Varna

The Russian Company for Shipping and Trade was established in 1856 with the aim of supporting the post-war (after the Crimean War of 1853-1856) recovery of the commercial relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire and had its agencies in Varna and Burgas^[1].

The Bulgarian Commercial Steamship Company was established in Varna on 1892 – it has been planned and materialized as a national maritime enterprise with headquarters in Varna. The Company was endorsed by a legal act passed by the National Assembly on December 14, 1892. The first assembly of the Company took place on August 15-17, 1893 and resulted in the election of a Managerial Board with chairman Veliko Hristov. Two ships have been bought from the ‘Richardson & Cie.’ shipyard in Newcastle (England), became property of the Company, and started regular voyages between the ports of Varna, Burgas, and Constantinople. Subsequently another ships were bought and provided the Company the opportunity to increase the frequency of voyages between the ports of Kavarna, Balchik, Byala, Sozopol, Anhialo (present day Pomorie), and Istanbul. The Company sustained significant losses after 1908 and its steamers were mobilized during the Balkan Wars and World War I (1912-1918). After the Armistice of Thessalonica was signed on September 29, 1918 the Bulgarian Naval Headquarters returned the steamers to the ‘Bulgarian Commercial Steamship Company of the Black Sea’. In November 1918 all of the Company’s steamers were requisitioned by the French navy based on the decision of Hague Conference. The ships sailed between the ports of the Black and the Aegean Sea with Bulgarian crews under French flag and French commanders and transported commodities and munitions for the Entente. The steamers of the ‘Bulgarian Commercial Steamship Company of the Black Sea’ were released by the French authorities in September and October 1920^[2].

[1] Русев, И. Варна през Късното Средновековие и Възраждането (края на XІV в. – 1878 г.). – В: Русев, И., В. Плетньов. История на Варна. Т. ІІ (VII в. – 1878 г.). Изд. „Славена” – Варна, 2012, с. 483.

[2] Дряновски, Б. Кметовете на Варна. Ч. I (1878–1903), Изд. „Славена“, Варна, 2010, с. 66–67, 253–254.

References

Bibliography:
Библиография:

Русев, И. Варна през Късното Средновековие и Възраждането (края на XІV в. – 1878 г.). – В: Русев, И., В. Плетньов. История на Варна. Т. ІІ (VII в. – 1878 г.). Изд. „Славена” – Варна, 2012, с. 483.

Дряновски, Б. Кметовете на Варна. Ч. I (1878–1903), Изд. „Славена“, Варна, 2010, с. 66–67, 253–254.