Bulgarian Servicemen March in Parade on Army Day

On May 6 Bulgaria consecrates Army colors. Commander in Chief, President, Georgi Parvanov, is greeting the troupes. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

The Bulgarian Army is marking Friday, May 6, the Day of Army Valor with a number of events and parades.

The festivities started at 9 am in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the capital Sofia with the consecrating of colors and laying of flowers and wreaths in honor of the perished Bulgarian servicemen.

The military parade begins at 10 am on Alexander Nevski square with the participation of 500 army officers and soldiers to march in 7 units. They represent the Military Academy "Georgi S. Rakovski," the National Guard, the National Guard orchestra, participants in peace missions, the Land Force, the Air Force, and the Navy.

Traditionally, the parade opens with Air Force's MI-17 helicopters, flying Bulgaria's national flag, escorted by two Cougar helicopters.

The parade is led by the Deputy Chief of the Navy – Commodore Rumen Nikolov. The Commander in Chief, President, Georgi Parvanov, will great the troupes.

The solemn change of guard at the Presidential building is scheduled for 12 noon.

The day will be marked in army units in Belene, Stara Zagora, Shumen, Pleven, Asenovgrad, Varna, Burgas, Yambolo, and Dolna Mitropolia.

The National Military History Museum in Sofia is planning several events throughout the day and a special outdoors exhibit of helicopters, tanks and other military equipment.

The Bulgarian Memory Foundation is organizing for the fourth year in a row a visit of the Novo Selo military cemetery at Novo Selo, Macedonia, which is the location of one of the largest Bulgarian military cemeteries outside of Bulgaria. It is the burial site of some of the Bulgarian soldiers killed on the Balkan Front of World War I.

Because of the festivities streets in downtown Sofia in the area of the Alexander Nevski cathedral are closed for traffic and parking.

May 6 was officially pronounced as the Day of the Bulgarian Army on January 9, 1880, shortly after the establishment of the country's military with a decree of Knyaz Alexander Battenberg.

After the Communist regime came to power, in 1946, the holiday was banned to be reinstated on January 27, 1993 with a decision of the Bulgarian cabinet.

Since 1998 it has been marked as a national holiday, and it is a day off for workers across the country.

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