Figure 1.--Here we see a Bukgarian Scout troop in the inter-war era, probably during the 1930s. Notice they were a coed group. We suspect this was because the Bulgarian Scouting movement was relatively small.

Bulgaria had a small Scout movement in the first half of the 20th century. Boy Scouts began organizing in Bulgaria during the early-20h century. Troops began forming (1911-13). Scouters founded a national Scout organization (1923). Bulgarian Scouts joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (1924). After World War I the Bolsheviks banned Russian Scouting. Bulgaria was one of the places where White Russian émigrés settled and established Scout troops. Scouting was primarly an urban, middle-class mobement, Bulgaria was a relatively poor, agricultural country. Thus the movement was relatively small. This is probably why we se coed Scouting even though Bulgaria was a very conservative society. The Government responding to increasing German influence, suspended Scouting (1940). Uniformed groups made the Germans nervous, especially non-Fascist groups. Scouting was banned in most of German occupied Europe. Scouting was banned by the Communists (1945). The movement was reestablished after the fall of Communism (1989). It was outlawed by the Communists after World War II. The Communists Pioneers were the omly youh movement permitted. After the fall of Communism (1989), the Scouting movment was reconstituted. It now consists of several associations with slightly different aims. The Organizatsia na Bulgarskite Skauty (Организация на българските скаути orOrganization of Bulgarian Scouts) is Bulgaria's primary national Scouting organization. It joined the World Organization of the Scout Movement (1999). It is coeducational and has about 2,000 members.