MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION FROM THE VARNA OKRUG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002900260010-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 28, 2005
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 24, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
25X1
COUNTRY Bulgaria
SUBJECT NiScellaneous Information from
the Varna Okrug
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIREq
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.CONFIDENTIAL
STATE
ARM ''.V
NAVY#EV
I r#Ev
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 unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
24' November 1953
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Mobilization in Varna
1. A lslobilization exercise was conducted at Aksakovo (N 43-15, 1 2749), . Yarz~,aa
Okoli a, during August 1953. Reservists of several recruit classes roost GO
25X1 individual suinmo,gses in the, evening of ens day instructing them to appear
at the community. center the next morning. The reservists were addressed by
25X1 an officer; and pack animals and wagons were requisitioned.
25X1 si?ilar exeXeieei were held throughout the Varna area an the re-
s orrn released the same day.
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Conscri tion
2. At present the 39, 318 and 32 classes are serving in the Bulgarian Army. The
33 recruit class has been called by the Border Guards, and special branches
have also been called. Types not known. Servicemen of the 30 recruit class
expected ',to be released in the fall of 1953 when the d finished their
25X1 third :year of servioo. It was rumored that soldiers of
the 30 recruit class serving in the a otner branches and having
completed three. years of service were released during the month of August
or the summer of 1953; however, there were others who had finished three
25X1 years'-ot service who, as of 20 September, had not been released. 1 -1
25X1 as of ' August 1953 even those of the 30 recruit class, e
as to ?.called, had completed three years of service.
3. Ron of the 31 recruit class assigned to the Trudovak service entered training
on 30 April 1932; men of the 32 recruit class assigned to the Trudovaks began
training on ,27 BNbruary 1933. Yen of the same recruit classes assigned to
service i4regular army were called several months earlier (they would norm-
ally enter, in the fall) 0 During the summer of 1952 it was rumored in the
Army that tbe service term of 30 months had been extended to 36 months and
that the-Navy period of service had been extended from 36 to 42 months. In-
25X1 formant has no information concerning the service term in the Air Force or
.
t
2WX1 The extension of ' the service term did not occasion o en -e ed
feelings_of indignation or of discontent
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5 . It ,was rt norsd that during the summer of 1953 the young men of the 3) agd 34
recruit classes would be called for assignment to the regular Army and that
during the spring of 1951 the 33 and 34 recruit classes would be called for
assignment to the Trudovaks.
Construction of
}fi0149. (Personal Obser9a ion itd,I
AM JE
6. During the spring,or 1953 Trudovaks began construction on a new airfield just
northwest of .Senakos Village (N 43-31, 8 2s-01), Balohik Okoliya. The south-
ern edge of the field is bounded by the Balehik-Dobrioh Road. and the eastern
25X1 e . r ov Vero no very numorotis, an ey
25X1 were u nB v ng quarters first and would construct runways a er. It
0~-F1D~Aj+:
act
he specialized branches, It was rumored that an order was expected on-
osrAiag the release of the 30 recruit o30s, but
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25X~as rumored that this was to be an auxiliary to the Dobrich Airfield so that
many planes would be able to take off and land at one and the same placed
the plans for the airfield had been drawn up a long
W.UJL.Le ago. no oval information.
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7o
there were Trudovaks at the Dobrich Airfield, but he
did not know how many or what work they did or to what unit they belonged.
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.mnesties
31,
25 1 It was rumored that other
f
l
liti
o
ca
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dis laced families
in the Ba 4
area, None of the ram es rrom etura.
Early in 1953 the Balohik Militia office called one adult member of each dis-
placed family and told him to write to his relatives who had taken refuge
abroad and ask them to return. The Militiamen stated that relatives would be
25X1given six months to return and they they would not be prosecuted.
Sabotage in Balohik
1
In the spring of 1953, on the outskirts of Balohik just south of the road to
Kavarna, the state storehouse for straw was burned. The storehouse contained
several very large piles of straw. The straw was kindled from severals
at once and for this reason, despite the efforts of the Balohik,'Dobrtoha '.
and Silistra fire departments and despite the intervention of Army and Trudo-
vak units, the straw burned up. It was rumored that the unusually large
quantity of straw was for military needs.
