THE KLIMENT OKHRIDSKI STATE UNIVERSITY OF SOFIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000200040002-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 2013
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 28, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200040002-3
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SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT The Kliment Okhridski State University
of Sofia
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE DISTR.a
NO OF PAGES
NO. OF ENOS.
(LISTED BELOW)
VAVIBMIENT TO
REPORT NO.
Admission Procedure.
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1. After 9 September 1944, the system of admission to the Kliment
Okhridski State University of Sofia was completely changed. Those
who wished to study at the University had to obtain special per-
mission from the Fatherland Front Committee in the place of their
residence. The purpose of this measure was to close the doors of
higher education to those suspected of being reactionary and retro-
grade elements, i.e., not orthodox Communists.
Reorganization of the Admission Procedure.
2. About 1948, the admission procedure was reorganized, without changing
the basis of the system, however. Everyone who wished to study at
the University was obliged to fill out questionnaires containing
the following:
a. Names of parents.
b. Parents' membership in political parties before 9 September 1944.
c. Father's profession before and after 9 September 1944.
d. Mother's profession before and after 9 September 1944.
e. Parents' participation in resistance movements.
f. Parents' membership in opposition parties after 9 September 1944.
g. Social origin: bourgeois, intellectual, worker?
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h. Applicant's membership An political parties or mass
organizations.
i. Applicant's part in resistance against the fascist regime.
J. Membership in fascist parties before 9 September 1944.
k. Membership in opposition parties after 9 September 1944.
I. Participation in the brigade movement, timespand place.
m. Criminal record.
After filling out these questionnaires, another personal data
questionnaire. had to be filled out and stamned by the District
Counci3, Prthe:RegionaLCouncil, etc. depending on one's place of
residence..; The counciiscorresponded to the municipalities.
Entrance Examinations.
3. The student then had to submit all of the documents to the
University's administration office, where he was given permission
to take entrance examinations, which consisted of the following:
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a. Written examination on Bulgarian literature.
b. Written examination on the subject in which the student
wished to major.
a. In 1953 an oral examination was introduced to test the student's
political orientation. Questions? were asked about state
? policies and other questions in connection with the situation
in Bulgaria at the time. Some of these were as follows:
(1) What was the nature of the armed rebellion of 9 September
1944?
(2) Could victory have been won without the aid of the Soviet
Army?
(3) Was the insurrection of 9 September 1944 a Socialist
revolution or not?
(4) What is the aim of a Socialist society?
After a student had passed all these tests, he was allowed to register
at the University.
Academic Instruction.
4.
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the organization of higher instrui5oxi
tion, the organization of instruction in the
Department or Philology, specifically French philology,
Instruction in French literature, grammar, phoneticsPoxl
morphology, syntax, etc. was given in French. Instruction in
political subjects was given in Bulgarian. All students of modern 50X1
philologies such as French, English, German, and Italian, were
obliged to study Russian philology as their minor.
5. Instruction in the Department of French Philology consisted not only
of our major subjects, such as French literature from the XII
century to the present time, French grammar, history of the French
language, old French, Latin, linguistics, language exercises,
phonetics, morphology, syntax, comparative grammar, detailed
contemporary grammar, but also of political subjects such as history
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/05/24: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200040002-3
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of the Bolshevik Party, the basis of Marxism-Leninism, dialectic
materialism and historic materialism. Examinations in all these
subjects were compulsory for all the students and were considered
very important, at times even more important than the examinations
in our major subjects.
The best instructors in French were Prof. Tome TOMOV and his
associate, Liubomir VANKOV. Associate professor Pavlina PAVLOVA,
who taught contemporary French literature (XVIII to XX century),
did not know her subject well. Her knowledge of French was in-
adequate. She made serious grammatical mistakes. All one had to
do to pass an examination in her class was to talk continuously.
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Military Instruction.
7. In 1952 compulsory theoretical and practical military instruction
for all but correspondence students of the University, including
women, was established. Almost all of the instructors in
Military Science were Army officers and, as far as I know, all
military instruction followed the general rules of military
instruction in the barracks.
Military instruction at the University was designatet. "cathedra
No. 20 or 23"; I do not recall exactly. It included topography,
basic instruction in infantry, artillery, and other military
sciences. Examinations in all military subjects were compulsory
for all students but grades were not kept in official University
records.
