Reyna Lidgi during the days of the Bulgarian-Soviet friendship

This is the first Soviet delegation that I was accompanying while working as an interpreter at the Union of the Bulgarian-Soviet Societies. The photo was taken in 1951 in Belanitsa village and there is a pig-breeding farm in the background.

I am the first from the left. Next to me is the well-known Soviet activist - Ekaterina Avramova. Next to her on the left with medals and insignia of honour on the lapel is the well-known at that time in the USSR pig-tender Ekaterina Avramova who was the hero of that visit of the Soviet delegation. On the back of the photo there is an ink inscription that says - Belanitsa village, 17th September 1951.

At that time in Bulgaria it was a tradition to organize days of the Bulgarian-Soviet friendship and a lot of eminent cultural activists or front-rankers in agriculture and industry used to be invited. The pig-tender Ekaterina Avramova had arrived in Bulgaria for exchange of experience as the experience of the Soviet workers was considered to be the best.

I worked in the Cultural Relations Department where we translated current materials on the activities of the Union, apart from that we prepared materials for exhibitions, we carried out contacts with creative unions and once a year we accompanied Soviet delegations that came for the month of Bulgarian-Soviet friendship. When I worked for the Union of Bulgarian-Soviet Societies, I would accompany different delegations from the socialist countries. Once I had to accompany a Polish delegation. I listened to them talking to each other and understood most of the things they said. I decided to attend two-year courses so that I could learn and use the Polish language.

I worked for the Union of Bulgarian-Soviet Societies from 26th July 1951 until 1st September 1955. In August or at the end of July 1955 the then prime-minister Vulko Chervenkov took the decision to disband the Union of the Bulgarian-Soviet Societies because, in his opinion, the movement had spread throughout Bulgaria and there was no need for a separate organization. And we were left to look for a job, wherever it was.