site.btaPresident Plevneliev: April Uprising Is Bulgaria's National Revolution

President Plevneliev: April Uprising Is Bulgaria's National Revolution

Panagyurishte/Klissoura/Koprivshtitsa, May 2 (BTA) - "The April
uprising is Bulgaria's national revolution in moral terms and
through military means," said late on Friday evening President
Rosen Plevneliev in Panagyurishte, where the culmination of
observances of the 139th anniversary of the April Uprising took
place. "It is our duty to carry over the flame of pure idealism
so that the future generations can draw on the sound faith of
our forefathers in our own abilities and on their boundless and
constructive love for the Fatherland. Let us keep the strife of
the Revival for a dignified place within the European family and
 equality with other European nations as the Apostle of Freedom
Vassil Levski taught us," added the President.

Plevneliev went on the say: "It is our duty to remember the
enduring message of Oborishte that the road of our national
freedom and independence goes through the principles of freedom
and equality which drew in the Bulgarian people to the ideas of
democratic Europe."

In Panagyurishte the head of State and Supreme Commander took
the salute of representative units from the Assenovgrad
garrison.

Observances were held Friday also in the towns of Klissoura and
Koprivshtitsa to commemorate the April Uprising anniversary.

Organized by a revolutionary central committee, the uprising
against Ottoman rule broke out on April 20 (old style) 1876.
Although unsuccessful, it was the highest point of the National
Liberation Movement and achieved its political aim, drawing a
strong response from Western Europe and Russia which a year
later started a war with Turkey that resulted in the liberation
of Bulgaria.

Celebrations traditionally take place in the centres of the
armed struggle for independence.

Attending were National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva, MPs,
state officials, mayors and military personnel.

In her address Tsacheva said: "There are places, where shame has
 never set a foot. They are the foundations of history and an
embodiment of heroism."

Over 100 volunteers reenacted the 1876 events in a tradition
dating from 1900.

Tsacheva and parliamentarians took part in the observances in
the Oborishte locality, where the first Bulgarian national
assembly took place and decided to begin preparations for the
uprising. An homage paying procession, a prayer service and a
water blessing ceremony took place. National Assembly Chair
Tsacheva delivered a speech and attended a ceremony for the
presentation of the Oborishte national award, which recognizes
efforts to preserve the Bulgarian identity.