2016/11/22 by Christopher Nehring · 2 citations
Social Sciences · #Post-Soviet Geopolitical Dynamics #Intelligence, Security, War Strategy
paper · doi:10.1080/16161262.2016.1258248
openalex publication_date 2016/11/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The deadly assault on the Bulgarian writer and playwright Georgi Markov on the 7 September 1978 in London was without a doubt one of the saddest climaxes of secret intelligence operations during the Cold War. The ‘Bulgarian umbrella’ turned into a synonym for cold-blooded, well-organized, and deadly operations, particularly those associated with socialist state security services. However, even more than 30 years after Markov was killed, questions about the operation itself remain unanswered. In addition to the specific questions about this particular operation, our general understanding of the Bulgarian secret service and its significance are still blurred. This study sets out to present all of the facts available today on the Markov murder, to analyze the sources and to evaluate whether the ‘Bulgarian umbrella’ operation could be considered as ‘success’.