Thousands of Bulgarians, Vice President attend Liberation celebrations at Shipka Peak

03/04/16 08:54
(http://www.klassa.bg/)

Thousands of Bulgarians, Vice President attend Liberation celebrations at Shipka Peak

Bulgaria celebrated the 138th anniversary of its Liberation on March 3. There were different solemn ceremonies organised in the entire country to mark the national holiday.
On 3 March 1878 the Treaty of San Stefano was signed, putting an end to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 and re-establishing the Bulgarian state.
Celebratory ceremonies were held in all cities across the country.
Tens of thousands of Bulgarians ascended Shipka Peak on Thursday to take part in the celebrations dedicated to the 138th anniversary of Bulgaria’s liberation from Ottoman rule, which is commemorated on March 3.
Bishop of Trayanopol and other members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church clergy held a memorial service for the fallen heroes.
The official guests at the event included Bulgarian Vice President Margarita Popova, deputy ministers, the mayors of the municipalities of Kazanlak and Gabrovo, the Vice Consul of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Ruse Alin Zhamanov, and others.
Vice President Popova called in her speech for unity of the nation and a memory for history and all soldiers who sacrificed their lives for Bulgaria’s freedom.
“Let us take a vow at this peak we will not rewrite history, we will work for patriotic education which enlightened people and patriots will be entrusted with,” Ms Popova said in her address.
“March 3 is a day to honour those apostles who made a decisive step towards the restoration of the independent Bulgarian state,” Popova remarked.
In her words, they worked for the great idea of spiritual and national freedom, for unification of Bulgarian lands under one flag, for unity of the nation, and for a respectable future.
Margarita Popova also recalled the significance of the April Epopee and the attitude of the Great Powers to the fate of the Balkans in the context of the Ottoman Empire’s despotism.
“March 3 is a day to make a deep bow and show our gratitude to the thousands of known and unknown sons and daughters – scientists, doctors, officers, and military commanders in the Russian army whose bones remained in Bulgaria – Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Lithuanian, Romanian, and Finnish people. Let us our hearts beat as one before the feat of the volunteer corps of rebels from all Bulgarian lands that changed the course of the war at a decisive moment with unparalleled heroism and self-denial. The volunteer corps took over this peak that became a symbol of values deeply rooted in our national consciousness and identity with united efforts and indomitable will. Therefore, no unenlightened words can humiliate or obliterate us. These values are a free and independent fatherland, national dignity, spiritual strengthening, and a respectable life for everyone – for us, for our children, and our parents and [let us do] homage to the heroes,” the Vice President remarked.
“Let us today say we want a respectable life for those who suffered in the years when our fatherland needed to be defended [and] who are today very few but are at the bottom of the social ladder and do not live a respectable life. Let us respect the parents who lost their children while they were doing military service. Let us take a vow in favour of our nation’s unity in our fatherland and abroad in the name of realistic and pragmatic causes,” the official urged.
Galina Stoyanova, Mayor of Kazanlak Municipality, also made a speech.
Flowers and wreaths were laid at the Freedom Monument at Shipka Peak on behalf of state establishments, patriotic organisations, NGOs, citizens, and others after the official events.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between a Russian Empire-led coalition and the Ottoman Empire, which ended with the signing of the preliminary Treaty of San Stefano on March 3, 1878.

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Публикувана на 03/04/16 08:54 http://www.klassa.bg/News/Read/article/264899_Thousands+of+Bulgarians%2C+Vice+President+attend+Liberation+celebrations+at+Shipka+Peak