site.btaUPDATED April Uprising Conference Opens in Panagyurishte
An international conference entitled April Uprising of 1876: A Path to Freedom, Parliamentarianism and Statehood opened in Panagyurishte on Tuesday. The event runs until April 16, 2026.
The conference is part of the programme of the National Initiative Committee for the Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the April Uprising, established by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The committee was set up at the initiative of the Assembly of Academicians and Corresponding Members of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the BAS leadership. It aims to mark nationally the anniversary of the landmark event in Bulgarian history that paved the way for independence.
At the opening, the director of the History Museum of Panagyurishte, Assoc. Prof. Atanas Shopov, said that 150 years ago, the Bulgarian people set out on a journey of resurrection and rose from the ashes. "Following that resurrection, the Bulgarian state emerged on the political map of Europe as a political entity," he added.
Panagyurishte Mayor Zhelyazko Gagov said that these commemorations of the April Uprising should not be viewed as a celebration but as a tribute to heroism. "Heroes must be honored. Each of us must look within ourselves and take pride in them. I would be delighted if the stories of our heroes were shared during the conference. For me, it is important to bring them down from the pedestals of the monuments and understand that they were ordinary people who accomplished great deeds. I really want their example to be presented to our children so that they may be raised in this spirit," he said.
Assoc. Prof. Nadya Filipova, Director of the Institute for Historical Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, said it is highly symbolic that, alongside other events marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, Panagyurishte is bringing together researchers from across Bulgaria. For 150 years, this city has preserved the memory of the heroes who carried the spark of the uprising. The memory of the deeds of the ideologists, organizers, and participants in this first-of-its-kind mass demonstration of free thought and will in Bulgarian history serves as an example of Bulgarian unity today, which faces moral, spiritual, and political trials. I thank the academic community for this event," she noted.
Major General Stayko Prokopiev, head of the G. S. Rakovski Defence College, said that more than 150 years ago, Bulgarians' ancestors possessed a spirit that enabled them to dare to stand up against one of the most powerful empires of that time. "The spirit of Panagyurishte can be felt here in the city, when interacting with the local people. Years ago, when I was in high school here and a major anniversary of the outbreak of the April Uprising was being commemorated, I felt the enthusiasm, the spirit, and the yearning for freedom. Panagyurishte instills patriotism and a desire for freedom," he added.
An exhibition is being prepared for display at the regional academic centres. A nationwide lecture series, Unknown Heroines, will examine the role of women in the April Uprising and will be accompanied by documentary screenings and discussions. The Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is also preparing an exhibition featuring facial reconstructions of victims of the uprising.
Researchers from BAS institutes will also take part in two other conferences: The Uprising in 1876 in the First Revolutionary District, to be held in Apriltsi on May 22 and 23, 2026, and April Uprising, Places of Memory, scheduled for Klisura on May 7 and 8, 2026.
/КТ/
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