Списание ЕПОХИ Издание на Историческия факултет на ВТУ „Св. св. Кирил и Методий“ Journal EPOHI [EPOCHS] Edition of the Department of History of “St. Cyril and St. Methodius” University of Veliko Tаrnovo Том / Volume XXVIII (2020). Книжка / Issue 2 296 THE REPRESENTATION OF THE MENTALITY IMAGE OF THE BULGARIANS DURING 15 th –17 th CENTURY IN BULGARIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY 1 Vidin SUKAREV * ПРЕДСТАВЯНЕТО НА ОБРАЗА НА ДУШЕВНОСТТА НА БЪЛГАРИТЕ ОТ ХV–ХVІІ ВЕК В БЪЛГАРСКАТА ИСТОРИОГРАФИЯ Видин СУКАРЕВ Abstract: The study is an overview and analysis of the opinions of Bulgarian historians about the Bulgarian mentality during the frst three centuries of the Ottoman rule. The topic is very debatable and only four authors stand out with contributions, but these are some of the most famous representatives of our national historiography in the twentieth century – Peter Mutafchiev, Hristo Gandev, Dimitar Angelov, Nikolay Genchev. Their research and opinions are presented along with other issues related to the topic of the study. The studies of the so-called “People's Psychology” for the period are untenable. The main approach in such research should be focused on cultural processes. Keywords: Mentality, People’s Psychology, Bulgarian folk psychology, 15th–17th century. It is unanimously accepted in the Bulgarian public opinion that during the all time of the Otto- man rule the Bulgarian people had been sufering of state, religious, national and economic discrimi- nation undertaken by the Muslims and especially by the Turks. The common belief is that the tortures had been strongest over the frst three centuries – 15 th , 16 th and 17 th , but they never had been ceasing until the Liberation in 1878, however, only within the free territories which hardly included about a third of the entire Bulgarian population and ethnic space 2 . 1 The bigger part of this study was written more than 10 years ago as a part of preparation of my PhD work defended in 2009. It was set aside because of language and terminological difculties, mainly for the English translation of Bulgarian words as dushevnost and other key concepts of the dissertation. Consequently, the fle had been forgotten and hardly recently it was found. Now the paper with the corresponding revisions is presented to the readers. 2 An author who most consecutively examines this phenomenon is Tsvetana Georgieva [Георгиева, Ц. 1993, с. 7, 13; 1999, с. 183]. About the refection of these conceptions among the scholars who were authors of History schoolbooks see: [Исов, М. 2005]; Closest to the public comprehensions are the so called people * Vidin Sukarev – PhD, Assistant Professor, Agricultural University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Curator at the Regional Museum of History, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; @ vsukarev@gmail.com