Problems of the economic development of the town of Kyustendil in the conditions of instability and crises from the 1990s to the present day

The specifics of the economic changes in Bulgaria in the 1990s were determined by the internal and external conditions under which the transition from centrally planned administration to a market economy began. This is particularly true for the town of Kyustendil and its district, which was declared administrative one in 1999. Its development in recent times has been accompanied by political changes, internal and external disturbances, which lead to permanent economic backwardness and demographic collapse. The past years provide examples of a clear discrepancy between proclaimed ideas and actual achievements. The present study aims to analyze form an economic-historical perspective the deep internal causes, as well as the impact of external shocks, leading to a negative or positive effect on the economy of the town during the considered period. The final reflections direct attention to the possible ways of developing the potential of Kyustendil and the region in the fields of tourism, balneotherapy and industrial production.