site.bta146 Years Since Establishment of Bulgarian Navy to Be Celebrated in Varna

146 years since the establishment of the Bulgarian Navy will be celebrated in Varna on Saturday, the press centre of the Ministry of Defence.

At 6 pm on Saturday, a solemn meeting and concert dedicated to the Navy will take place at the Festival and Congress Centre in Varna. Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Efimov will greet the personnel and award military and civilian personnel who have distinguished themselves during the year.

Earlier in the day, 395 graduates of the Nikola Vaptsarov Vaptsarov Naval Academy will receive their diplomas. The top student is Vanina Stefanova, majoring in Passenger Ship Management, with a grade point average of 5.97. Forty-five foreign students will receive their diplomas at the ceremony. Deputy Minister of Defence Radoslav Iliev will address the graduates.

On Sunday morning, President Rumen Radev will be greeted with an honour guard. On the occasion of the Navy Day, the flags of the Navy ships will be raised in a solemn ceremony, the press office of the head of State said.

Later in the day, the ceremony for awarding the first officer rank to cadets from the Slivnishko-Dragomanski class of the Naval Academy will begin. Forty-four graduates will receive their first officer epaulettes and diplomas. The top cadet is Midshipman Nikolay Marianov Tenchev, specializing in Naval Logistics, with a grade point average of 5.88. During the ceremony, President Rumen Radev will present the diploma and epaulettes to the top cadet. The head of State will address the young officers and those attending the ceremony. Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov and Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Efimov will congratulate the young officers and present the diplomas and epaulettes to the top graduates in each specialization.

On the occasion of the holiday on August 9 from 9 am to 5 pm and on August 10 from 10:30 am to 5 pm, residents and guests of the city will be able to view ships, equipment, and weapons belonging to the Navy at the Varna Port.

146 years of the Navy

The holiday is celebrated on the second Sunday of August in accordance with a decree of the Presidium of the National Assembly of August 9, 1956, and an order of the Minister of Defense of August 9, 1956, for the Celebration of the Bulgarian Navy.  On August 12, 1879, the Danube Flotilla was founded in Ruse, laying the foundations of the Bulgarian Navy.

The flotilla included a total of 11 vessels donated by Russia. On August 12, 1879, at noon, the four military ships Vzriv, Opit, Gornij Studen, Pordim, and the seven steam launches Raketa, Bavaria,, Farding, Motala, Olafchik, Varna, and Ptichkata, raised Bulgarian flags and the march Shumi Maritsa was played.