Writer, diplomat and humanist - Romain Gary and the echo of his stay in post-war Bulgaria

The French Institute in Bulgaria pays tribute to the great French humanist with a series of lectures and film screenings from October 21 to 25

published on 10/21/24 12:35 PM

Author: Veneta Nikolova

Romain Gary (1914-1980)

Photo: Facebook / Romain Gary

A writer, a hero from the Second World War, an aviator, a journalist, a film director and a diplomat - the personality of Romain Gary (1914-1980) is multi-layered and enigmatic. And Bulgaria occupies a special place in the life and work of one of the most widely read French authors.

On a cold February day in 1946, barely 32-years-old, Romain Gary arrived at his first diplomatic post in Sofia, where he was appointed second secretary of the French legation. The director of the French Institute in Bulgaria, Luc Levy, himself a great admirer of Romain Gary, commented on the influence that Bulgaria had on his views:‎

"This stay of his in the country greatly enriches his understanding of what humanism, universality, human rights and Europe mean. Because Romain Gary was a champion of Europe. He wrote a novel "European education" and even before there was talk of the unification of Europe, he strongly supported this vision. Romain Gary had a good knowledge of Central and Eastern Europe and wanted to direct the attention of the French to this region," said Luc Levy on the occasion of the week dedicated to the life and work of Romain Gary organized by the French institute in Bulgaria.

A French cultural wave will sweep across Sofia in the coming weeks

Thanks to the fact that Romain Gary also wrote under the pseudonym Émile Ajar, he is the only French writer awarded twice with the Prix Goncourt literary prize. ‎

Romain Gary is a great writer, but I would say he is also a literary hero. He was born in Vilnius, lived in Moscow as a child, lived in Warsaw and then ended up in Nice in the 1920s. 20th century", explains says Luc Levy. "He took French citizenship by personal persuasion. It was his mother's dream in fact. He was a notable participant in the French Resistance during the Second World War. He was not only a writer, but also a diplomat. And he started his diplomatic career after 1945".‎

In Sofia, Romain Gary, together with his first wife, the English writer Lesley Blanch, found accommodation in an apartment at 69 Dondukov Blvd. in the city center, met people and witnessed the rising political repressions in the country, without suspecting that he himself was being monitored by the State Security services where the file with documents related to him was given the pseudonym "The Bookseller". ‎

Romain Gary and Lesley Blanch in Sofia, 1946

In his novel The Night Will Be Calm Gary describes Bulgaria like this: "When I arrived in Sofia, the country was already communist, but with a king. A child - a king. The new real king after the entry of the Soviet army was the legendary Georgi Dimitrov, head of the Comintern. A leader, but under the auspices of Stalin." ‎

"Romain Gary had Slavic roots and this world was well-known to him," says Luc Levy. "He loved Bulgaria because he was not an ordinary diplomat. Even then he was a great writer, he was interested in people, showed a marked empathy towards them. But he also witnessed the changes in this country after 1945, which would gradually be subjected to a totalitarian dictatorship. On this occasion, Romain Gary said: "It is both exciting and sad to witness the transition of a country, a monarchy to a Stalinist-type totalitarian dictatorship".

Gary was fluent in Russian, he communicated freely not only with ordinary Bulgarians, but also with representatives of the opposition that still existed in the first years of repression. He later shared that these were very important years for him.‎

Leslie Blanch and Romain Gary in the living room of their apartment in Sofia. In early 1947, prints of this photograph, the only one they kept from their stay in Bulgaria, were sent to their friends as greeting cards

"Contrary to some claims, Romain Gary perceived his assigned mission here in Sofia as foundational for him in many ways. And I found a very good quote dedicated to Bulgaria in his book The Night Will Be Calm. There he says the following: "I have a very good memory of Bulgaria. Among all my diplomatic appointments, this is the post I value the most, even more than the one in California." These are very strong words and speak of the fact that he loved Bulgaria very much," concludes Luc Levy.‎

Explore the rich cultural program on the occasion of the 145th anniversary of Bulgarian-French diplomatic relationsHERE .

Read also:

Luc Levy on European Dialogues and identity

Photos: institutfrancais.bg, Facebook/Romain Gary, books.fr

Publication in English: Rositsa Petkova

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The occasion is the 145th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries

Writer, diplomat and humanist - Romain Gary and the echo of his stay in post-war Bulgaria

The French Institute in Bulgaria pays tribute to the great French humanist with a series of lectures and film screenings from October 21 to 25

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