization of the Committee of Democratic Bul arian Women
6. As of June 1953 the Committee had the following staff:
a. Chairman: Madame Tsola DRAGOICHEVA, Minister of Posts, Telegraph
and Telephone, and member of the Central Committee of the
Bulgarian Communist Party. As chairman she was responsible for
outlining and supervising the work of the Committee. She had
the over-all responsibility for the activities of the Committee.
b. Secretary: Madame Tsvetana KIRANOVA, member of a commission in
the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party. She
managed all administrative work for the Committee.
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Translator:
literature rvu ium wumen organizations aproap, sucn as
information bulletins of the WIDF, letters of the WIDF, and all
other materials coming from that organization, as well as
material emanating from the Committee to be sent abroad. The
translations were made from Russian and French into Bulgarian
and vice versa.
d. Typist: Madame lntrese DIKOVA, who typed all the above material
in Bulgarian, French, and Russian.
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The materials to be translated and typed consisted mainly of the
information bulletin, which contained items about women's organi-
zations of the Iron Curtain countries which belonged to the WIDF.
In addition, telegrams were sent to certain governments, always one
of the Western Powers, protesting against an act of that government.
For example, a telegram was sent to Great Britain protesting against
the condemnation of a young Malay woman who had been accused of
terrorist activities and wham our telegrams represented as an inno-
cent person; condemned without sufficient reason. Another telegram
was sent decrying the sentence imposed upon the ROSENBERGS. A
protest telegram was sent to the Spanish Government against the
Sentencing of striking workers in Barcelona. A telegram was sent
to the Greek Government protesting against the condemnation of
Nikos BELOIANIS and his accomplices. We protested to the US
Government against its decision not to grant an entrance visa to
the delegate of the WIDF to the Sixth Session of the Economic
Council of the United Nations in April 1953. To the government of
San Slavador, a protest telegram was sent against the arrest of
some demonstrators. All of these telegrams began as follows:
"The Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women, in its name and in
the name of all the mothers and women of Bulgaria, energetically
protests against 00000000o" I mention this stereotyped intro-
ductory sentence only in order to show how these protests were ?
made in the name of all Bulgarian women while the majority of
these women did not even know that the telegrams had been sent.
The Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women had its offices at
Pattiarkh Eftimi No, 82. Its board of directors consisted of six
persons:
a. Chairman: Madame Tsola DRAGOICHEVA
b. Secretary: Madame Tsvetana KIRANOVA
c. Chief Editor of the publication, Zhenata Dnes (Today's Woman):
Madame Rada TODOROVA.
d. One of the secretaries of the National Committee for the
Defense of Peace in Bulgaria: Madame Ionka TATAROVA.
e. A member of the National Council of the Fatherland Front:
Madame Nadia GANCHEVA.
f. Chief of the Section for Work Among Women in the Central Com-
mittee of the Bulgarian Communist Party: Madame Magda GUINOVA.
g. An associate member, deputy chief of the same section as
Madame GUINOVA, Madame Anastassia VULKOVA.
The Board of Directors of the Committee met weekly to examine the
letters and other materials received during the week from the WIDF.
At this meeting, the secretary's activities during the preceding
week were examined and approved and the next week's work was
planned. The board also prepared plans for campaigns which were
organized by the Committee or in which the Committee took part.
It also selected delegates who were to participate in international
conferences and approved the plans for pamphlets, slogans, posters,
fliers, and the.contents of all letters sent abroad.
10. The supreme organ of the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women
was the Plenum of the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women.
The Plenum was composed of about 50 women from all parts of the
country. The Plenum and the Board of Directors were elected to
their posts, for a four-year term, at the National Conference in
November 1950. The Plenum met once a year. It approved the work
and activities of the Committee during the preceding year and out-
lined the plan. of activities for the next year. I must emphasize
here that all these meetings of the Plenum and of the staff were
only shams since there were really no basic organs in the country.
