site.btaSofia Mayor: Hristo Botev Left Behind Example of Not Only Self-Sacrifice But Also Responsibility of Every Person

Hristo Botev left behind not only an example of self-sacrifice, but also an example of the responsibility of every person, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said on Monday on the occasion of the Day of Hristo Botev and Those Fallen for the Freedom and the Independence of Bulgaria.

"The people we honor today did not seek recognition. They did not write history to be in it. For them, the fight for freedom was not a choice, but a duty. For them, the homeland was not a territory, but a cause," Terziev underscored.

"Today, when we often ask ourselves what depends on us, Botev's testament sounds like an answer and at the same time a call that cannot be postponed. If we think about what it means to be a worthy successor, the answer is not in words, but in choices, namely to be honest, responsible, and vigilant every day. Not to back down from your principles, not to succumb to indifference just because it is easier to remain silent. To move forward without forgetting where you came from," Terziev pointed out.

"Our ancestors dreamed of a free Bulgaria. We are the ones who must make it more and more worthy of this freedom. Not with flags and slogans, but with decisive actions. Not only on the days of remembrance, but also on all the other days. Because that is when real changes are forged," he stressed.

A solemn reading was held in Sofia in front of the monument to Vasil Levski, organized by the Regional Department of Education. Over 150 students from Sofia schools recited poems by Hristo Botev and other Bulgarian poets. The ceremony was attended by MPs, Sofia deputy mayors, Municipal Council Chair Tsvetomir Petrov, amongst others. 

As sirens wailed for two minutes at noon on Monday, people and vehicles across the country stood still in a sign of respect for Bulgaria's freedom fighters.