Bulgarian Novel Exposes Soviet Role in Katyn Massacre

In his novel The Expert's Mistake, Bulgarian Miladin Apostolov revealed shocking truths about the mass executions of Polish officers in Katyn Forest, a topic that was officially suppressed in Bulgaria for years, BGNES reports. The book, published in 1973, highlighted events that had been shrouded in mystery, with the Soviet Union long blamed for the killings, while the official narrative pinned the crimes on Nazi Germany. Apostolov's work came out during a time when such discussions were forbidden, and the book's significance was largely overlooked in Poland, despite it stirring moderate interest in Bulgaria at the time.

The plot of The Expert's Mistake revolves around Associate Professor Metodi Martinov, a Bulgarian pathologist from Sofia's Institute of Forensic Medicine. In the novel, Martinov is dispatched by Bulgarian Prime Minister Bogdan Filov in 1943 to investigate the mass graves in Katyn, which had been discovered not long before. As part of the International Medical Commission, Martinov travels through Berlin and Warsaw to Smolensk, where he participates in the exhumation and signs a report claiming that the Polish soldiers had been killed three years earlier. This supported the Soviet Union's narrative, a stance that was seen as a betrayal in historical context.

Who Was Miladin Apostolov?

Miladin Apostolov, a prominent Bulgarian medical figure, is renowned for his contributions to medical education. As the first dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Sofia's Medical Academy, he wrote extensively on the history and philosophy of medicine. He pioneered the teaching of subjects such as the history of medicine, nursing, and public relations in healthcare. Apostolov’s work earned him prestigious awards, including the Order of Stara Planina and the Order of Cyril and Methodius. His death in January 2023 marked the end of a distinguished career that included recognition in Europe and America.

The Real Inspiration Behind Metodi Martinov

The character of Metodi Martinov in The Expert's Mistake is based on a real individual, the Bulgarian pathologist Marko Markov. Markov, who participated in the exhumation of the Katyn mass graves in 1943, was one of the specialists tasked with investigating the killings. Alongside experts from countries allied with Nazi Germany and neutral nations, Markov conducted autopsies and signed off on reports blaming the Soviet Union for the massacre. In reality, the exhumations were part of Nazi propaganda efforts to shift blame for the Katyn killings away from the USSR.

Polish portal polska-zbrojna.pl published an article about Apostolov’s book, noting that its plot mirrors historical events closely. It pointed out that the characters in the novel, such as Bulgarian officials, German officers, and civil servants from the German-occupied Smolensk area, were based on real people. The piece also highlighted that while the novel presents a documentary-like narrative, Apostolov integrated elements of propaganda into the story. This included promoting the idea that Nazi Germany, not the Soviet Union, was responsible for the Katyn massacre.