Ice Skating
Bulgarian Skating Federation
BSF was founded on September 16th 1949, when the Republican section of skating and ice hockey had been established within the former Bulgarian Committee of Physical Culture and Sports. That chronology, of course, is connected only with the institutional development of the Skating sport in our country. Skating with primitive skates made of bone or wood dates back to the distant past and the fashion of the "patinage" came from Europe at the end of 19th century.
Alexandar Batenberg I, Head of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom /1879 - 1886/ opened the first "ice rink" leaving his golden tracks on the ice of a frozen marsh in the outskirts of Sofia.
The first skating, walking and breathing instructions on the ice rink were given in a guidebook, printed in 1901, even before the manual of the Russian Figure skater Panin Kolomenkin to come to Bulgaria in 1938. In the 20's the "skilful skating " definitely made its way in Bulgaria and what is more it had attracted not only the young people.
There is a statistic data about an independent metropolitan society of figure skating from the end of January 1929. Sections to some sports clubs were created - "AS 23", "FC Slavia", FC "Levski" and there were training sessions in individual skating, waltz in couple and relay skating.
Bulgaria has been a member of the International Skating Union since 1967.
At the first World Junior Figure Skating Championships in 1976 in France our country was presented by Evelina Panova. Gradually we made our first appearance in the different categories at ISU Seniors Championships - European Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games, in order to have Bulgarian figure skaters in the top ten of the European elite: Ivan Dinev - Men and Albena Denkova /Maxim Staviyski - Ice Dancing and champion titles and awards for Evgenia Radanova and our lady's relay in Short Track Speed Skating, which has been developing in Bulgaria only since 1986.
Trough the most difficult years of political changes and economic crises, BSF held its international prestige, justifying the high opinion of ISU, and organizing a succession of important events and activities: a meeting of ISU Council /for the first time in a former socialist country - Varna 1989/; European Figure Skating Championships Sofia - 1991; European Figure Skating Championships Sofia - 1996.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Bulgarian Skating Federation, 90 Kniaz Boris I Str., Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
Tel.: +359 2 988 75 71; Fax.: + 359 2 987 77 71; e-mail: bsf@bulinfo.net
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