Note: I have received new information from Bulgaria concerning this graffiti. I kept my old reasoning and information for comparison. I will search for new information as possible. The comment is from "nag" on gunboards.com:
Generally,it's very unbelievable that such a graffiti had something to do with the Bulgarian Partisans. After 1945 obsolete M.95s were used by secondary army divisions as Labour (constructions) Forces, Railroad (transport) Units, Forest Guards and so on. In the list of possible authors should be added also the high-school students who had a two weeks training in a military camps. Keep in mind that communist propaganda was TOTAL and many were really affected seeing and hearing everywhere about the times of Partisan activity. The real number of Bulgarian Partisans was very lower compared to the Yugoslavian Partisans just like the real number of rifles used by them. Also, they didn't use their real names while being involved in an illegal activity, so connecting a scratched name to a particular person gets even harder. During the communist era there were exposed Partisan's belongings in museums, but all of the Partisans firearms were supposed to be visible drilled following a regulation after the use of such a museum guns during The Hungarian Revolution in 1956, if I recall correctly. Finally, no matter how hard is to connect such a graffiti to a person, organisation or an event those guns still remain an interesting examples of Balkan's kinda Oriental taste for decoration of firearms.
This is a Bulgarian Steyr M95/34 which I believe was used by a communist Bulgarian Partisan in Bulgaria or the territories they occupied, in WWII. The rifle may have been "liberated" from regular Bulgarian army or police, stolen from an armory, or was used by a defector.
Bulgaria in WWII had strong ties to both Germany and Russia. Germany traded extensively with Bulgaria, and Russia was the historic Slav "liberator" of 1878. Non-Fascist Bulgaria joined the Axis via the Tripartite Pact (while the USSR was a German ally), but routinely denied German needs that might put Bulgaria at war. Bulgaria solely wanted to occupy certain historically desired lands: Macedonia, Dobruja, and Thrace. With that success, most Bulgarians were satisfied. Only once Bulgaria was bombed, in late 1943, did they consider totally leaving the war like Italy. However, this was not possible while both avoiding a German (or later Soviet) occupation of Bulgaria, and being promised their occupied lands.
When Germany invaded the USSR, the Communist Party was ordered to begin guerrilla actions. Partisan activity was stunted from no popular support, no invader, strong government, few supplies, and few arms. In 1941 minor attacks occurred, but German war success limited support, and most Partisans were decimated by year's end. The Party leaders were nearly all arrested in early 1942; little happened that year. Soviet victory at Stalingrad in 1943 inspired new urban activity, resulting in notable assassinations and a subsequent police crackdown. Rural activity became more viable, but in the winter many Partisans were again decimated. In 1944, Partisan ranks swelled as the Soviets advanced ever closer to Bulgaria. Finally the USSR declared war, order deteriorated, and the Communist-dominated Fatherland Front staged a coup in September 1944.*
This rifle has sets of five hatch marks in both finger groove channels, which may well be for kills. On the right it says "РЕП" on the stock, and on the left it says "РЕФО" with some scratched X's; neither word I can decipher the meaning of. On the left buttstock it says "БОЖИДАР," a name meaning literally "God's gift" or "God given." Under that, it very faintly says what appears to be "ТОШКО" which is also a name.
The rifle is in decent overall condition. While the stock bears many dings and scratches, and a couple cracks, the metal finish is excellent. All parts are stamped matching from refurbishment just before WWII. The caliber has been updated from 8x50r to 8x56r. The bore has good rifling. This rifle is a recent TGI import from Bulgaria, which mostly consist of the perfect condition refurbished M95/34's.
*. I source Bulgaria During the Second World War by Marshall Lee Miller, Stanford Univ. Press, 1975.
Generally,it's very unbelievable that such a graffiti had something to do with the Bulgarian Partisans. After 1945 obsolete M.95s were used by secondary army divisions as Labour (constructions) Forces, Railroad (transport) Units, Forest Guards and so on. In the list of possible authors should be added also the high-school students who had a two weeks training in a military camps. Keep in mind that communist propaganda was TOTAL and many were really affected seeing and hearing everywhere about the times of Partisan activity. The real number of Bulgarian Partisans was very lower compared to the Yugoslavian Partisans just like the real number of rifles used by them. Also, they didn't use their real names while being involved in an illegal activity, so connecting a scratched name to a particular person gets even harder. During the communist era there were exposed Partisan's belongings in museums, but all of the Partisans firearms were supposed to be visible drilled following a regulation after the use of such a museum guns during The Hungarian Revolution in 1956, if I recall correctly. Finally, no matter how hard is to connect such a graffiti to a person, organisation or an event those guns still remain an interesting examples of Balkan's kinda Oriental taste for decoration of firearms.
This is a Bulgarian Steyr M95/34 which I believe was used by a communist Bulgarian Partisan in Bulgaria or the territories they occupied, in WWII. The rifle may have been "liberated" from regular Bulgarian army or police, stolen from an armory, or was used by a defector.
Bulgaria in WWII had strong ties to both Germany and Russia. Germany traded extensively with Bulgaria, and Russia was the historic Slav "liberator" of 1878. Non-Fascist Bulgaria joined the Axis via the Tripartite Pact (while the USSR was a German ally), but routinely denied German needs that might put Bulgaria at war. Bulgaria solely wanted to occupy certain historically desired lands: Macedonia, Dobruja, and Thrace. With that success, most Bulgarians were satisfied. Only once Bulgaria was bombed, in late 1943, did they consider totally leaving the war like Italy. However, this was not possible while both avoiding a German (or later Soviet) occupation of Bulgaria, and being promised their occupied lands.
When Germany invaded the USSR, the Communist Party was ordered to begin guerrilla actions. Partisan activity was stunted from no popular support, no invader, strong government, few supplies, and few arms. In 1941 minor attacks occurred, but German war success limited support, and most Partisans were decimated by year's end. The Party leaders were nearly all arrested in early 1942; little happened that year. Soviet victory at Stalingrad in 1943 inspired new urban activity, resulting in notable assassinations and a subsequent police crackdown. Rural activity became more viable, but in the winter many Partisans were again decimated. In 1944, Partisan ranks swelled as the Soviets advanced ever closer to Bulgaria. Finally the USSR declared war, order deteriorated, and the Communist-dominated Fatherland Front staged a coup in September 1944.*
This rifle has sets of five hatch marks in both finger groove channels, which may well be for kills. On the right it says "РЕП" on the stock, and on the left it says "РЕФО" with some scratched X's; neither word I can decipher the meaning of. On the left buttstock it says "БОЖИДАР," a name meaning literally "God's gift" or "God given." Under that, it very faintly says what appears to be "ТОШКО" which is also a name.
The rifle is in decent overall condition. While the stock bears many dings and scratches, and a couple cracks, the metal finish is excellent. All parts are stamped matching from refurbishment just before WWII. The caliber has been updated from 8x50r to 8x56r. The bore has good rifling. This rifle is a recent TGI import from Bulgaria, which mostly consist of the perfect condition refurbished M95/34's.
*. I source Bulgaria During the Second World War by Marshall Lee Miller, Stanford Univ. Press, 1975.