In this publication we present an outline of the history of the First Bulgarian Kingdom, a state that existed on the Balkan Peninsula from the end of the 7th to the beginning of the 11th centuries, written by the famous scientist Stephen Runciman. One of the first Slavic states owes its emergence to the Turkic-speaking proto-Bulgarian tribes that moved to the Balkans under pressure from the Khazar Kaganate. Their mixing with the indigenous Slavic population led to the emergence of an ethnos for which the name “Bulgarians” was assigned. Throughout their history, the Bulgarians waged continuous wars with Byzantium, the Avar Khaganate and various Slavic tribes with varying degrees of success. The period of greatest prosperity of the First Bulgarian Kingdom was marked not only by territorial expansion and state power, but also by a high level of cultural achievements. It was here that Slavic writing was created and the foundations of Slavic literature were laid. Vivid figurative language and a fascinating manner of narration allow us to recommend the book not only to specialist historians, but also to a wide range of domestic readers.