Dr. Boris Dobrev: The Fate of a Doctor between Medicine, Ciftliks, and War

The article explores the life and professional legacy of Dr. Boris Nikoliev Dobrev (1900–1980), pioneer of obstetric care in Balchik, a coastal town in Southern Dobrudja. Educated in Graz and returning to his homeland under Romanian rule, Dobrev became a central figure in local medical, social, and cultural life. Drawing on his preserved personal archive, the study presents a microhistorical perspective on the transformations of the 1930s–1950s, including the political reannexation of Dobrudja to Bulgaria and the disruptions of World War II. Dr. Dobrev was also an active participant in the ciftlik of his father, as well as in that of his father-in-law, Zahari Holevich. The preserved documents reveal important details about the agricultural activities of both families during the difficult war years. The article highlights his founding of the first maternity home in Balchik in 1943, achieved through personal initiative amid wartime conditions, as well as his later encounters with the new socialist regime. Through the intertwined narratives of medicine, ciftliks, and family, the text reconstructs a nuanced portrait of a provincial intellectual navigating dramatic historical change while remaining devoted to the service of life.