site.btaMECh Leader Vasilev: Liberation Day Marks the Triumph of Bulgarian National Consciousness

"Today marks the day when Bulgarian national consciousness achieved its triumph - Liberation Day, MECh leader Radostin Vasilev wrote in a Facebook post marking the national holiday.

Exactly 148 years ago, Bulgaria was liberated from five centuries of Ottoman rule, and today it is important to remember how precious freedom is and that it is impossible without self-sacrifice, Vasilev said. Thousands of Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Finnish and Romanian soldiers, as well as Bulgarian volunteers, gave their lives for Bulgaria’s freedom, he added.

According to him, March 3 is the day when Bulgarians bow before the heroes who sacrificed their lives during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) so that Bulgaria could exist. However, no nation can rely solely on its fallen heroes, he noted. “It depends on us whether we will be worthy successors. Our actions will prove whether we can live in the Bulgaria for which they gave their lives at Shipka Peak and in the battles for the freedom of every Bulgarian city,” Vasilev said. 

In today’s difficult times, one of the country’s main tasks is to defend Bulgaria’s national interest and preserve national memory, he added.

Bulgaria marks the 148th anniversary of its Liberation on Tuesday, with events dedicated to the national holiday taking place across the country.