Bulgaria–Russia relations

Bulgaria–Russia relations (Bulgarian: Отношения между България и Русия, romanized: Otnosheniya mezhdu Bulgariya i Rusiya, Russian: Отношения между Болгарией и Россией, romanized: Otnosheniya mezhdu Bolgariey i Rossiey) are the diplomatic relations between the countries of Bulgaria and Russia.

Bulgaria has an embassy in Moscow and three consulates general (in Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg). Russia has an embassy in Sofia and two consulates general (in Ruse and Varna).

Both countries are Slavic nations, and are bound together by a common Orthodox Christian culture. However, this has not translated into warm relations for the most part. After Bulgarian independence in the 19th century, relations turned tense when Russia consistently favoured Bulgaria's neighbour Serbia over Bulgaria in various Balkan disputes and wars before World War I, followed by Bulgaria siding with Germany in both two World Wars against Russia.

After a Communist takeover in 1945, Bulgaria was a Soviet ally during the Cold War, and maintained good relationships with Russia until the Revolutions of 1989, the only major period since independence where Russia had better relations with Bulgaria than with Serbia; or rather in this case Tito's Yugoslavia. However, following woes over energy projects included the cancelled South Stream pipeline and frozen Belene Nuclear Power Plant project, as well as the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, the relationship has again deteriorated.