"Revival process" is the euphemism coined by the Bulgarian communist
regime for the forced assimilation campaign (1984-1989) against the
Turkish minority in the country. This somber, large-scale episode of
social engineering has produced deep and complex sequels in the
collective memory and in the society. It has been approached from
different points of view but still a number of grey zones remain.
The book explores the decision-making process and the events through
their economic dimensions. It structures and calibrates the different
prices paid for this paranoiac endeavor. In a broader perspective, the
monograph outlines the key catalytic role of the climax of the "Revival
process" (the exodus of more than 300 000 ethnic Turks during the summer
of 1989) in the Big Bang that led to the collapse of communism in
Bulgaria. The generated macroeconomic and monetary shocks, together with
the widespread spontaneous proliferation of forex, labor and
commodities' grey markets definitively undermined the planning machine
and disrupted the existing economic tissue. Meanwhile, in an effort to
face the emergency and to preserve its power, the regime activated
panoply of most retrograde tools proper to "War Communism". This mix of
rudimentary proto-capitalism and fading socialism molded in many
respects the economic culture of the ensuing Transition in Bulgaria.
The book is based on factual evidence drawn from a great variety of
archives and statistical sources, many of them untouched till now.
The Economy of the "Revival Process" (~9.27 MB)