9. Practical instruction in military subjects was given concurrently
with the theoretical instruction, near Kniczhevo outside of Sofia
Since correspondence students did not have to take military
courses, I never participated in any of these exercises. I heard
of them from a young woman who was a reGular student at the
University.
Graduation.
10. In order to graduate, a regular student had to study four years and
a correspondence student, five years. After a student had passed
all the regular courses given at the University, he also had to
pass a state examination before he could obtain his bachelor's degree
and diploma. The state examination, which was given in February,
july,and October of each year, was divided as follows:
a. Examination in the student's major.
b. Examination in methodology.
c. Political examination on the bases of Marxism-Leninism.
11. After passing these examinations, the student received his diploma.
This, however, did not mean that the student was free to choose his
future place of employment. Every graouate was at the disposal of
the Ministry which controlled his field of study; for instances
students of French Philology were at the disposition of the
Ministry of Public Education, The Ministryassigned a graduate to
a town or village to teach in a secondary school. If the graduate
did not report for duty at the beginning of the school year, the
Ministry was empowered to impose a fine, which amounte4 as I recall,
to 10,000 leva.
Student Organizations.
12. University students not only had to keep up with their studies
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but also had to participate in all activities of the Dimitrov Union
of Bulgarian Youth, and attend meetings of other organizations
and political parties. It was compulsory for students to take
part in the demonstrations on I May and 9 September, which were
national holidays. Only those who had a good political file
were considered perfect students.
13. At the beginning of the semesters students had to join a branch
of the Dimitrov Union of Bulgarian Youth (Dimitrovski S iuz na
Narodnata Mladezh)2 into which number of organizations were
consolidated in December 1947. Prior to that date the following
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youth organizations had existed:
a. Union of Working Youth (Rabotnicheski Mladezhki Saiuz),
the youth section of the Bulgarian Communist Party.
b. Agricultural Youth Union (Zemedelski Mladezhki Saiuz),
the youth section of the Bulgarian Agricultural Party.
c. "Zveno Youth Union (Mladezhki Saiuz "Zveno")2 the youth
section of the Zveno. political party.
d. Youth Section of the Social Democratic Party.
e. Popular Students' Union (Obsht Studentski Naroden Saiuz),
an independent organization.
f. General Union of Students (Edinen Mladezhki Obshto
Uchenicheski Saiuz), an organization of the students of
secondary schools (gymnasium).
14. The purpose of the consolidation of all youth organizations was to
place all young people into one organization to insure better
control and to mold them into a uniform nr.l.tern, as well as to
indoctrinate them with Communist viewpoints, since the Dmitrov
Union of Bulgarian Youth was directed by the Bulgarian Communist
Party. The aim of this organization was to impose the general
line of the Bulgarian Communist Party upon all Bulgarian young
people, who, for the most part, did not belong to the Bulgarian
Communist Party and did not accept its teachings. On the contrary,
Bulgarian youth was strongly opposed to Communist dictatorship.
15. Another aim of the Dimitrov Union of Bulgarian Youth was to check
on the private lives of its members, particularly their political
opinions. When a member was found to have unorthodox political
opinions, he was excluded from the Union, a move which made it
very doubtful that he would ever be able to finish his studies at
the University or to keep his job. Even if such a student somehow
managed to complete his studies at the University, it would be very
difficult for him to find a job.
16. The Dimitrov Union of Bulgarian Youth at the University was divided
into groups of 15 to 20. Each group was headed by a deputy, whose
task it was to watch the students in his group. This deputy had a
special notebook, with a page allotted to each student in his group
and in which he made notes. His principal task was to spy on
the students, not only at the University but also outside of
school.
Miscellaneous
17. I do not know the number of students attending Sofia University. My
guess is that the school may have had more than 5,000 students.
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The tuition fee was 160 leva per year for all students. Students
had to pay 8 to 10 leva for a student book and a student's identifica-
tion Card. A fee of four leva for each examination was charged,
and a fee of 100 leva for the diploma.
18. There were other institutions of higher learning in Bulgaria at:
a. Plovdiv: faculties of medicine, agronomy, and law.
b. Svishtov 2:4.337N-2517: commercial academy. .
c. Varna (now called Stalin): polytechnic college until 1949
or 1950.
d. Ruse: polytechnic college which was closed in 1949 or 1950.
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