Balgarianovinite.com Fifty years ago on Tuesday, Khan Asparuh, the only tanker and largest watercraft ever built in Bulgaria, first entered the water at a formal ceremony in Varna (on the Black Sea) on March 24, 1976.
The ship was originally destined for Poland within the framework of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), under a joint project dating from 1971. While the vessel was being built, however, the Poles relinquished the order, and the Bulgarian merchant fleet was enlarged by an unexpected asset.
The blueprints were produced at Varna’s Shipbuilding Institute, with Tasho Popov as chief designer. Its specifications were intended to fit into the large dock chamber of the Georgi Dimitrov Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Works in the coastal city. The vessel was laid down on November 2, 1974.
The Khan Asparuh had a length of 244.5 m, a beam of 39 m, a tonnage of 96,795 GT gross, 111,896 NT net, 318,000 DWT deadweight (equal to the combined weight-carrying capacity of Bulgaria’s entire fleet in 1961), and a maximum draught of 15.5 m. Thanks to her main engine (a 23,200 hp Polish-made RND-90 Sulzer – H.Cegielski), the ship ran at a speed of 11.3 knots (when fully loaded).
The tanker took more than a year to be finished after the ceremonial launching, and the national flag was hoisted over the Khan Asparuh in Varna on November 3, 1977. The first shipmaster was Vidyo Videv.
On October 27, 2001, shortly after sailing from the port of Novorossiysk in Russia, a fire broke out on board the vessel. The crew managed to extinguish the fire by their own resources, but six sailors sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The tanker was part of the State-owned Navibulgar shipping company until December 3, 2003, when she was retired and sold to breakers in Alang, India.
Following is an English translation of the coverage of this momentous event in the history of Bulgarian shipbuilding excerpted from BTA’s Home News Desk bulletin of March 1976:
“Bulgarian Shipbuilders’ Greatest Triumph100,000-Tonne Tanker Khan Asparuh to Be Launched Tomorrow
Varna, March 23 (BTA Correspondent) – On the eve of the Eleventh Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the largest vessel ever built in this country will be launched tomorrow.
The hull of the 100,000-ton tanker Khan Asparuh is the offspring of the talent and efforts of hundreds of shipbuilders, designers, engineers, technologists and other professionals. The chief designers, Engr. Tasho Popov and Engr. Aleksandar Ivanov, together with their colleagues from the Institute of Shipbuilding, the Communists and all shipbuilders of the Georgi Dimitrov Shipyard, for months devoted their efforts to a single aspiration, seeing the great vessel rise in full stature, ready for launching, on the threshold of the Party Congress.
The General Director of the Shipbuilding State Economic Corporation, Engr. Dimitar Popov, spoke of the efforts of designers, engineers, shipbuilders of various specialities, technologists and employees engaged in the project. For the first time in Bulgarian shipbuilding practice, a fully assembled engine weighing more than 700 tonnes has been installed. For the first time in this country, the large seven-storey superstructure was lifted from the assembly site and mounted at the stern of the vessel. Its weight exceeds 770 tonnes.
The Party slogan “Efficiency and Quality” has been embodied in the manufacture of this intricate watercraft, unique to Bulgarian shipbuilding. Bulgarian seafarers will receive a state-of-the-art vessel of A1 automation. This makes possible round-the-clock unmanned operation of the engines, units and equipment in the engine room. They can also be controlled remotely, from a soundproof cabin. The ship is equipped with machinery and systems utilizing the heat of exhaust gases to generate steam and electricity, as well as to convert seawater into fresh water. A powerful pumping system ensures the unloading or filling of tanks with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes of liquid fuel in only 18 hours.
Expanding Bulgarian-Polish shipbuilding cooperation has found expression in the construction of this watercraft.”
“First Bulgarian 100,000-Ton Tanker Khan Asparuh Is Launched
Varna, March 24 (BTA Special Correspondent, BTA Correspondent) – Bulgaria has attained a new pinnacle in its socialist industrial development. In the days preceding the Eleventh Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party [BCP], the country’s first 100,000-tonne vessel has been launched. The entire nation has invested its labour in it: 150 enterprises and factories countrywide have contributed their output, so that the collective of the Georgi Dimitrov Shipyard might build the tanker Khan Asparuh, the greatest achievement of the national marine engineering.
[. . .]
Warmly greeted with prolonged applause and chanting “BCP–BCP”, Comrade Todor Zhivkov [Communist Party First Secretary and State Council President] took the floor. He expressed satisfaction that, in the days preceding the Eleventh Congress of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the flagship of Bulgarian shipbuilding and navigation, the 100,000-ton tanker Khan Asparuh, was being launched.
Pointing out that socialist Bulgaria is today constructing large-tonnage vessels, Comrade Zhivkov emphasized that building a ship such as the tanker Khan Asparuh would be impossible without the comprehensive support of the national economy and modern machine-building industry. It embodies the designers’ and shipbuilders’ talent, intellect and creativity. [. . .]
Comrade Todor Zhivkov extended his warmest greetings to the shipbuilders and wished the seafarers who will sail aboard the new vessel ‘fair winds and following seas’. [. . .]
A stirring moment followed. In accordance with old maritime tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Komsomol member Rositsa Stoeva of the Water Transport State Economic Corporation, broke a bottle of champagne against the bow of the huge hull. She named the tanker Khan Asparuh, after the founder of the 13-century-old Bulgarian State.
Ships’ sirens resounded across the harbour.” 50 Years Since Launch of Largest Bulgarian-Built Watercraft – 100,000 Ton Tanker Khan Asparuh 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-03-24 06:28:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
