VASYL ZLATARSKY: RESEARCH ON THE FIRST BULGARIAN CAPITAL OF ABOBA-PLISKA

Abstract

This article examines Vasyl Zlatarsky’s contribution to the development of Bulgarian archaeology and history. It traces his educational journey, including his studies at the Faculty of History and Philology at the Imperial University of St. Petersburg and his subsequent specialization in archaeology at the Royal Friedrich- Wilhelm University (now Humboldt University of Berlin). An important stage in his academic training was his internship at the Berlin museums (Altes, Neues, and Völkerkunde museums), which laid the foundation for his later archaeological research. The article highlights Zlatarsky’s first archaeological excavations in Preslav in 1897. In 1899, he participated in the excavations at Aboba-Pliska, leading to the discovery of significant sites that confirmed the hypothesis that Pliska was the first Bulgarian capital. Particular attention is given to his presentation at the 11th Archaeological Congress in Kyiv (1899), where he delivered the report “Where to Look for the First Bulgarian Capital.” This report marked a significant shift from his previous views. Zlatarsky substantiated his hypothesis about Pliska by synthesizing archaeological, cartographic, and Byzantine written sources, alongside the scholarly research of his colleagues K. Jireček and K. Škorpil. Furthermore, the article analyzes the evolution of his theory—from initial assumptions regarding Preslav to the definitive recognition of Pliska as the first capital in his seminal work, History of the Bulgarian State in the Middle Ages (1918). Zlatarsky effectively integrated archaeological data into the historical narrative, making a significant contribution to the development of Bulgarian medieval archaeology and the formation of Bulgarian national historiography.