At a national conference marking the 150th anniversary of the April Uprising, Panagyurishte Mayor Zhelyazko Gagov addressed attendees organized by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) at the Panagyurishte History Museum. Gagov urged Bulgarians to emulate the ordinary citizens who became national heroes during the uprising. He stated that the anniversary should serve as a prompt for reflection on national unity and pride.
Gagov observed that the commemorations coincided with an election campaign, drawing a comparison between contemporary political figures and historical leaders, a comparison he stated was unfavorable to the present. For him, the anniversary should achieve two goals: establishing it as a genuinely national commemoration, mirroring the aspirations of the original uprising, and enabling the public to reconnect with history as a source of national pride. The mayor suggested that Bulgarians currently experience a “deficit of pride,” making the anniversary a critical opportunity to remember ancestral achievements, given that current generations share the same roots.
He contrasted the modern youth, who he noted focus on social media, with their 1876 predecessors, who were preparing for sacrifice. Gagov stressed that the heroes of the April Uprising were tangible individuals, not myths, and advocated for their legacy to be understood in human terms. He concluded by urging Bulgarians to honor the example set by these “ordinary people whom history made great.”
This conference is part of a broader series of events by BTA, which are marking the 150th anniversary of the uprising and are included in the “14 Centuries of Bulgaria in Europe” initiative.
Topics: #april #uprising #heroes
It is important to keep the sacrifices of the April Uprising central to the national consciousness.