site.btaPresident Plevneliev : The heroes of Mount Shipka sacrificed their blood for an ideal which Bulgarians still uphold today, the ideal of building a "pure and holy republic"

Mount Shipka, Balkan Range, August 24 (BTA) - Bulgaria marked the 137th 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 the Ottoman Rule in 1878 and the 80th anniversary of the building of the Monument of Freedom in Mount Shipka.

A solemn tattoo and a roll call were held at the mount to commemorate the heroes that fell for Bulgaria's freedom. President and Supreme-Commander-in-Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces Rosen Plevneliev reviewed the attending National Guard Unit and delivered a speech.

Plevneliev said the heroes of Mount Shipka sacrificed their blood for an ideal which Bulgarians still uphold today, the ideal of building a "pure and holy republic" and winning a worthy place for Bulgaria in the democratic family of European nations. "The Battle of Shipka is an everlasting symbol of national pride and dignity," the President said.

"The hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians who come here from all parts of our motherland year after year, bringing along their children and grandchildren and wearing the national colours, are a clear proof that the legacy of the freedom-fighters is still alive," he said.

Plevneliev thanked nine countries whose soldiers died in the war and helped liberate Bulgaria from five centuries of Ottoman rule.

He said the Monument of Freedom in Mount Shipka, which can be seen from the valleys north and south of the Balkan Range, symbolizes the unity of the Bulgarian people who are scattered all over the Balkan Peninsula.

The ceremony was attended by government ministers, diplomats, mayors, representatives of the central and local authorities and politicians.



.