site.btaBotev Days 2023 Begin in Vratsa to Commemorate Poet and Revolutionary Hristo Botev

A flag-raising ceremony and lighting of the eternal flame in Vratsa’s central square marked the start of Botev Days 2023, dedicated to the poet, journalist and revolutionary Hristo Botev (1848-1876). The commemoration will consist of 47 events.

In his speech, Vratsa Mayor Kalin Kamenov said that today, it is not necessary to make sacrifices but to simply keep the land of Botev and our ancestors clean.

The ceremony continued with the laying of a flower garland at the monument to Botev. Those in attendance watched a performance by the Hemus representative dance group and heard a public reading of Botev’s poem Hadzhi Dimitar.

Earlier in the day, the winners of the national competition for a poem and essay on the topic “We Live in Botev’s Land” were presented with their awards at a special ceremony in Vratsa. The competition is held annually within Botev Days by the Centre for Work with Children – Vratsa in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science, the National Palace of Children, and the Regional Department of Education. It is funded by Vratsa Municipality, said Centre for Work with Children Director Liliya Stoeva at the award ceremony.

The events in Vratsa end on June 2 when Bulgaria honours Hristo Botev and all who have died for this country's freedom and independence. On this day, wailing sirens sound at noon for two minutes and all pedestrians and vehicles stand still to pay tribute to the heroes.

The day marks the anniversary of Botev's heroic death after a battle with regular Ottoman troops and irregular bashi-bazouk bands at the foot of Okolchitsa Peak (Western Balkan Range) on May 20, 1876. Botev led a detachment of armed volunteers from Romania into Bulgaria after the April Uprising against Ottoman rule broke out in 1876.