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11. The following is the manner in which delegations to international
conferences were organized. The Board of Directors of the Committee
of Democratic Bulgarian Women selected the delegates, whereupon- the
secretary submitted the names of the delegates to the Central
Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, which passed on the
selection. It had full power to replace any of the members proposed
by the Committee. After the delegates were approved by the Central
Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the Committee of Demo-
cratic Bulgarian Women wrote a letter to the Council of Ministers
informing it that, according to the decision of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party, the persons indicated in the
letter had been appointed to represent Bulgaria, or rather Bulgarian
women, at such and such an international conference. The Council
of Ministers, in turn, on the basis of the decision of the Central
Committee of the Communist Party, gave permission for the issuance
of the foreign currency necessary to cover the delegates' travel
and living expenses abroad.
12. The Directorate of the People's Militia issued "service passports"
according to the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party. After these passports and the decision of the Council of
Ministers were obtained, the whole matter was forwarded to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose task it was te Procure the
necessary visas. When all.these formalities were completed, members
of the delegation deposited their personal passports (or identifi-'
cation documents) with the Directorate of the People's Militia and
received their "service passports" provided with exit visas.
13. A similar state of affairs existed in the Soviet Union. The Anti-
Fascist Committee of Soviet Women represented Soviet women at the
WIDF in Berlin. The same was true of Czechoslovakia. There were
almost 6o,000,000 Soviet women, almost 2,000,000 Bulgarian women,
several million Czechoslovak and Communist Chinese women -- that is,
about 180,0000000 women represented in the WIDF in Berlin.
14. Following is biographical information concerning six women connected
with the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women:
AME: Elissaveta BA-urrux- B T DA out 1693
ITLE OR RANK: Editor BIRTH PLACE: Unknown
CSITION AND DUTIES: Member of the Editorial Board HEIGHT: About 1.69 m.
of the publication Se temvri, WEIGHT: About 78 kg.
organ of the Union o Bulgar- HAIR: Unknown
Ian Authors; Member of the EYES: Unknown
Committee of Democratic
Bulgarian Women.
ERSONAL HISTORY: Finished Bulgarian Gymnasium and, I believe, studied Bulgarian
literature at the University of Sofia. For a while she was
professor of Bulgarian literature; has been married twice; had
a son from the first marriage; her second husband Alexandr
LIKOV, was employed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
4PLOYMENT OR MILITARY RECORD: Unknown
KRTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION: Not a member of the Communist Party.
-MARKS: Madame BAGRIANA was one of the best-known and best-loved poetesses.
Her poems composed before World War II show a very humane character
and are most popular. Her lyric poetry and meditative poems are really
a glory to her country. Madame BAGRIANA was also well-known abroad.
After 9 September 1944, she was not very popular because the Communists
objected to one of her poems about Bulgarian royalty; she later
regained her reputation, especially as one of three co-authors of the
new Bulgarian national anthem. She was sent on a visit to the Soviet
Union and after her return she wrote an article on the Soviet people.
Madame BAGRIANA was a member of the
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REMARKS:
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MUST 25X1 A
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-----"Err-iVrAgra-TArfMWFTOTFr")
Bulgarian delegation to the Second World Congress for
the Defense of Peace,which was held in Warsaw. The
young people of Bulgaria had great respect for
Madame BAGRIANA as a poet before World War II but
have since been disappointed in her. They do not
approve of the bad example she has set for them by
bowing to Communism and singing its praises. I have
no detailed information about her oharagter, since
I know her mostly through her poetry.
BASIS OF INFORMATION:
ommittee ot DemocraticBulgarian Women.
DATE OF INFORMATION: June 1053.
Nomommomonommeilmirimm.....amm.,
-------Irirese-15TWATIT61: TIM 15KIM
7-erese Camillo VACARO BIRTH PLACE
TITLE OR RANK: Typist HEIGHT:
POSITION AND DUTIES: Typist for the Committee WEIGHT:
of Democratic Bulgarian HAIR:
--Xbout 1010
: Sofia
About 1.60 m.
About 70 kg.
