Bulgaria marks 150th anniversary of the April Uprising

The 150th anniversary of the April Uprising was marked today with a national ceremonial assembly under the patronage of President Iliana Iotova, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported.

The commemoration began at St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, where Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil led a memorial service for the victims. Representatives of the academic community then joined a procession, led by the president and the patriarch, to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

A national assembly dedicated to the anniversary was held there.

“Freedom is not a dream—it is a conscious choice,” President Iotova said at the opening.

An academic address titled “The Uprising that Put Bulgaria Back on the Map of Europe” was delivered by Ivan Ilchev. He noted that the uprising was carried out by Bulgarians themselves, without foreign assistance, and described it as the last resort of an oppressed people.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova