150 years since the death of Botev and the heroic deed of his detachment

On June 2, Bulgaria marks the 150th anniversary since the death of one of its national heroes. On this day in 1876, the renowned poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev lost his live in a battle for the independence of Bulgaria. All Bulgarians grow up with Botev’s poetry. “He who falls in battle for freedom, never dies”, said the celebrated Bulgarian poet. On this day, the grateful descendants of Hristo Botev honor all those who gave their lives for their motherland.

That is why June 2 is not a day of mourning. It is a memorable date, which makes us proud of the work of the Bulgarian patriots who have their names written in golden letters in Bulgaria’s history. On this day, all Bulgarians bow their heads to commemorate the fallen heroes. Exactly at 12.00 pm, everyone stands still while sirens sound for two minutes across the country.

People in Bulgaria and abroad mark the Day of Hristo Botev with official ceremonies. They lay flowers and wreaths to the monuments of the Bulgarian revolutionaries and recite Botev’s poems. Military brass bands also participate at the commemorative events.

The commemorative ceremonies in honor of Botev and the Bulgarian revolutionaries began before this country’s liberation from the Ottoman Rule. The sirens sounded across Bulgaria for the first time in 1948, when this country marked the 100^th anniversary since the birth of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary.

The commemorative ceremonies traditionally culminate in the town of Vratsa (Northwest Bulgaria) and the Vratsa Balkan Mountain. The last battle of Botev and his fellow rebels took place on Okolchitsa peak on June 2, 1876. This year, the town of Vratsa once again welcomes visitors who have come to lay flowers and retrace part of the heroes’ route.

More about the recollections of the participants in the fateful year of 1876 for Bulgaria and the April Uprising, which brought the issue of Bulgaria’s Liberation to the forefront, can be found in the article from Radio Bulgaria’s treasure trove: “Bulgaria lost one of the greatest heroic figures of our times in the fire of the fight for national independence”

Read also:

• Hristo Botev's personal notebook testifies to the last year of his life

• The April Uprising – a peak in the liberation struggles of the Bulgarians