Wartime Impact over the Monastic Economics in Bulgaria (1913–1930). The Case of Bachkovo Monastery

Wars for unification impose optimization of public sources. This politics reflects over the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. State calls the Holy Synod to sow all available lands to meet the needs of the population in the approaching days of the First World War. For this purpose, a fund is being established at the Holy Synod, which aims to modernize and optimize the monastic farms. Despite the difficult years of the war, sums are being allocated, which enable the development of the social, cultural and charitable activities, as well as for the development of the monastery farms themselves. After the end of the First World War the Regime of Alexander Stamboliyski is established, which has two important targets – the first, to satisfy the needs for land of landless and poor population in the country and the second one, to ensure livelihood for the large wave of refugees, that is seeking of shelter. As a result of the agrarian reform undertaken in 1921 lands were expropriated, which constitute a state fund for the needs of poor. This politics affects also the monastic lands that are not modernized and are not cultivated. The subsequent political regime of the government of ninth of June, this politics is reinforced by another law in the same direction in 1924. This law notes that lands that are occupied by intensive crops and are included in a cultivation plan would not be subject to expropriation. These policies put the Bulgarian monasteries into a position of a constant pressure by the state to be modernized, in order to become profitable farms. The Holy Synod began to hire agronomists, who should develop plans to grow the monastic farms, but this requires time and above all, funds, which is hard to be provided by the monastic administration. Despite difficulties, plans are being developed for modernization and optimization of the monastic farms, as is the case with Bachkovo monastery reviewed in this article. Business plan is reviewed that is consistent with the market trends and transformation of production into a profitable one.