At a national conference marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, Panagyurishte Mayor Zhelyazko Gagov addressed attendees at the Panagyurishte History Museum. Gagov urged Bulgarians to honor their heritage by emulating the spirit of the ordinary citizens who became national heroes during the April Uprising. He stated that the anniversary should serve as a catalyst for national reflection on unity and pride.
Gagov noted that the timing of the commemorations, coinciding with an election campaign, prompted a contrast between contemporary political figures and those of the past, a comparison he stated was “not in favour of our present day.”
According to the mayor, the commemoration should serve two primary purposes: to realize the uprising’s original aspiration of being a truly national event, and to allow the public to reconnect with history as a source of communal pride. Gagov suggested that Bulgarians currently experience a “deficit of pride,” and the anniversary offers a chance to recall the achievements of their ancestors, emphasizing that current generations share the same foundational roots. He drew a contrast between the revolutionary youth of 1876 and today’s youth, observing that while modern focus is often on social media, their predecessors were preparing for sacrifice and “choosing immortality.” Gagov stressed that the heroes of the April Uprising were not mythical figures but real individuals, urging that their legacy be understood on a human level.
He concluded by calling on Bulgarians to live up to the example set by those “ordinary people whom history made great.”
The conference is part of a broader series of discussions organized by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) commemorating the 150th anniversary and falls under BTA’s initiative, “14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe.”
Topics: #april #uprising #heroes
