Kebabche,Caviar or Hot Dogs? Consuming the Cold War at the Plovdiv Fair 1947–72

Abstract

For the duration of the Cold War, hundreds of thousands of people descended on Plovdiv, Bulgaria for at least two weeks out of every year as spectators and consumers. During these weeks the Plovdiv International Fair grounds were like a portal through which the Iron Curtain was permeated and East-West interaction and exchange took place. The fair offered an array of images and goods that broadcast messages of power and plenty from a variety of states, most notably Soviet but also American. Bulgarian socialism, however, was really the main thing on display, and for all its failings it didn’t fail to impress domestic and international visitors on and off the fair grounds. While much remains to be studied about how visitors experienced the various exhibits at the fair, the trials and achievements of the annual Plovdiv International Fair readily illustrate how central spectacles of plenty and consumption were to East-West engagement.