Шуми Марица: История болгарского гимна (1885–1947)

Bulgarian national anthem from 1885 to 1947
The melody of the anthem was introduced to Bulgaria by Atanas Gratinski. He heard the song in the city of Shumen, when the Crocus Orchestra from Hungarian emigrants that settled in the city performed the German song "Wenn die Soldaten durch die Stadt marschiern" (When the soldiers march through the city). The melody inspired Gratinski to adjusts the song to the poem "Sunshine" that he made from 1855 until 1856 and taught the song to his students. The song become popular in Bulgaria. In 1935 a project was made to merge Shumi Maritsa and the royal anthem of Bulgaria. The project was worked by Pancho Vladigerov and Menakhem Bensusan, but the whole project failed. However, after the project, the royal anthem of Bulgaria is performed after Shumi Maritsa without interruption. The title of the song was later changed to "Shumi Maritsa", at the play "Ilyo Voyvoda". The song was published at the end of the play. The lyrics of the song underwent a major revision by poet Ivan Vazov in 1912. Covered by the patriotic enthusiasm after the first victories during the Balkan War, the folk poet wrote almost entirely new lyrics of the song, borrowing motifs from his own poem "Maritsa rushes bloodily" (which would be the first and second line of the song). He published it for the first time on December 4, 1912 with the following editorial note:
For a long time, a necessary reference was made to the text of the historic Bulgarian march, written as it is known, by the late Nikola Zhivkov. His rhythm text, which does not always correspond to the music of a march, connects unlucky poems, and these flaws unpleasantly annoy the ear and taste of the singing of Shumi Maritza. With the ubiquitous admiration that today's warfare arouses on this march, its textual corrections have become imperative to have the world in the mood of its kind. Another minor revision was done in 1914. The revision appeared in the poems collection "Under the Thunder of Victories." Because of the World War I, the revision gained small attention. This has led Ivan Vazov to republish the text in his poem "Songs for Macedonia 1913 1916" printed in 1916 with the following remark:
Unfortunately, today, it was a habit, perhaps our unpardonable tastelessness, Shumi Maritza is sung when it becomes necessary, most of the old stupid text, which we are ashamed of foreigners when they are translated. That's why, hoping to be remembered by everyone, I reprinted this revision of our anthem. There are some other attempts to revise the text in the following years, but proved unsuccessful. According to the newspaper "Fatherland Front", the Botev celebrations in Bulgaria was opened on June 2, 1947, with "Shumi Maritsa".

The anthem served as a de facto anthem in the Bulgarian People's Republic, due to the absence of mention of the anthem at the constitution of that time, the Dimitrov Constitution. During the era of the Bulgarian People's Republic, Shumi Maritsa is almost always associated negatively. During these times, the creator of the lyrics for the song, Ivan Vazov, was considered as a petite bourgeoisie. In the regime, Shumi Maritsa is considered to be written by a bourgeois poet, performed in bourgeois times, and was reminiscent of the monarchical regime. Even though the anthem was considered bourgeois, there was no indication that the anthem was banned during the regime.

During the discussion for the new constitution of Bulgaria in the 7th Grand National Assembly, there are some proposals submitted for a new anthem. The most popular proposal include the readoption of Shumi Maritsa as the national anthem of Bulgaria.

The anthem was the standard march of the Bulgarian Army in the battlefield. During the Serbo Bulgarian War and the Balkan Wars, the Bulgarian army fought with chanting "Shumi Maritsa" The military orchestra constantly plays the anthem during the battle, even when their instruments are shot by enemy bullets and broken by grenades.

During the Battle of Slivnitsa, part of the Serbo Bulgarian War in 1885, a large group of Serbian Army was defending their positions at Slivnitsa and was reinforced before by a 135 kilometer march from southern Bulgaria to the Slivnitsa position. When the two battalions of the Serbian Army' Danubian Regiment arrived on the battlefield, Captain Benderev as the commander of the Bulgarian Army issued order to take Serbian positions immediately. This attack of the Danube Regiment is the most glorious and most important moment in Bulgarian history. Without a fight, in the performance of Shumi Maritsa, the Danube Regiment quickly climbed on a steep cliff. When the Serbian army heard the sound of the Shumi Maritsa", the Serbian Army escaped panically. The attack by the Bulgarian army ends the battle with the Serbs retreating.