History of Information Technology in Bulgaria

History of information technologies in Bulgaria
from  1960
to  2001
"A History of Information Technology in Bulgaria" is a joint project by Vij! and DataArt that tells the story of some of the most interesting and curious changes in our cultural and social life following the emergence, development and adoption of computers in the decades before the so-called Millennium. Nowadays, Bulgaria’s IT sector is growing fast with many specialists working in different fields, but there is little discussion of the history of these developments, societal attitudes towards computer technologies, as well as how they have influenced gaming, literature, music, design and even space exploration. Our project is not historically or scientifically exhaustive, but aims to inspire interest and curiosity about this topic. The period between 1960-2000, as well as the biographies of the people involved in Bulgarian IT history, will be studied for years to come.

Bulgarian IT Technology

1963
  • Establishment of the State Committee on Aesthetics
  • "Vitosha", the first Bulgarian-made computer, appears
1964
  • A Center for Industrial Aesthetics is being established
1973
  • The first studio for electronic music in Bulgaria was opened in the BNR
1976
  • Beginning of work on the personal computer "Pravets"
1979
  • The publication series for science fiction literature "Galaxy Library" of the Varna Publishing House "Georgi Bakalov" has been launched
1981
  • IMKO-1 was created - a prototype for the first personal computer produced in Bulgaria
1982
  • Premiere of Pravets 82, the first Bulgarian personal computer, which is planned for wide distribution
1998
  • PC Mania magazine begins to be published, and soon other thematic publications also appear
1999
  • Tzar, the first Bulgarian video game, is released
  • The first "Street Parade" is being held in Bulgaria

Creators

"Vij" is an independent culture and arts media outlet that has been publishing a monthly print magazine since 2012.

The publication has established itself as a well-known platform in the culture and media space thanks to its signature style, strong visual identity, its support for young authors, and coverage of the most current topics – often explored from an unconventional angle. Vij! is a network connecting the creative community and its audience. The goal of this publication is to cover the most interesting and important projects and topics in the cultural field today, as well as to provide a platform for young artists working in different fields and genres. The monthly print issues are organized around different themes and are distributed for free in Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas, as well as the southern parts of the Black Sea coast during the summer months. Vij! has published one book (together with publishing house Janet 45), organized several group exhibitions, creative competitions and literary readings.

DataArt is a global company with over 20 years (since 1997) of experience in software and mobile application development. With offices in the USA, Europe and Asia, it relies on highly qualified engineers from all over the world who, in addition to their deep knowledge of the sector, contribute to the company's constant technological progress with research.

IT museum DataArt is a project that began to take shape more than ten years ago thanks to the efforts of Gleb Nitsman, a part of the company's team since its inception. Today, the collection of the virtual museum includes several hundred artifacts: computers, peripherals and their individual components, mobile phones, storage media, software and souvenirs. Since 2019, the team has started recording interviews and collecting photo and video materials about the history of computing and information technologies in Eastern Europe. IT Museum DataArt continues research and expands its geography.