site.btaContinue the Change Co-Chair Petkov: Hristo Botev Not Only Paid for Our Freedom with His Life but Set Direction for Better Future

On the occasion of June 2, Continue the Change Co-Chair Kiril Petkov wrote on Facebook that revolutionary Hristo Botev not only paid with his life for the freedom of Bulgarians, but even then he set the direction for a better future of Bulgaria based on education, science and culture. June 2 is the Day of Hristo Botev and Those Fallen for the Freedom and the Independence of Bulgaria.

In his post, Petkov quotes Prof. Filip Panayotov, who describes Botev's vision of Bulgaria in Europe. According to Botev, Europeanization is not just a modernization of economic activity and everyday life, although this is very important, but a radical transformation of Bulgarian society according to the principles of the newest science of freedom, i.e. the newest and most progressive European ideas of social organization.

"150 years ago, Botev was aware that to call ourselves Europeans, we not only had to be geographically located on the continent, but we had to change the way our society functioned according to the principles of the newest science of freedom," Petkov writes, adding that Botev understood, however, that we had to fight for it ourselves - not wait for a savior.

"This path is about education, science and culture. Here is what Botev said: 'Other nations live happily and richly, have erected temples of science and the arts, and experience bliss under the thick shadow of their kings and emperors. And all this was made by education, science and civilization. And you? Open schools here and there, translate a few books, start publishing all kinds of newspapers, and you will soon reach Europe,'" Petkov points out in his publication. 

Today, 150 years later, Botev's words are as relevant as they were then, Petkov noted.