site.btaBulgaria Marks 138th Anniversary of Shipka Epopee

Bulgaria Marks 138th Anniversary of  Shipka Epopee

Shipka Mount, Balkan Range, August 22 (BTA) - Hundreds of Bulgarians climbed the Shipka Mount on Saturday to attend the observances dedicated to the 138th anniversary of the battles in the Shipka Pass that were fought during the Russo-Turkish War in 1877, and which proved decisive for Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878. The observances took place under the auspices of President Rosen Plevneliev.

The celebrations started with a memorial service for the victims of the Shipka battles - Bulgarians, Russians, Belarusians, Romanians, Ukrainians and Finns. Attending the ceremony were National Assembly Deputy Chairman Dimiter Glavchev, the Deputy Defence Chief, Lieutenant-General Konstantin Popov, Prime Minister's adviser Georgi Krustev, Ambassador of Belarus to Bulgaria Vladimir Voronovich, Russian Consular General in Rousse Tatiana Kruchko, MPs, MEPs, the regional governors of Gabrovo, Stara Zagora, Montana, Silistra and Haskovo, and municipal mayors.

Around 100 people from across the country participated in the traditional climbing of the 894 stairs to the Monument of Freedom at the Shipka Mount under the heavy rain and strong wind. Visitors scaled the Shipka Mount from three different sides.

A historical reenactment of the Shipka battles took place with the participation of over 200 representatives of the Tradition National Society.

The events for visitors at Shipka Mount included: an open lecture by Associate Professor Marko Zlatev, expert in military history; a military field kitchen at the foot of the Monument of Freedom that gave visitors the opportunity to try Russian Borscht - a beetroot soup that was used to feed the soldiers in the Shipka Pass battles; a tour guide showing visitors the military positions; and screenings of films related to the battles of August 1877 at the multimedia hall of the Shipka Bouzloudja Museum.

In the evening, a solemn tattoo and a roll call will be held in Sofia to commemorate the heroes that fell for Bulgaria's freedom. President and Supreme-Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Army Rosen Plevneliev will inspect the formation of the attending National Guard Unit and deliver a speech.