Black
Brown
in Sofia.
in Sofia a few
Women. EYES:
PERSONAL HISTORY: Madame DIKOVA finished French College
She also studied at the German school
years; married; had two sons. ?
EMPLOYMENT OR MILITARY. RECORD: Unknown
PARTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION: Not a member or the Communist
Party
A very good woman of excellent eharacter, and quite
cultured. Told me she did not like the situation
in Bulgaria.
OF INFORMATION: Committee of
emooratic Bulgarian Women..
DATE OF .INFORMATION: January 1952 to June 1953
REMARKS:
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BASIS
mommirmbriftiFa.V.ImeMevremoommcgiewnaoAreetrv kiVt... 4.11?1?1110,?01?1111.11/41011,.???????1?1?10.11e?????????????0111110?1141,
NAME:
TITLE OR RANK:
POSITION AND DUTIES:
?
?
Tsola Ntmdava DRAGOICHEVA 'BIRTH DATE: About 1903
(a.k.a. -- SONIA) BIRTH PLACE: Unknown
Minister in the Government HEIGHT: About 1.63 m.
Minister of Posts, Tele- WEIGHT: About 70 kg.
graph and Telephone; HAIR: Dyed hair
member of the Central EYES: Bluish gray
Committee of the Communist Party; member of the
National Committee for the Defense of Peace; chair-
man of the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women,
PERSONAL HISTORY: She finished a pedagogical school and taught for
a time in several gymnasiums. She took active part
In the clandestine work of the Bulgarian Communist
Party. She had been condemned to death by the old
regime but was reprieved because of her pregnancy.
Before 9 September 1944 and for several years after,
she was a member of the Politburo of the Bulgarian
Communist Party but for some mistake she Is. now
only a member of the Central Committee of the
Bulgarian Communist Party. Madame DRAGOICHEVA
was the first chairman of the Fatherland Front
after 9 September 1944. She held many meetings,
the purpose of which was to arouse the hatred of
the masses, and to send to the courts a great
number of persons accused of being fascist collabora-
tors and of being responsible for the second
national catastrophe. Thus, many completely
Innocent people and even people who had done
everything they could to save Bulgaria from
complete defeat were executed. In trying to save
Bulgaria, they had also made the mistake of trying
to save it from Soviet occupation, the disastrous
consequences of which are well known today.
EMPLOYMENTS OR MILITARY RECORD: Unknown
PARTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION: See Personal History
?
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BASIS OF INFORMATION:
DATE OF INFORMATION:
Tscilannftwa DRAGOICHEVA (Cont 'd)
Madame DRAUOICHEVA showed traces of youthful good
looks. She had a difficult and not very good nature.
She tolerated contradiction from no one. She was
ambitious and vain and had a disgusting attitude
toward her co-workers. She was always ready to
humiliate anyoneinever thinking that others also
had their self-respect. She was very temperamental,
amiable one minute and 1.ragcible the next.
the Committee of
Democratic Bulgarian Women and during the WIDF Congredil
.in Copenhagen.
1952-1953
TAIRE:
TILE OR RANK:
POSITION AND DUTIES:
PERSONAL HISTORY:
Tsvetana aneva - : hout 1963
Secretary BIRTH PLACE: Village of
Secretary of the Committee Torosses
District of
Lukovit
About 1.80 m.
85 kg.
Gray
Light Brown
of .Democratic BuIgartsr
Women; member of a cOmmittee
in the Central Committee. HEIGHT:
of the Bulgarian Communist WEIGHT:
Party; member of the HAIR:
Managing Council of the EYES:
Central Cooperative Union (Tsentralen Kooperativen
Saiuz)
Madame KIRANOVA finished the Bulgarian Gymnasium;
married; had .three daughters. The eldest, Vesselas
marrieds has one childr she finished law atthe
University of Sofia and now works at Burgess with
her husband; Genis the second daughter, is married
and works as a translator in the Central Committee, of
the Dimitrov Youth Union; Raines the third daughtervie
a student of industrial chemistry at the University
of.Sofis The husband of Madame KIRANOVA, Mr.
