CITY OF HARMANLI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R005400100003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 28, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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SUBJECT City of Ilam anti
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INFO, ""% "` REPORT NO.
1. The town of }iarmnli is built on flat, agricultural land in the valley
of the L'aritsa river. The only building constructed in tom since 1945
has been an orphanage. In general, the streets are straight and wide
and electricity is available for general lighting. Few buildings are
higher than two stories, and iany houses have stores on the street floor
and living; marters on the second floor. Lost of the buildings are
painted white.
2. The most important street in the town is the Stantsiyonria which starts
at the railroad station in the center of town and eventually becomes
iaskoy higl iay. The important buildings in the town are the n. roviricial
Peoples' Council building, the post office building, the National Security
building, the Provincial Agricultural Administration building, and the
Peoples' Bank. There are also tobacco warehouses, tobacco cooperatives,
restaurants, the Party Theater, and the market place, all of which are
located on Stantsiyonna Avenue. No monuments or historical buildings
exist.
4.
The population figure is given as 16,700. The minorities comprise 5 per
cent Turks and 2 per cent Armenians in addition to a number of tlosleia and
Christian gypsies. No friction seems to exist ar,ong these r:iinoritics.
No unnaturalized foreigners are known to live in the town. l.:ost people
belong to the .gastern Orthodox religion, but many do riot attend church for fear
of Coff unist reprisals, The toa,m has two churches, an old and a new one.
4. The railrod station, called the Gara Harnanli, is located southeast of
the town and :ties on tine Istanbul-Central Europe line. There are five
tracks at the station which serve for the handling of freight. The rail-
road station is connected :ith Svilengrad and glati Dal by a single,
standard--gauge track. Three passenger trains and one freight train depart to
and return fro;, Svilengrad daily. These trains are pulled by stem loco-
motives. The city dogs not have any river traffic or an airport.
Local transportation is by horse and carriage and trucks, but taxis are
unknown. Them are two bus lines, one of which runs from flaman-Li to
Cherepovo to Hlebovo to Topolovgrad; the other line runs from Harmarrli
to Dlgarin to Pornostlok (sic) to Glavan.
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5,, The city is a district center which is connected rid inistratively with
the province of Stara Zagora. The city -overnrrtent is called the Town Peoples,
Council. The militia chief at Ilarmanli is Donchu Kolev. One i Militia ;:ost
is located in the center of town and the other east of the town of Bent ovski.
No area is ;Uarded by :Bore than the normal number of guards. At night the
town is patroled by militia p: ,trots which travel in pairs. The tot?rri is
also patrolled by Co..:zun:l.st Party niei hers who carry out special Patrol duties.
It is the duty of this patrol to stop any strariF~;er in the town and investiate
his papers. Also all people who are under suspicion by the militia are
subject to continuous investi?;at_ion, but the people of the town are
permitted to circulate freely.
6. The rrm, jority of the inhabitants derive their income from the growing and
processing of tobacco. There are no factories or enterprises in town
employin; more than 1,000 persons. The prices of all consuiaer goods are
fixed by the Central Coruierce Departrnerrt in Sofia, and the black market
has been su;rressed by intensive .ieasure3.
7, The Communist Party head:1uarters is located on the main avenue in a privately
owned building which has been expropriated. Amon(; tile party leaders are
the Chairman of the District Peoples' Council, Todor Tsradov; and the Party
Secretary Nedeicho (fnu).
8. The authorities have set up ,ublic loudspeakers -which operate tahenever
the government wants the people to listen to propaganda, Those Faho possessed
radios in the past may still Iteep the.: but only 'Hers=hers of the Co: r:iunist
Party may ;purchase nets radios. :/hile officially the o Jners of receiving
sets are not subject to restrictions, there are spies vrlro listen Lehind
doors and 4vindows, and an individual caught listening to bro dcasts from
the Democracies is sent to a concentration camp.
9. Because there is a housiric; shortage in the to:;ri, the Party finds living
quarters for any member of the Cor.munist Party ,who arrives on r.,unicipal
or government duty, and if necessary to make room., evicts a person ,rho
does not favor the regime. It is ir'1Fpossible for a person arriving in
town to have a i:lace to live, for the housing authorities control all
vacant housin/; facilities. A nc 'comer to the city is not trusted, regard-less
of his docu:nentation, unless he is on official duty. Only one hotel-
restaurant, the i;orerti g quo. 1, containing 30 to 40 moo is, remains in town
and people of all types patronize it. The majorit ,- of the native population
own their o.-an hoes, :chile the relationship between taro} orty owners and
tenants is settled by the housing authority.
10. The town has a trade school for about 400 select workers. There is one
coeducational lyceum:' with about 900 students ran,: ing from 12 to 20 years
of age. No institution of .hither learning exists.
11. The city's two motion picture theaters show only Russian films. As for
sports, there is a football field and a city park located in the eastern
section of the town.
12. Heavy work and insufficient food is the cause of r;oor health w Long the
population. Tuberculosis is r:.uch in evidence. L =elides a Lovernrlent
hospital there are also aorkers' clinics and dispensaries. The cet:ketery
is situated southwest of the town.
13. The military units in and around the town are as follows In 1947 12
Infantry regiment caue to flare- ,nli and occupied the barr-cks of 6 Cavalry
regiment which t as :coved to Yar.,bol. One co.,rpany of the infantry re -;i.-aent
is stationed at Ivailovgrad. The highest ranking officer at Harcianli i5 a
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major. Also stationed at Harranli is an anti-tank battery of a reoiient
of 2 Arrays, This regiuont bras previously located at Har:.anl i.., there trans-
ferred to Chirpan and later ordered to Stara Zagora. About the same time
as the arrival of 12 Infantry Regiment to Hari ianli, an anti-tank battery of
2 Anti-tank Resri,sent also cano to town and was established in the houses
along the city park as ;well as in a tobacco warehouse. Details about their
equipi,.ent are not known to source, except that four artillery pieces are25X1A
standing outside the warehouse. Tractors are used to draw these funs out
of town whenever the soldiers leave foreman practice. Both
tractors are of Geri-.an .anuf-acture,
the ammunition used.
14. No war preparations :iere noted except that in 1949 an inspection
was held of all reserves, transportation vehicles and horses.
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