Under the Mining Law of 1892, the Bulgarian Government reserved for itself two of the country’s largest lignite-bearing basins—the Pernik–Mochino–Vladaja basin and the Bobov-Dol basin. These areas were kept under direct state control because of their rich coal deposits and their importance to national industry and transportation.
The Pernik Lignite Mine
The Pernik basin is the most important of the two. The State opened the Pernik mine in 1902, located about 28 kilometres southeast of Sofia, near the village of Pernik. The mouth of the pit lies on the edge of the lignite-bearing area, where the quality of the coal is good, producing around 4,528 thermal units.
In 1906, the total output of the mine reached approximately 161,000 tons. Out of this amount, about 70,000 tons were used by the Bulgarian State Railways, while the rest went to factories and general heating purposes across the region Customized Turkey Tours.
From the year of its opening until the end of 1906, the mine’s total production reached 1,465,648 tons, showing steady progress in Bulgaria’s state-managed mining operations.
To improve transportation, the mine was connected to the Bulgarian State Railways by a branch line measuring 1 kilometre and 800 metres. This line joins the Sofia–Radomir railway at Pernik station, making it easier to transport the mined lignite to other industrial areas of the country.
The Bobov-Dol Lignite Basin
The Bobov-Dol basin is also rich in lignite, similar in quality to that found at Pernik. The State opened the Bobov-Dol mine in 1891, but its full potential was not immediately realized because of poor transport connections. As a result, the mine’s output remained low, producing only about 4,000 tons annually, mostly for local consumption.
However, the government planned to build a 30-kilometre railway branch line to connect the Bobov-Dol mine with the Bulgarian State Railways. Once this line was completed, it was expected that regular and large-scale mining operations would begin, greatly increasing production and contributing more to the country’s coal supply.
Other State-Owned Mineral Resources
Besides these two large lignite basins, the State also reserved other mineral-rich areas for public ownership. One of these was the “Belnovrh” coal mine located in the central Balkan Mountains.
Furthermore, the Mining Law of 1892 granted the government rights to a lead vein in the Rhodope Mountains, near the village of Lacavitza. Although this site was known to contain valuable minerals, little prospecting work had been done there. Due to its distance from railway lines and lack of transport infrastructure, the lead deposit was not yet considered of major economic value.
By securing direct control over key coal and mineral deposits, the Bulgarian Government demonstrated a strategic approach to developing the nation’s natural resources. The Pernik and Bobov-Dol mines laid the foundation for Bulgaria’s early industrial growth, supplying coal to the railways and factories that powered the young nation’s progress.
Over time, improved infrastructure and modern mining techniques would allow these state-owned mines to play an even greater role in Bulgaria’s economic development and energy independence.