The April Uprising comes to life in a virtual story

Seven Bulgarian cities will simultaneously become a virtual stage on which the history of the April Uprising, which played an important role in the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule, will be recreated in a comprehensive story. "Freedom Network" will present the events that took place in 1876 in the context of the contemporary Bulgarian society.

"National Development Network", which is organizer of the initiative, chooses an innovative educational approach to one of the brightest moments in Bulgarian history. The fifteen-minute presentations from the individual cities will be watched on April 30 on screens in front of a live audience as the Faculty of History of Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" will also contribute to the credibility of the historical narrative.

"The April Uprising is the final moment of a great accumulation in Bulgarian society – not only of education and religion, but also economic one,“ says representative of the non-governmental organization, Chavdar Vlachkov. „Speaking about the audience abroad, it is important to note that many of our enlighteners travelled beyond the borders of the Ottoman Empire and by bringing ideas back they became the driving force behind what was happening. The revolutionary committees in Giurgiu were abroad so that the lessons learned elsewhere could be generated and used in a meaningful way. In this sense, the role of Bulgarians beyond the borders as importers of inspiration is very important."

"Freedom Network" has a unique dramaturgy that takes us back in time, painting a picture of the historical event, but also sending messages for today.

The story starts in Koprivshtitsa, where the April Uprising broke out on April 20, 1876. A turn to Varna follows and to the decades of cultural development as a spiritual impetus for freedom.

"In Sliven, we will draw a parallel between the Stara Zagora Uprising of the fall of 1875 and the April Uprising,“ Chavdar Vlachkov continues. „Then we will head to Ruse to talk about the hidden infrastructure of the Bulgarian revolution - women. They were the couriers who took daily risks, delivering messages and weapons to the Bulgarian apostles and organizers of the uprising. One of them - Todora Bakardzhieva, carried Vasil Levski's sword across the border. Hristo Botev read his poems to her and she organized the last meeting between the revolutionary and his mother. Weaving notes into her hair and hiding disassembled pistols, Todora Bakardzhieva constantly put her life at risk to help the rebels."

In Sofia, historian Alexander Stoyanov will talk about the generational conflict and youthful energy, so that we can see what kind of bridge between generations can unite them. Next comes the challenging topic of the broken thread connected to the communist regime and the inaccurate historical retelling of the testament of the Awakeners, which will be discussed in Burgas.

The last stop is planned for Dobrich – the city that remained outside the borders of Bulgaria for nearly three decades. "We will end with a story about the fact that no matter where we are in the world and what we do, we are united by one thing and that is our history," Chavdar Vlachkov adds.

He points out another aspect of this story – to put the context at the forefront. Thus, the conversation about the spirit of the times and the values  ​​of our society will be based on facts and not the other way around. As young people have their civic responsibility today, what example can they take from those who prepared and participated in the April Uprising?

"Perhaps one of the big lessons we need to learn is how generations can work together," Chavdar Vlachkov replies. "The responsibility of the younger generation is as great as that of the previous one, but we as a society do not invest enough in it, but criticize it with clichés for its impulsiveness, lack of focus and attention. I wish young people would seek inspiration from history. For this to happen, however, we need to develop critical thinking in the education system. Without it, everything else is just factology that can be subjected to various interpretations."

According to Chavdar Vlachkov, modern society can draw inspiration from the Bulgarians in the years before the liberation wars and the April Uprising, when women had equal rights even in the educational system and a fundamental role in the family. And when asked what kind of heroes we are missing today, he recalls the words of Ivan Vazov, who in his role as a statesman uttered the words: "I can't cope, there are better people than me. I resign, let them take over."

"This self-awareness and promoting leaders with the qualities to change our society, paying a personal price, is extremely important. Perhaps, this is what we lack today - there is great selfishness and narcissism that prevents people with abilities from coming forward," Chavdar Vlachkov says.