Nikolay Nikolaev

Bulgaria

Bulgaria and India

Bulgaria, being on the outskirts of Europe, has long suffered rather than benefited from its geographical position. Its peripheral situation allowed Bulgaria only a limited access to mainstream European culture. For half a millennium Bulgarians, oppressed and preoccupied with their own survival under the Ottoman Empire, did not get much exposure to the cultural and literary tendencies of the time. Divided in two, Bulgaria managed to re-unite only in 1912. The very same and the next one were years of wars on the Balkan Peninsula that saw the young and newly liberated country fall prey to its neighbours.

Just a few decades after the Bulgarian liberation from Turkish oppression in 1878, two World Wars shook the world. After the First World War Bulgaria was ruled by Monarcho-fascist governments till 1944 with tight control over culture, especially literature and arts. With a chequered history, Bulgarians never had the chance to establish direct connections with distant lands, such as India, before the twentieth century and the first Indian personality to enter into the wider cultural life of Bulgaria was Rabindranath Tagore.

The famous writer and literary and art critic Vicho Ivanov (1901-1979) wrote in his article Tagore in Bulgaria,

The subject of Rabindranath Tagore in Bulgaria leads up to that of Indo-Bulgarian relations in the past and to-day.[i]

The initial reception

The turmoil of the two Balkan Wars followed by World War explains why there is no evidence that even the big literary figures wrote about Rabindranath Tagore or translated anything written by him until 1918. It is unlikely that the event of awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature has not reached the Bulgarian elite and literati although there is no written record of any reaction to it. Interestingly, the first Tagore translation into Bulgarian was that of The Gardener in 1918. Gitanjali, the work Tagore became known to the world with, was translated into Bulgarian only in 1920. The early translations were not even made from English. The Gardener was translated from Italian, and Gitanjali from Russian.

After that the interest of the Bulgarian public and literary figures in Rabindranath and his works increased gradually, and reached its climax in 1926 (the year when the poet visited Bulgaria for three days in November), and in the following year. In the words of the eminent Bulgarian literary figure Vladimir Svintila (pseudonym of V. Georgiev Nikolov),

The public sentiment in Bulgaria in the twenties was particularly receptive to Tagore’s ideas. There were many reasons for it. Already in the eighties of the nineteenth century, a number of Russian scholars had turned their eyes to the East. These moods in Russia resounded in Bulgaria as well.[ii]

Visit in 1926

Rabindranath’s visit to Bulgaria was a major catalyst in the development of a range of social movements, some of them positive, others of a dubious character. Part of the Bulgarian public viewed his thoughts and written works as a source of great inspiration and would not hesitate to use them, in their quest to defend their cause through Tagore’s words of wisdom. Many, from freedom fighters to cooperative movement advocates, educationists and humanists, religious figures or monarchists, Russophiles or Russophobes, or defenders of women and their rights, seem to have found exactly what they needed in Tagore, they referred to his personality and used his words and ideas to promote their own ideas.

In the Bulgarian sources one can find deliberate omissions in Rabindranath’s translated works and distortion of the truth about facts of his personal life and travels. Sometimes his works would be intentionally misinterpreted or presented in a way Tagore would have remained oblivious to. The journalists and public figures would occasionally offer their audience “facts” that were fictional in nature.

Tagore initially did not intend to visit Bulgaria. On his 1926 European tour, in October he falls ill in Vienna and following the advice of his doctorhe takes a route back to his motherland through countries, where he would be less exposed to the severity of the approaching European winter. From Lake Balaton in Hungary, Rabindranath heads for Zagreb and Belgrade and visits Bulgaria on his way to Romania, from where he returns to India via Istanbul, Greece and Egypt. Rabindranath Tagore is accompanied by his son Rathindranath, his daughter-in-law Pratima Devi, and their adopted daughter Nandini, as well as his secretary, Prashanta Chandra Mahalanobis and his wife Rani Mahalanobis.

The Bulgarian literary and cultural institutions competed as to whose guest Tagore would be. The House of Arts and the Press, with which the Unions of writers, journalists and artists were affiliated, took pride in managing to invite the Poet, and several of their representatives met him at the Yugoslav-Bulgarian border. Some sources state that the Bulgarian King had sent a carriage to bring the Poet to Sofia — others that the Ministry of Railways had released a special coach. Some even go further and state that Rabindranath Tagore was an official guest of the Bulgarian King Boris and the Bulgarian Government. Other sources categorically deny this, and state that Rabindranath Tagore, having been informed in advance of the situation in Bulgaria, and how the ordinary people and the intelligentsia were oppressed — had explicitly stated that he was a guest of the Bulgarian people and not of the regime, and had refused to meet any representative of the Government or the King.

The reason stated in some Bulgarian sources as to why Tagore himself objected to being considered an official guest of the Bulgarian Government was that the first antifascist uprising in the world, which took place in September 1923 in Bulgaria, was drowned in blood. Many people were also killed in a second uprising in April 1925. Some of the victims were the most progressive intellectuals and literary figures of the time.

A short announcement in the North China Star (Beijing) on 22 November 1926 stated that “According to Sofia reports Rabindranath Tagore was received by King Boris and Princess Eudoxie.” However, the sources of the “Sofia reports” are not mentioned.

A note titled “Poet’s Home-Coming” in the Indian Daily Telegraph (Lucknow) on 19 December stated that: “While in the Balkan States he was the guest of governments, the kings of Romania and Bulgaria invited him to their palaces for lunch.” However, other sources state exactly the opposite. In an article in the Indian Mainstream magazine on 7 August 1976, the Bulgarian journalist Vladimir Svintila stated,

In Tagore the Bulgarian public honoured the exponent of democratic ideas. On the way to the hotel he was warned that a fascist dictatorship had been established in this country whereby all rights and freedoms were suppressed. The proud Indian bard immediately took the side of the oppressed people—he refused to meet any official persons. In his interviews with journalists, he stressed that he was a guest of the Bulgarian people, implying that he was not a guest of the Bulgarian Government.

Since the fascist coup in 1923, the authorities had not allowed entry into the country any foreign representatives of progressive thought. Therefore, the visit of India’s great son was hailed as a triumph of the democratic ideas. Was it not true that Tagore was the son of a country whose people, too, were oppressed in those days? His book The Rebel Gora was a manifesto of the freedom of the spirit.

The visit was an exhilarating occasion for the progressive Bulgarian intelligentsia. Tagore met representatives of the leftist movements, held talks with them and expressed his sympathy. Thus he helped to keep up their spirit.

From the thousands who greeted him at the station and on the streets, “guarded and respected” by mounted and foot police, that have taken part in both his lectures, delivered on 17 and 18November in the hall of the “Free Theatre” in Sofia, Rabindranath Tagore realised the real situation of the people. Being an absolutely unexpected “guest” for those who had seized the right to rule the lives of the people, Tagore had avoided all meetings and ceremonies with monarcho-fascist’s representatives of the authorities, and stayed with his close companions in hotel Imperial.

Bearing in mind the situation in the country, many eminent figures in Bulgaria, including some of Tagore’s interpreters, wanted to give the impression to their readers that Tagore was an active revolutionary. The students and the ordinary people were in need of following a colossal figure, such as Tagore. They transferred all their hopes onto this great poet, writer, playwright, composer, artist, thinker, philosopher and humanist. Though initially there was just a small note published in one of the Bulgarian newspapers, Utro, thousands of people came to know and flocked at the Sofia Railway Station to meet Rabindranath. It is reported that the schools and the University were formally closed for the day of his arrival.

Rabindranath Tagore was perceived as a look-alike of a Messiah or a biblical prophet. There have been speculations about Tagore's connection with Petar Dunov, the leader of the White Brotherhood movement. Some sources claim that he corresponded regularly with Dunov. However, they had never met or written to each other.

Tagore’s visit to Bulgaria in 1926 stirred up the entire society. An article kept at the Rabindra Bhavana Library at Santiniketan from the Zora newspaper, most probably of 20 November 1926, entitled “Rabindranath Tagore in Sofia: The Singer of Bengal. The Sage of India. The Welcome at Tzaribrod. The Solemn Reception in Sofia. What Tagore Says”, does not bear any important news or information, and has many inaccuracies in it. However, the aim of the article is quite obvious and it is written on purpose that “up to now nobody from Russia (sic!) has been invited.” The conclusion is in capital italics: “RABINDRANATH TAGORE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE AGGRESSIVE NATIONALISM, WHICH IS MUCH FELT IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE, WILL IMPROVE THE SITUATION. MUCH JEALOUSY AND SUSPICION EXIST BETWEEN THE NEIGHBOURS.”

In spite of this statement, obvious animosity is felt against Russia and the neighbours of Bulgaria throughout the article. Another similar article — from the Sofia-based French-medium periodical La Bulgarieof 22 November 1926 entitled “Notes of a Passer-by: Rabindranath Tagore” states that though the Bulgarians had the chance of meeting Rabindranath Tagore for only less than two days, the time had been enough to greet one of the greatest pacifists of the time, a man who had been called by Clemenceau “Homme Candide”. Even Tagore himself had been very surprised at the exceptionally cordial reception at Sofia station. He said it was not exactly clear to him what kind of mysterious force had brought all these people- big and small, to come and meet him. Then follows the explanation of the author of the article- Tagore’s personality emanates sincerity and truthfulness, as it is with the writer Tolstoy.

The crowd understands him and his pure soul because the hearts of the people in this crowd are also pure and they started beating as one with the pulse of the great poet. Then follow the remarks that in no other country on the Balkan Peninsula would he have a similar reception nor would he be as sincerely understood as he was in Bulgaria, though he spoke in languages many did not know:

“Rabindranath Tagore spoke in English and recited his poems in Bengali. But in whatever unknown language he would have spoken to us, we would have understood him- so much his thoughts are similar to ours. Anyway, we are much in doubt that it would be the same everywhere, and more precisely in some Balkan states. There, to be well understood, the Hindu poet could have held his lecturers on the subject of love and fraternity between people and the nations in the language of the country, and even then it is very doubtful that he would have made them understand.”

The article was signed only by the initial “P.” The verbal attacks are again clearly directed at the neighbouring countries.

In the first Bulgarian translation of Rabindranath’s novel Gora, in order to boost the morale of people involved in active struggle against their oppressors, an important qualification was added to the original title and to the Bulgarian public it became known as The Rebel Gora. It was translated from German. Interestingly, in the preface of the novel, the translator Dr. Vera Plocheva states that “His [Rabindranath’s] characters are creative personalities, immersed in religiousness. Their strong longing for the “Eternal” makes them really close to God.” The change in the title and the above phrase in the Preface present an interesting mixture of support for actual political fight and of seeking support in Tagore’s characters and in God in general.

Rabindranath Tagore. The Rebel Gora: Novel.
Translated from German by Dr. Vera Plocheva. Sofia: “Pravo” Publishing House.

In 1927 the writer and literary critic Vasil Stavrev (1885-1929) published his book Rabindranath Tagore: Life and Creativity. The author writes that he “had apparently been another witness and participant in the improvised Tagore “mela” in Sofia”, and draws the following portrait of Tagore with an abundance of Biblical references and terms.

In order to make the features of this extraordinary man stand out more clearly, I shall take the liberty of saying a few words also about his so interesting outer appearance.

A tall, sturdy old man who, in spite of the great exhaustion of his constant travels, will never stoop and, like some Colossus, always towers above those around him. Long white hair crowns his broad and tall forehead like a halo. The features of his face are composed and absolutely regular- the features of a truly Aryan face. His dark coppery complexion, more yellowish than reddish, is characteristically offset by the surrounding whiteness of the hair and the long beard of a Biblical prophet, which completes his amazingly handsome portrait. Yet, the deep intelligent eyes piercing to the bottom of one’s soul, are the most striking part of this face. How penetrative they are, those dark, large eyes!.. And his gentle kind smile too, as pure as that of a child! Isn’t it the best expression of the childlike purity of his soul? And, lastly, his voice! If it is true that the voice can sometimes be the best interpreter of the inner spiritual manifestations, it is Tagore’s voice that is the surest proof of that. The poet has such a sweet and melodious voice that even the commonest prose acquires with him the tone of a divine chant…[iii]

Some famous Bulgarian artists also came to be very close to Rabindranath. Boris Georgiev painted his portrait on several occasions. Copies of Tagore’s portraits are kept nowadays in both the Kala Bhavana (Department of Arts) of Visva-Bharati as well as in the Modern Art Gallery in New Delhi.

Mystifying Tagore

The author of a monograph on Boris Georgiev, Irina Mihalcheva, while connecting Tagore with Russia and Tolstoy, remarks,

Soon after his arrival in India Boris Georgiev was invited by Rabindranath Tagore to visit his University at Santiniketan, near Calcutta- Bengal. Tagore established this school on the estate of his father like Tolstoy’s Yasna[ya]Poliana… He invited and insisted that Boris Georgiev should assist in the University in the arts field. The invitation was an honour to our artist, as in India the teacher’s profession is a much-respected one. Georgiev refused the offer, because he had a planned program in advance, and continued travelling around the country, collecting material for his cycle of Indian paintings. Nevertheless, his friendship with Rabindranath Tagore continued.[iv]

A Bulgarian article from 1994 went even further claiming that Boris Georgiev “teaches for some time at the University of Rabindranath Tagore because of his [Tagore’s] explicit request.”[v] However, it is very unlikely that Georgiev ever visited Santiniketan.

It is not only Bulgarian sources that have written irresponsibly or stated erroneous facts about Tagore, his stay in Bulgaria and his connections with famous Bulgarians. The well-known Indian artist Chintamany Vyas, wrote a monograph titled Boris Georgiev, in two identical texts in Hindi and in English. The effort is an interesting one though the author has allowed many inaccuracies and mistakes to creep in his text. Vyas states,

Living with Roerich for some time, Boris gained deep insights into the Himalayas and nature as a whole and made some paintings of the great mountain. From Nagger, on being invited by Rabindranath Tagore, he went to Santiniketan where he came in contact with Acharya Nandal (sic!) Bose, Gaganendranath Tagore, Bireshwar Sen, Sass Brunner, Upendra Maharathi, Binod Bihari Mukherji and others. During his stay in Santiniketan he exchanged views with some noted artists and as a result his approach got changed considerably. Earlier his art was inspired and influenced by the European values and standards. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Titian and Renaissance values in general had left a mark on his paintings.[vi]