FEPA Certificate of Appreciation 2025
Varna Philatelic Society (Bulgaria)
Варненско филателно дружество
The Society was founded in 1938, during the period when most philatelic clubs were established in Bulgaria, and organised philately began to develop nationally. Prior to this, Varna was already home to well-known stamp collectors and dealers from Italy, France and Switzerland, reflecting the city’s long-standing international philatelic tradition.
Today, the Society enjoys an active philatelic life. It holds regular Sunday meetings, monthly three-city meetings involving Varna, Dobrich and Shumen, and an annual Summer Collectors’ Fair, a major open-air event held in the Sea Garden on the second weekend of August. Since the COVID period, twelve young members have joined the Society and are developing their philatelic interests with notable enthusiasm and rapid progress.
In 2020, the Society launched a programme of regular seminars, drawing on its rich library, exhibition archives, as well as FEPA and FIP presentations. It maintains its own website and a Facebook group with around 7,000 members from across Bulgaria, administered by Nikolay Panev and moderated by Michail Petrov, both based in Varna.
In 1965, Varna hosted the first philatelic exhibition of the Balkan countries, Balkanphila 1965, featuring more than 300 exhibits. Later exhibitions, including Olymphilex 1990 and Euro Mini Max 2004, enabled our members to get acquainted with exhibits of the highest international standard.
Over the past 35 years, members of the Society have participated in every FIP and FEPA exhibition. Now in its 85th year, the Society looks forward to celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2028.