Revolutionary Hristo Botev Commemorated with Ceremony in Vratsa

Valentin Evstatiev, Marin Kolev, BTA correspondent Maya Tsenova

Fireworks light the sky over the monument to revolutionary and poet Hristo Botev in Vratsa during an annual ceremony commemorating his heroic death. June 1, 2025 (BTA Photo/Lyubomira Filipova)

Vratsa, Northwestern Bulgaria,

02.06.2025 07:55

(BTA)

The 149th anniversary of the exploit of freedom-fighter Hristo Botev and his detachment was commemorated with a solemn military roll call and a fireworks display in Vratsa on the evening of June 1. On June 2 Bulgaria celebrates the Day of Botev and Those Fallen for the Freedom and the Independence of Bulgaria.

On May 17 (New Style date May 29), 1876, in the wake of the unsuccessful April Uprising against Ottoman rule, a group of about 200 rebels led by poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev crossed the Danube River from Romania into what is today’s Bulgaria in an attempt to continue the struggle for liberation. Botev hoped that other forces would join his group. They fought their way to the Vratsa section of the Balkan Range, where Botev was killed in battle on May 20 (June 1). About half of the members of his detachment died fighting the Ottoman troops.

During Sunday’s ceremony in Vratsa, 130 members of 10th Mechanized Infantry Battalion stood in formation in front of the monument to Botev. The Brass Band of the Land Forces, university and high-school students were also there.

Bulgarian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Rumen Radev took the salute of the military unit. The official guests also included Vice President Iliana Iotova, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova, Deputy National Assembly Chairs Atanas Atanassov and Nikoleta Kuzmanova, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, Culture Minister Marian Bachev, Deputy Chief of Defence Lt. Gen. Mihail Popov, Land Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Deyan Deshkov, MPs, Metropolitan Grigorii of Vratsa, regional governors, mayors and Botev heirs.

President Radev said in a speech: "Botev and the other heroes showed that there was no such thing as Bulgarian doom. There is Bulgarian valour, Bulgarian sacrifice, Bulgarian talent.”

Radev went on to say: “Standing in front of the poet’s monument today, we ask ourselves, are we worthy of his sacrifice? What are we doing with the freedom bequeathed to us, with the ideals?” He thanked the crowd for coming to the ceremony, obviously believing that “we must remember,” because “history has clearly shown that a nation without memory has no future.” He noted: “Bulgaria can and will be a strong, prosperous and modern European country if we all together follow Botev’s ideals.”

/VE/