Bulgarian Minister for Magic

The Bulgarian Minister for Magic, whose name is Oblansk, is the political head of the wizarding community in Bulgaria. He is a minor character appearing during the 1994 Quidditch World Cup final. His brief interaction with his British counterpart, Cornelius Fudge, serves to illustrate Fudge's incompetence and the underlying prejudices within the British Ministry of Magic regarding foreign wizards.

Minister Oblansk's only appearance in the series is during the final match of the 422nd Quidditch World Cup between Bulgaria and Ireland in August 1994. He was a guest of the British Ministry of Magic and sat in the Top Box on the stadium, alongside Cornelius Fudge, Ludo Bagman, the Malfoy family, and the Weasley family with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Throughout the event, a significant language barrier existed between Minister Oblansk and Minister Fudge. Fudge attempted to communicate through a combination of sign language and shouting slowly in English, a method which Arthur Weasley found deeply embarrassing and representative of an old, arrogant prejudice that all foreign wizards should be expected to speak English. Minister Oblansk watched the match with great interest. He clapped politely for his country's mascots, a troupe of Veela, and looked unimpressed by the Irish team's Leprechaun mascots. He was particularly proud of the Bulgarian National Team's star Seeker, Viktor Krum, whom he pointed out to Fudge. Despite Krum catching the Golden Snitch, Bulgaria ultimately lost the match. Following the defeat, Minister Oblansk's jovial demeanor vanished, and he appeared “very sour” and “sulky.” Cornelius Fudge patted him condescendingly on the shoulder, seemingly oblivious to the Bulgarian Minister's disappointment.

Minister Oblansk is described as a “jovial-looking” man. He was dressed for the occasion in “splendid, velvet robes, trimmed with gold.” Initially, he presents a polite and cheerful personality, fitting for a diplomat at an international event. However, his mood is heavily influenced by his national pride. He becomes visibly upset and sullen when the Bulgarian Quidditch team loses the Quidditch World Cup, showcasing a passionate and perhaps somewhat poor-tempered side when faced with defeat.

As the head of a national Ministry of Magic, Minister Oblansk was presumably a very powerful and accomplished wizard. However, no specific magical abilities or skills are demonstrated in the novels. Notably, he did not appear to speak English, which created the communication difficulties with Cornelius Fudge. Arthur Weasley commented that many foreign wizards do speak English, implying that the communication breakdown was more Fudge's fault for not arranging a translator, a task for which the multilingual Barty Crouch Sr. would have been perfectly suited.

• Velvet Robes: For the Quidditch World Cup, he wore a set of splendid, gold-trimmed velvet robes.

• Cornelius Fudge: As his British counterpart, Oblansk's relationship with Fudge during their brief meeting was awkward and strained. Fudge's patronizing attempts at communication and his condescending attitude after the match highlighted a poor diplomatic rapport between them.
• Viktor Krum: Minister Oblansk was evidently a great admirer of Viktor Krum, pointing him out with pride and reacting with deep disappointment to his team's loss despite Krum's capture of the Snitch.

Minister Oblansk's name is likely intended to sound Slavic to reflect his Bulgarian origins. While not confirmed, “Oblansk” may be derived from the Slavic word oblak, meaning “cloud.”

• In the first British edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Minister's name was misspelled as “Obalonsk.” This was corrected to “Oblansk” in subsequent editions.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Bulgarian Minister is present in the Top Box scene. He is an uncredited role, reportedly played by the father of Stanislav Ianevski, the actor who portrayed Viktor Krum. (film)