Towns and cities all over Bulgaria will mark Saturday 30th April with processions, the sound of church bells ringing and cultural events in commemmoration of the 135th anniversary of the historical April Uprising.
The town of Koprivshtitsa, where the first shot of the uprising was fired, will be the focal point of the festivities, which will take place over the entire weekend. An exhibition, entitled "135 Years since the April Uprising", is opening at 5.00 pm at the architectural complex known as "Paleevi Kashti" (Paleev Houses). The Military Retreat ceremony and fireworks are scheduled for 7.00 pm at the central town square to be followed by a concert.
On Sunday, officials and the public will lay flowers at the tomb of Koprivshtitsa's most famous citizen, revolutionary leader Todor Kableshkov, in honour of the 160th anniversary of his birth. A theatre performance titled "First Shot", presenting scenes from the uprising, begins at 11.00 am.
There will be masses, celebrations and events in all the towns that played a key role in the revolutionary past of Bulgaria. Church bells will ring across the country, calling upon all Bulgarians to remember the historic date of April 20th, 1876 and those who fought for their freedom.
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by local Bulgarians against the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. In November 1875, activists of the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee met in the Romanian town of Giurgiu and decided that the political situation was suitable for a general uprising. The uprising was scheduled for April or May 1876 and the plan was that the territory of the country was divided into five revolutionary districts with centres in Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo, Sliven, Plovdiv and Sofia.
The uprising started, but the reaction of the Ottoman authorities was quick and ruthless. Detachments of Ottoman troops were mobilized and attacked the first insurgent towns as early as April 25th. By mid-May, the insurrection was completely suppressed.
At least 15000 people were killed by the Ottomans in the suppression of the uprising. Some 80 villages and towns were burned and destroyed and 200 others were plundered. The atrocities which accompanied the suppression of the insurrection reached a peak in the northern Rhodopes where almost the entire population of 9000 people in the town of Batak, including women and children, was slaughtered, beheaded or burned alive by Ottoman troops.
The 1876 uprising was the last and biggest in a string of Bulgarian revolts but failed at the time because it only spread to some parts of the Bulgarian territories. Despite the bloodshed, though, the eventual outcome was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878 .. and that is what Bulgarians are celebrating today.
The town of Koprivshtitsa, where the first shot of the uprising was fired, will be the focal point of the festivities, which will take place over the entire weekend. An exhibition, entitled "135 Years since the April Uprising", is opening at 5.00 pm at the architectural complex known as "Paleevi Kashti" (Paleev Houses). The Military Retreat ceremony and fireworks are scheduled for 7.00 pm at the central town square to be followed by a concert.
On Sunday, officials and the public will lay flowers at the tomb of Koprivshtitsa's most famous citizen, revolutionary leader Todor Kableshkov, in honour of the 160th anniversary of his birth. A theatre performance titled "First Shot", presenting scenes from the uprising, begins at 11.00 am.
There will be masses, celebrations and events in all the towns that played a key role in the revolutionary past of Bulgaria. Church bells will ring across the country, calling upon all Bulgarians to remember the historic date of April 20th, 1876 and those who fought for their freedom.
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by local Bulgarians against the oppression of the Ottoman Empire. In November 1875, activists of the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee met in the Romanian town of Giurgiu and decided that the political situation was suitable for a general uprising. The uprising was scheduled for April or May 1876 and the plan was that the territory of the country was divided into five revolutionary districts with centres in Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo, Sliven, Plovdiv and Sofia.
The uprising started, but the reaction of the Ottoman authorities was quick and ruthless. Detachments of Ottoman troops were mobilized and attacked the first insurgent towns as early as April 25th. By mid-May, the insurrection was completely suppressed.
At least 15000 people were killed by the Ottomans in the suppression of the uprising. Some 80 villages and towns were burned and destroyed and 200 others were plundered. The atrocities which accompanied the suppression of the insurrection reached a peak in the northern Rhodopes where almost the entire population of 9000 people in the town of Batak, including women and children, was slaughtered, beheaded or burned alive by Ottoman troops.
The 1876 uprising was the last and biggest in a string of Bulgarian revolts but failed at the time because it only spread to some parts of the Bulgarian territories. Despite the bloodshed, though, the eventual outcome was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878 .. and that is what Bulgarians are celebrating today.
For advice, assistance and information about Moving to Bulgaria, we recommend that you visit our website at MovetoBG.com - and for accommodation options, resources and services, we suggest Bulgaria Gateway
