site.btaBulgaria Marks Anniversary of Unification of Bulgarian Principality and Eastern Rumelia

September 6 (BTA) - On September 6 Bulgaria celebrates
the 133rd anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of
Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. It is a national holiday and
obervances are held throughout the country.

Eastern Rumelia was established on May 19, 1879 by the Berlin
Treaty as an Ottoman autonomous province (vilayet) on 35,208 sq
 km of Bulgarian lands south of the Balkan Range, with Plovdiv
as its administrative centre. In a bloodless military coup,
local irredentists ousted the provincial government and reunited
 the territory with the Bulgarian Principality on September 6,
1885 in defiance of the Great Powers' settlement of the Eastern
Question. The Union was eventually recognized by Turkey, 
Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, Italy and 
Russia by the April 5, 1886 Convention of Top-Khane.

The events start Wednesday eveing in Suedinenie and will
culminate with an observance and a military tattoo in Plovdiv on
 Thursday evening. President Rumen Radev will be there. Military
 units will join the celebrations and memorial services will be
held across the country. LN/