Modern era
Belomorski and Vardarski
the refugee quarters of the 1920s
South of the railway line, two quarter names keep the memory of the refugee wave after the First World War: Belomorski — for Aegean Thrace, and Vardarski — for Vardar Macedonia. The quarters took shape in the 1920s, when thousands of displaced Bulgarian families settled Plovdiv's southern edge.
What is not yet documented: The refugee quarters' history is sparsely documented; the dates here come from citywide sources.
Why this quarter matters
The two quarter names are a monument nobody built on purpose: Belomorski and Vardarski keep in their addresses the geography of lost homes — Aegean Thrace and Vardar Macedonia. The refugee wave of the 1920s is among the largest demographic events in Plovdiv's history, and these streets are its living archive.
For the visitor
- What to see
- The 1920s refugee-planning street grid — even blocks south of the railway.
- How long
- Half an hour on foot, best combined with Kyuchuk Parizh.
- When to come
- Any time — this is the ordinary residential south.
- Food nearby
- Local snack bars; restaurants lie toward the centre.
Where the name comes from
The names come from Aegean Thrace and Vardar Macedonia — the home regions of the refugees who settled the quarters.
Getting there
By bus toward the Southern district along Makedonia and Nikola Vaptsarov boulevards; the quarters lie between Kyuchuk Parizh and the Ring Road.
Quarter timeline
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after 1919
The refugee wave
After the Treaty of Neuilly thousands of Bulgarians from Aegean Thrace and Macedonia head for Plovdiv — about 4,763 arrive from Western Thrace alone.
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1920s
The quarters take shape
South of the railway rise the refugee quarters whose names still carry the regions of origin.
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today
The names remember
Belomorski remains among the official quarters of the Southern district — a quiet reminder of the southern city's roots.
People, communities and institutions
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Community
The Thracian and Macedonian refugees
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Institution
The memorial names