Bulgaria Forum

Shumen is a city in the northeastern part of Bulgaria and is the capital of Shumen Province. The Turkish form of the name Şumnu dates back to the Ottoman Empire. From 1950–1965, it was called Kolarovgrad, after Vasil Kolarov. Other English variants include Shoumen and Šumen. The town was also called with different names like Shumena, Shoumna, Shoumoular, Soumounoum, and, of course, in the last centuries of the domination, Shumen. In the fourteenth century, people called it Shoumna or Shumen. Most probably, its name was derived from the word “shouma” meaning “foliage” or “zaShumen” meaning “covered up with branches” because it was situated in an area with lush vegetation.Keep reading

In 2006, the city census listed the city’s total number of permanent residents to be 103,016. The town of Shumen is situated at the eastern mouth of the Shumen Plateau, on either bank of the Bokloudga River. It is 380 kilometers northeast of Sofia, 115 kilometers southeast of Rousse, 90 kilometers west of Varna, 140 kilometers northeast of Veliko Tarnovo, 41 kilometers east of Turgovishte, 49 kilometers southeast of Razgrad, 113 kilometers south of Silistra, and 56 kilometers northeast of Vurbitsa.
To the east of the city lies Varna, the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

An interesting thing about the topography of the city is that the hills around it are curved in such a way as to resemble a horse-shoe. An irregular ravine passes through the ground along the length of the horse-shoe ridge. From Shumen, roads spread out northwards to the Danubian cities of Rousse and Silistra as well as to Dobruja, southwards to the passes of the Balkans, and eastwards to Varna and Balchik. Shumen once had one of the most expedient military positions in the Balkan Peninsula. This was taken advantage of by the Ottoman regime through the strategic formation of the quadrangle. The quadrangle was composed of the neighboring towns of Shumen, Ruse, Silistra, and Varna, and was formed to fortify the country’s defenses against the Russian advances in 1877. However, this period marked the final days of the Ottoman domination.

During World War II, in the period of 1943-44, within the boundaries of what is today Shumensko Plateau Natural Park located around the city of Shumen, Bulgaria, there was an active POW (Prisoner of War) camp. This camp was for the English and American aircrew members who were shot down over Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula.

Shumen has a long history that has brought about a varied spectrum of European and Eurasian influences and periods. Like many, if not all, of the cities of Bulgaria, Shumen was first inhabited by Thracians. The ancient languages of these people had already gone extinct and their cultural influence was highly reduced due to the repeated barbaric invasions of the Balkans by Celts, Huns, Goths, and Sarmatians, accompanied by persistent Hellenization, Romanisation, and later, Slavicisation. Though reduced, the cultures of these people still form part of the origin and history of the city. The Romans occupied the city at a time when Rome was world power while its army was conquering many of the outlying lands that are present-day Bulgarian cities and towns.

During the Roman occupation, Shumen became the center for cultural and religious activities under Simeon the Great, who ruled between 866 and 927. Under his rule, Bulgaria reached a Golden Age of cultural distinction. However, the Roman rule wasn’t always friendly. In 811, Shumen was burned by the emperor Nicephorus, and in 1087, it was besieged by Alexius I.

Shumen was renamed Chumla in 1388, after it was captured and put under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Being part of the empire was beneficial for the town because it became an important market town. In simple terms, Shumen was opened up to the different cultures by being a medium of economic and cultural trade. Remnants of the period’s multi-ethnicity remain with Shumen’s minority Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim communities. Many years later, in 1848, after the failure of the Hungarian Revolution, many Hungarians also migrated to Shumen.

Shumen is an old town of fortresses. Thracians first built fortresses at around the fifth century B.C. The construction of fortresses provided the town its foundations for both a military and communal settlement. Other fortresses were also built in the surrounding area of Hisarluka on the eastern end of the Shumen Plateau.

The nineteenth century saw Shumen, and many other Bulgarian cities and towns, as a center for the country’s National Revival. On May 11, 1813, the first theatrical performance was held to commemorate Saints Cyril and Methodius of Bulgaria. The birth of enlightenment began to engulf the country and the demand for the performing arts and national identity was greatly spurred. In 1850, the first Bulgarian symphony orchestra was established in Shumen. Also, in 1850, the Hungarian politician and revolutionary leader Lajos Kossuth became an icon for the city. He was very influential and was known throughout Europe and the rest of the world. He was later recognized as a freedom fighter who struggled hard for European democracy. He was exiled in Shumen and the house he lived in is now a museum.

Hungarian emigrants also played a big role in the city’s performing arts. The first symphonic orchestra was conducted by Shafran. The first works of Bulgarian drama were written in Shumen, the first of which was “Mihal” by Sava Dobroplondi in 1853. Vassil Droumev, founder of Bulgarian theater, wrote the short story “Miserable Family” in Shumen in 1860. Another short story written in Shumen is “School Theatre-the Wealthy Man” (1864) by Dobri Voinikov. The great Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov was born in the town.

Bulgaria was eventually liberated from the Ottoman rule. Markets for the crafts crashed due to the comparatively cheap quality goods from the West which competed with the local market. On June 22, 1878, Shumen yielded to Russia and became part of the Principality of Bulgaria. One of the first breweries of Bulgaria was established in Shumen and this gradually became the key to the recovery of its economy in 1882. The Shumen beer has since been sought after by many connoisseurs and enthusiasts from all over the world.

In 1981, Bulgaria’s rich historical past was celebrated in Shumen due to its close proximity to some of the country’s important locations. Shumen is close to the first capitals of Danubian Bulgaria, namely, Pliska and Preslav, and the Mandara Knight or Horseman that is now a World Heritage Site, being as ancient as 710 A.D. Virtually, the whole history of Bulgaria is also present in the country’s Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria which is also found in Shumen.

The Shumen area has also been important in the field of archeology. Archeologists from Shumen have found well preserved tombs from the Khan period, the period of the Mongol emperor. Excavations were made at the areas of Chair Dere near Makak, one of the town’s districts. The Chair Dere findings date back to the period between the seventh and ninth centuries. At the grave, significant artifacts were found preserved in an earthen vessel in good condition. Some of the artifacts are the head of a horse, riding equipment, and part of a human skeleton.