2. In February or March 1953 the post and telegraph office in Balohik was burned.
It is an old, 1-story structure located in the center of'town on the square
opposite the municipality. The building did not burn completely because of
the timely arrival of the fire department; however, the equipment, dooements,
and all the inside of the building were severely damaged, and the structure
could no longer be used. For this reason the post office was moved to a
nearby cooperative store in the same square.
-ode Factory at B. a Devn
0
4 0
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In Reka Devnya Village (N 43.139 E 27-37), Varna Okoliya, a large soda factory (Sodov Zavod) is being constructed. The factory is located south Of---
the Devnya River, directly northeast of the village and the railroad line
for Kardam (N 43-23, E 26-18), and southwest of the Reka Devnya-Markovo
(N 43-139 E 27-39) road.
According to heersa a , construction was begun during 1950. As of August 1953 9
the work was being done by 800-1000 workers hired from a State Construction
Enterprise (Stroyobedinenie). At the beginning of August 1953 approximately
200 Trudovaks were transported from another part of the country and quartered
in temporary summer camps near the factory. Most of these Trudovaks were
from the 30 and 31 recruit classes and were specialists in various types of
construction work.
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15. The construction was directed ap.d controlled by a roup of Soviet
specialists (names not known). It was rumored that the construe--
tion was to be completed and the factory put into operation on 1
January 1954.
16. The factory area, approximately 800 x 500 meters, was surrounded
by a dense barbed-wire fence approximately two meters high, and
was guarded by an unusually strict Militia detachment. A branch
of the railroad line runs through the westernmost part of the area,
near and parallel to the Devnya River. Along the river, on the
eastern side near the rail line, five buildings, approximately 40
x 20 meters, are being constructed. The buildings, which are of
reinforced concrete, will probably have three stories. They had
not yet been plastered. Before the third story had been completed,
machinery from Ruse was installed on the first floor.
17. Between and close to the third and fourth buildings a factory chim-
ney, approximately 90 meters high and very wide, has been construct-
ed by a special work brigade from Sofia.
18. In the center of the factory area, 1-story and 2-story buildings are
being built. The buildings are small and will probably serve as
warehouses, offices, or living quarters.
19. In the southwesternmost p4rt of the area there are two large holes
anntaininy lArgs cisterni/ _j
20. The Trudovaks were digging ditches or trenches throughout the entire
25X1 area, and there were large piles of construction material.
.
25X1 additional buildings were to be erects
21. The workers felt that, even though the plant was called a "Soda
Factory" (the workers had been told that it would produce soda for
bread), it was actually far too large to be used fpr that purpose.
New Coast Artillery Uniform
25X122. In March 1953 in Momehil Village,
Balchi.k Oipliy men or a tillery stt t tided
nearby, who former y w h regular Army clothes now wore new uni-
forms.
23
e men wore ar ue rouser wnicn wore
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25X1 The men wore blaok, low, c v an- ype s eisa
o e y e
25X124.
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a --r_c;V111 an style. The cloth was of wool and was much
-regul
w
d
t h
d
t
s a
a
no
s
1
smoother than the (coarse wool Army clothe The pan
colored cord seam ( ant). F_ 7
the overos $s age unbuttoned flannel underah r s with ge an White
horizontal stripes approximately one centimeter wide are visible.
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25. The men wore t7e regular round sailors cap with the inscription
"Chernomorski. Flot" (Black Sea Fleet), and dark leather bolts, about
as wide as those of the Army, fastened in front across the waist
with a round yellowish buckle approximately five centimete?s in
diameter, resembling those of the Navy.
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260
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Coast Artillerymen with similar uniforms north of
-a c an in Varna. The men wearing these uniforms were known
as "Bregovatsi" (Coastmen or Coast Guards).
I omment-.
25X1 1. the straw Vd2mM-*".1*3--MS
20 meters high.
2 Probably Quffe, from the 'renal "parement."
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