“From now on Bulgaria has its state sign of paying tribute to the great Tsar Samuil.” This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said, who attended the ceremony whereby a monument of the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil (997-1014) was unveiled. The solemn consecration was made by His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit, after which President Rosen Plevneliev received the solemn march of the National Guard Unit.

“The deed of Tsar Samuil is more than topical today when we promote the cause of democratic Bulgarian statehood and European future,” the President further said and emphasized that “our generation bears its historical responsibility to do its best to ensure that the bones of Tsar Samuil are sent back to Bulgaria.”

In the Head of State’s words, it is symbolical that right across Tsar Samuil’s monument the unique sculpture of his soldiers created by Lyubomir Dalchev is located, and behind the monument the Saint Sofia basilica is located – the centuries-old symbol of the capital, closely related to Tsar Samuil’s fate.

“There are monuments in Bulgaria’s capital of the Soviet army and the Russian emperor. However, we do not have a monument even of the founder of the Bulgarian state. We have no monuments of Krum, of Asparuh, of Omurtag, of Simeon, and of many other great Bulgarian rulers,” Rosen Plevneliev further said and pointed out that as Head of State he will continue to support erecting monuments of the “great Bulgarian rulers.” “We owe this to the young people,” the President was adamant. The Head of State called for ensuring that the monument erected of the ruler who became the symbol of the fight for an independent Bulgarian state 1,000 years ago does not lead to a split in society.

The President voiced hope that soon when we commemorate the deed of Tsar Samuil “our brethren from Macedonia” will also participate. “The presence of the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Stefan together with the Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit on the day of the holy brothers – 11 May, proves that Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia can together commemorate important and shared by the two countries events,” the President further said. The Head of State voiced gratitude to the ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia for attending the solemn ceremony.

The President recalled that a year ago he had the opportunity to pay tribute to the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil in the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessalonica which is proof of the European approach in history and a policy of good-neighborliness. “Sending back the bones of Tsar Samuil in Bulgaria will be a symbolic act of historical reconciliation between the Bulgarian and the Greek peoples,” the Head of State further said.      

The ceremony was attended by deputy Prime Minister Rumyana Buchvarova, Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fundukova, Assembly deputies, representatives of the executive branch of power, diplomatic representatives accredited in Bulgaria and a lot of citizens.