Bulgaria celebrates 138 years since its Unification

Today marks 138 years since the declaration of independence of Eastern Rumelia from the Ottoman Empire and its union with the Principality of Bulgaria. In major cities throughout the country, the Bulgarian flag will be solemnly raised, military rituals will be performed and wreaths will be laid in memory of the dead.

On September 6, 1885, the Bulgarian people resisted the injustice imposed by the clauses of the Berlin Treaty and took a step towards national unification. On this date, which has become a symbol of the unity of the Bulgarians, the Union of the Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia took place - an event that gave impetus to the upward development of the restored state. Later, Konstantin Irechek will write: "No one can accuse the Bulgarians of being a nation incapable of state life, and that their freedom is something gifted to them."

The day was declared an official holiday of the country by a decision of the National Assembly of February 18, 1998.

In Plovdiv, the so-called "Capital of the Unification", traditionally the celebrations begin with a prayer service, which will be held from 10 a.m. in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Virgin. At 11:30 a.m., wreaths and flowers will be laid on the memorial plaque of Major Racho Nikolov next to the Roman Stadium. At 18:30 p.m. in the central square there will be a reenactment of the events of September 6, 1885 by the "Patriot" committee.

Regional History Museum - Plovdiv will present the exhibition "Donation Matters", arranged in the exhibition "Unification of Bulgaria since 1885." on "Unification" Square 1. On the holiday, citizens and guests of Plovdiv have the opportunity to view it from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with free entry. After 14:00 p.m., access to "Unification" Square will be restricted in connection with the official celebrations.

The culmination of the celebrations will be the solemn fireworks show starting at 20:30 p.m. at "Unification" Square.

President Rumen Radev will participate in it, his press office announced, and he will deliver a speech at 8:45 p.m.

The National Security Service (NSS) is taking security measures in the city. Citizens who wish to attend the event will be granted access to the security zone after 6:30 p.m. through three checkpoints: on "6th September" Blvd. and "Dimitar Tsonchev" St. (near the Prosecutor's Office building); at "6th September" Blvd. and "St. Kliment" St. (at the underpass) and at "6th September" Blvd. and "Petko Karavelov" St. (next to DZI-Plovdiv).

The employees of the NSS will carry out checks for objects, general dangerous means and substances on the basis of Article 30, para. 1 of the Law on the National Security Service. Citizens will be checked with metal detectors for the presence of firearms and cold weapons, sharp objects, explosives and flammable substances, sources of ionizing radiation, fireworks and other pyrotechnic articles. Citizens carrying bulky luggage will not be admitted to the event. Access to persons in a visibly inadequate condition will also be restricted.

For the period from 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., a ban on the use of unmanned aerial systems (drones) is introduced in the event area.

Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov will lay a wreath and participate in the celebration of the 138th anniversary of the Unification in front of the mausoleum-ossuary of Prince Alexander I of Battenberg. The solemn ceremony will be held at 81 V. Levski Blvd. in Sofia at 11 a.m. The National Guard unit, "Bulgarian Voices" vocal formation with conductor Yosif Gerdzhikov and actress Silvia Lulcheva will take part in the program for the festive celebration of the anniversary. A speech will be given by Prof. Veselin Yanchev.

The celebrations in Varna begin at 4 p.m. in front of the monument to the fallen ranks of the Eighth Coastal Infantry Regiment in the Serbo-Bulgarian War, where an official ceremony will be held. A memorial service will be held and wreaths and flowers will be laid in a military rite. Following the conclusion of the ceremony, a procession was organized led by the Navy's Representative Brass Band to the memorial plaque of Prince Alexander I Battenberg, where a wreath-laying and flower-laying ceremony will also take place at around 4.30 p.m.

At 5:00 p.m., a historical reenactment of the moment when Prince Battenberg announced from Varna for the first time the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia will begin at "Independence" Square. The role of the prince will be played by the actor Simeon Lyutakov, and the orchestra of the Navy will take a special part in the reenactment, which will play traditional marches from that period. The representative brass band will lead the audience in a second procession, after the end of the reenactment around 17:30 p.m., from "Independence" square to "Anton Novak" square - the entrance to the Sea Garden. There, from 6 p.m., a festive folk festival "The People Who Connect Us on the Day of Unification" will begin.

The celebrations on the holiday day in Burgas will begin at 10:30 a.m. on "Atanas Sirekov" Square with a ritual of raising the national flag of Bulgaria and the flags of the European Union and the Municipality of Burgas. At 11 a.m. in front of the Monument to the 24th Black Sea Infantry Regiment (next to Military club-Burgas) a funeral prayer will be held in memory of all the heroes who gave their lives in the fight for United Bulgaria. Wreaths and flowers will be laid in appreciation. The program was supposed to continue with the festive concert "I'm Bulgarian too! I'm for the Unification!", to be held at "Troikata" Square at 11:30 a.m., but it was canceled due to the floods in Tsarevo municipality, announced the mayor of the city of Dimitar Nikolov.

The 138th anniversary of the Unification will be celebrated in Panagyurishte on "April 20th" square from 10:30 a.m. in front of the memorial plaque with a prayer of thanksgiving and the laying of wreaths and flowers.

The municipality of Asenovgrad celebrates the holiday from 9:00 a.m., in the garden opposite the railway station - Asenovgrad, flowers will be presented as a sign of appreciation, in front of the memorial plaque of Pere Toshev. Ivan Dukov - director of the Historical Museum - Asenovgrad will give a speech. At 9:45 a.m., there will be a solemn ritual of raising the national flag of Bulgaria, with the participation of the 4th Artillery Regiment, on "Acad. Nikolay Haitov" Square.

Razlog Municipality celebrates 138 years since the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia with a solemn program. The celebrations will begin at 11 a.m. on the central square "Preobrazhenie" accompanied by a brass band at the People's Community Center "September 15, 1903-1909", town of Razlog. A speech on the occasion of the Unification will be delivered by the director of the Historical Museum - Hristina Manova, and then wreaths and flowers will be presented in front of the monument to Vasil Levski. On September 6 at 12:00, the "Bozhentsi" Museum organizes a festive concert on the occasion of the Unification Day and 59 years since the establishment of the museum institution. Folk ensemble "Sivek" will take part.

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