CAR MUSEUM OF SOCIALISM — Attraction in Peshtera

I loved it! This museum not only showcases well-maintained cars from the Bulgarian socialistic era (1960s-1980s) but also has a wide collection of items from this period. Everything from household appliances like vacuum machines, telephones and radios, to glass bottles, to cigarette and gum packs, to money and children toys. My most favourite were the slogans that urged people to take care of their equipment at work and to be good community members. Many were quite hilarious! Keep in mind that the whole exhibition is in Bulgarian and no English translation is provided, but the items are fascinating enough and the museum deserves a visit. The entrance is a bit hard to find as it's inside a café, but at least the café is on the main street that passes through the town and the are a lot of signs along the way. Entrance fee for adults is 6 BGN and 2 BGN for kids. Not accessible...

I was born in 1985, four years before the fall of communism in Bulgaria in 1989. Although I'd heard stories of the "good old times" and calmed through my grandfather's communist artifacts as a child, visiting this museum truly gave me a feeling of what it must've been like to live through those times. Some of the messages on the numerous signs strike me as such good ideas... for example, "Keeping the city clean is everyone's responsibility!". But there are also some dark undertones on other signs, such as "No mercy for enemies." Lots and lots of everyday objects from my childhood I had forgotten until I saw them again in this museum. What a blast from the past! Last but not least, the cars really are gorgeous and...

This is a small but wonderful window into the cars, toys, household goods, and other items people had access to under socialism. The historic posters of propaganda lining the walls are really interesting! It's best to have a Bulgarian native with you to translate the propaganda since many of the posters were written by poorly educated officials. The poor choice of words led to posters with double meanings, many of which are quite funny. For example, one says something like "only go to the Executive if you have a 'pressing need'". That same expression in Bulgarian also means you should only go to the Executive if you need...