In brief
On November 11, 2026, the Bulgarian News Agency presented its LIK Magazine’s November issue, which marked the 180th anniversary of Bulgaria’s first newspaper, Bulgarski Orel. Speakers from BTA and Sofia University highlighted the press’s role in national identity and freedom of speech. A different outlet reported the launch would have occurred on November 9 at 4 p.m., but no such statement appears in the official BTA release.
The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) launched its November issue of LIK Magazine on Monday, November 11, 2026, using a video‑linked ceremony held in Maxim Hall, Sofia. The new edition marks the 180th anniversary of Bulgaria’s first newspaper, Bulgarski Orel, and traces the development of print media in the country.
During the launch, LIK Editor‑in‑Chief Georgi Lozanov connected the press’s growth to Bulgaria’s path to self‑confidence and its eventual liberation in 1878. “The development of the press is directly linked to the sense of self‑confidence that led to Bulgaria’s Liberation in 1878 and, later, became associated with the concept of freedom and freedom of speech,” he said.
Managing Director Yanitsa Hristova added that Bulgaria was not a free country when the first journalists began publishing, and that their ambition gave the nation media that could influence public opinion. “The conditions under which the Bulgarian press emerged were difficult: Bulgaria was not a free country, while newspaper publishing and printing had already made significant advances and gained followers elsewhere in the world,” she noted.
Professor Zdravka Konstantinova of Sofia University’s Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication underscored the state‑building role played by early journalism before liberation. She recalled that the first trial of a Bulgarian magazine, Lyuboslovie, appeared in 1842, and that Bulgarski Orel debuted in 1846. By September 9, 1944, Bulgarian periodical publishing had produced more than 10,000 titles.
While the BTA classified the event as taking place on November 11, another outlet, abnase.com, reported that the launch would have been scheduled for November 9 at 4 p.m. in Maxim Hall. That source did not appear in the official BTA release.
