INTRODUCTION

Promoting research and understanding about the law of a small jurisdiction, such as Bulgaria, is an overwhelming task. Attempting to attract attention to the idiosyncrasies of a particular area of law of a small jurisdiction, such as Bulgarian private law, may strike the reader as an even more daunting endeavour. The Bulgarian legal system is one of the least studied internationally due to an array of complex factors.

Communism and years of censorship did not just isolate Bulgaria in the Soviet bloc: they put an end to the vibrant dialogue between Bulgarian and Western scholars, which was palpable prior to 1944, in all areas of knowledge, including legal science. Not only is Bulgarian a little-known language, but also it uses the Cyrillic alphabet, which serves as a further obstacle for foreigners who wish to explore the Bulgarian legal landscape. Contemporary Bulgarian academic lawyers seldom write in foreign languages and have not put much effort into introducing their foreign counterparts to the particularities of Bulgarian law. To provide an example, when I started my journey in the field of legal research in 2012, I managed to locate only two articles in English related to Bulgarian private law. Meanwhile, because Bulgarian law is shrouded in mystery, prejudices thrive – many consider that it has nothing too thought-provoking to offer international researchers. In parallel, many Bulgarian authors have fallen prey to communist propaganda and spread falsehoods about Bulgarian law. Such prejudices and the difficulties of finding information result in a vicious cycle promoting oblivion and misinformation. Yet is it not high time to break this cycle?

This book takes a small step towards bridging the gap in knowledge which exists between Bulgaria and the outside world – it aims to open the curtain to reveal the stage of Bulgarian private law, showcase its distinctive features, and provide foreign lawyers with the tools necessary to follow the performances which have been put on there. After all, an opera may be performed in a foreign language, but with a programme in hand and some surtitles, a spectator may not only enjoy it and understand at least some of it, but even develop an interest in operas in that language.