Prokopi KIRANOITs is Professor of Economics at
the University o..s Sofia.
EMPLOYMENT OR MILITARY RECORD:. Unknown'
-PARTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION;
REMARKS:
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BASIS
Member of the Bulgarian
Communist Party
Madame KIRANOVA took an active part in the
clandestine struggle of the Bulgarian Communist Partyi
She was active in the Bulgarian Agricultural. Party.
Before 1944s she taught in several Bulgarian
schools but was dismissed because of her radical
views. She was also chairman of the Union of
Families with Many Children. After 9 September 1944,
.she was secretary of the Peoples Union of Bulgarian
Women. After the Union was absorbed by the Father-
land-Front, she became, and is still, secretary of
the Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women. Madame
KIRANOVA had a rather difficult personality. She
was very moody, but not a mean woman at heart On
one occasions I overheard her conversation with
Madame Magdalena BARAmnVAs the sister of Georgi
.DIMITROV. Of courses they didn't know I had over-
heard their convernation; but from it I received'
the impression that Madame KIRANOVA did not approve
of the situation.in Bulgaria. They discussed prices
of commodities in Bulgaria and the true character
of the price reduction.
OF INFORMATION: the Committee of Democratic
u gar an Women.
DATE OF INFORMATION:. 'January 1952 to June 1953
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a a o orova ?
TITLE OR RANK: Editor
POSITION AND DURIES: Editor-in-Chief of the pub-
lication, Zhenata Dness
(112112-2111_11.211211); member of
tife?CaTiattii-of Democratic
Bulgarian Women; deputy to
the National Bulgarian Assembly (Bulgarsko Narodno
Sabranie); deputy to the Town Council of Workers'
Deputies in Sofia.
PERSONAL HISTORY: Finished at a Bulgarian gymnasium; widow; had one son.
EMPLOYMENT OR MILITARY RECORD: Unknown
!ARTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION: Member of the Bulgarian Commu-
nist Party
REMARKS: She took a very active part in the clandestine struggle of the
Bulgarian Communist Party. She spent 12 years in various prisons
and it is said that she had an excellent attitude while imprisoned.
After 9 September 1944, she became a minister in the government.
She was later forced to resign because of her inhuman attitude
toward an injured worker whom she met on the highway and refused
to take in her car. She was a hard woman. She did not sympathize
with the sufferings of others. She has been a delegate of the
Committee of Democratic Bulgarian Women to many international
congresses and conferences organized by the WIDF. She was also a
member of the Bulgarian delegation to Stalin's funeral.
BASIS OF INFORMATION: Slight personal acquaintance.
DATE OF INFORMATION: 1952 - 1953
BIRTH DATE: A out 1963
BIRTH PLACE: Unknown
HEIGHT: About 1.67 m.
WEIGHT: About 78 kg.
HAIR: Gray
EYES: Unknown
1.1
as
ass a
i ? +
a.
.a. N' --.F.E1W7A5Zut 1915
TITLE OR RANK: People's Deputy BIRTH PLACE: Unknown
POSITION AND DUTIES: Member of the Presidium of HEIGHT: About 1.75 In.
the Bulgarian National WEIGHT: About 80 kg.
Assembly; Deputy to the HAIR: Chestnut
National Assembly; Vice-chief EYES: Light brown
of the Women's Section of the Central Committee of
the Bulgarian Communist Party and associate member of
the Board of Directors of the Committee of Democratic
Bulgarian Women
PERSONAL HISTORY: Finished at a Bulgarian gymnasium; married; had two sons.
EMPLOYMENT OR MILITARY RECORD: Unknown
PARTY AFFILIATION OR POLITICAL ORIENTATION: Member of the Bulgarian
Communist Party
REMARKS: Madame VULKOVA took active part in the resistance against German
occupation and in the struggle against the fascist regime in
Bulgaria. Together with her husband she was a member of the
resistance forces. She was quite sincere and cordial.
BASIS OF INFORMATION: Met her several times in Bulgaria
DATE 0? INFORMATION: 1953
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