The documentary series "This is Bulgaria" by the "Bulgarian National Television" from 2026 is an ambitious attempt to build a "national catalog" in 12 films, which presents the country as a comprehensive visual narrative – for Bulgarians and foreigners alike. The series is conceived as a kind of "business card of the state," combining history, nature, spirituality, everyday life, and modern tourism.
A catalog in 12 films: the structure as a map
"This is Bulgaria" is organized into 12 thematic films that cover key layers of Bulgarian identity: "antiquity in the Bulgarian lands," "the Middle Ages," "spirituality," "the waters of Bulgaria," "the Black Sea coast," "tourist destinations," "the villages," and other thematic cores. Instead of following a strictly chronological narrative, the series offers a thematic map – the viewer moves between eras and spaces, assembling their own sense of the country.
This structure resembles a classic guidebook: instead of one long film, the viewer receives separate "chapters" – on antiquity, medieval fortresses, monasteries, rivers and mineral springs, the coastline, and the villages. This allows different audiences to choose their own topics: a foreigner might start with the "Black Sea coast," while a Bulgarian might start with "spirituality" or "the villages."
100,000 frames: a visual archive of the state
One of the most impressive features of the project is the scale of the visual material. For the needs of the series, over 100,000 frames were filmed – Thracian mounds, ancient observatories, pre-Bulgarian fortresses thousands of years old, natural sites, and reserves. From this array, about 5,000 frames were selected for inclusion in the 12 films, making each frame the result of a rigorous visual selection process.
Thus, "This is Bulgaria" becomes not just a television product, but also a kind of audiovisual archive. Wide drone panoramas alternate with detailed shots – wood carving in an old temple, the face of an elderly woman in a mountain village, details from archaeological excavations. The balance between tourist aesthetics and documentary depth is key to perceiving the series as both beautiful and informative.
Antiquity, the Middle Ages, spirituality: the past as a living context
The films on "antiquity in the Bulgarian lands" and "the Middle Ages" are not limited to listing sites. They show Thracian tombs, fortresses, and ancient observatories through the eyes of contemporary people – archaeologists, guides, and local residents. In this way, the past is "landed" in the present, and history ceases to be an abstraction and becomes a living context.
The theme of "spirituality" goes beyond the framework of typical reports on monasteries and churches. Spiritual life is shown through rituals, holidays, and daily practices – processions in small towns, liturgies in remote temples, and customs in village communities. This approach makes religious tradition understandable even to a viewer who does not know the language or the specific canons.
"The waters of Bulgaria" and "the Black Sea coast": nature and resource
The focus on "the waters of Bulgaria" – rivers, lakes, reservoirs, mineral springs, waterfalls – emphasizes the country as a space of living water systems. Water is presented simultaneously as a natural resource, a tourist attractor, and part of cultural memory – balneological traditions, healing springs, and legends about local bodies of water.
The film about "the Black Sea coast" attempts to balance the clichéd image of overcrowded resorts with the lesser-known faces of the coast – protected areas, fishing villages, and old towns. Showing different types of coastline – from urban beaches to wild bays – builds a more well-rounded picture for the foreign viewer and reminds the Bulgarian that the sea is more than just summer animation.
Villages and tourist destinations: beyond stereotypes
The themes of "the villages" and "tourist destinations" are important to the ambition of creating a "business card" for the country. Instead of showing villages solely as abandoned places or idealized ethnographic backdrops, the series seeks out living communities – people who are reviving old houses, developing family hotels, practicing crafts, or organizing local festivals.
For tourist destinations, the documentary approach allows for the inclusion of lesser-known routes – mountain trails, cultural routes, eco-paths, and thematic museums. Thus, "This is Bulgaria" does not function only as an advertising showcase for popular resorts, but also as a guide to alternative tourism – cultural, natural, and rural.
Multilingual audience: from internal program to a tool for public diplomacy
The series was developed with the idea of reaching a multilingual audience. The episodes are adapted into several languages – among them "Bulgarian," "English," "French," "German," "Spanish," "Japanese," and "Russian." This allows "This is Bulgaria" to be used not only on national airwaves but also in an international context – through partner television stations, cultural institutes, and online platforms.
The multilingual format turns the series into a tool for "public diplomacy": the same footage and stories can be shown at tourist trade fairs, in cultural centers, and in university programs in Balkan or European studies. For the diaspora, this is a way to see the country from a modern, dynamic perspective, rather than just through nostalgic memories.
Documentary travel guide: balance between aesthetics and honesty
As a "documentary travel guide," "This is Bulgaria" inevitably balances between aesthetics and honesty. On one hand, high visual quality – drone shots, precise editing, carefully selected background music – makes the series attractive and competitive with international productions. On the other hand, to be convincing, the business card must not completely erase the conflicts and tensions in the real environment.
Within 12 films, it is impossible to show all problems – demographic, infrastructural, ecological. But the presence of real people – with their accents, professions, and dilemmas – is a way for the series to avoid the danger of turning into just a "tourist postcard." When the guide is not an anonymous voice-over, but a local teacher, archaeologist, or entrepreneur, the documentary narrative gains credibility.
Statistics that tell a story
Over 100,000 filmed frames, about 5,000 selected for 12 films, content in at least 7 languages – these numbers show the scale and long-term intent behind "This is Bulgaria." They mean years of fieldwork, dozens of trips, and coordination between cameramen, directors, screenwriters, and experts in history, culture, and tourism.
If we assume that each episode is between 26 and 52 minutes long, the total volume of the series reaches several hours of concentrated documentary material. With repeated broadcasts and an active online presence, this volume can become a "visual database" for the country – a starting point for media, educational programs, and tourism campaigns.
Why this visual business card is important
For Bulgarians, "This is Bulgaria" offers a rare opportunity to see their country as a whole – not only through the prism of the capital or a favorite resort, but as a network of stories, places, and people. The series can serve as a "mirror" that reminds us both of our "strengths" – nature, cultural heritage, spirituality – and of the need to protect and develop these riches.
For foreigners, this is a "visual business card" – a first contact with Bulgaria that can provoke curiosity and a desire to visit. Instead of relying on clichés, the series tries to show diversity: from ancient ruins to modern cities, from mountain panoramas to urban festivals. Thus, "This is Bulgaria" ranks among those documentary projects that not only present but also "translate" a country into the language of images.