Bulgaria celebrates National Unification Day

On 6th of September, Bulgaria celebrates the Unification of Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia.

The day was declared an official holiday in 1998 and is also the day of the city of Plovdiv.

Under the San Stefano peace treaty signed on March 3, 1878, between Russia and the Ottoman empire at the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, the Bulgarian state was restored within its historical ethnic borders.

Four months after Bulgaria's Liberation from Ottoman rule, at the Berlin Congress of June-July 1878, the Great Powers reviewed the San Stefano Treaty and imposed the fragmentation of Bulgarian lands. The Principality of Bulgaria was established, with Sofia as its main city, as well as Eastern Rumelia (autonomous province part of the Ottoman Empire) with a capital city of Plovdiv. Part of the Bulgarian lands between the Balkan Mountains and the river Danube, including the region of Sofia, was named the Principality of Bulgaria. Southern Bulgaria, named Eastern Rumelia, had full administrative autonomy, but remained under the political and military rule of the Ottoman Sultan.

The regions of Macedonia, Aegean Thrace, the Rhodopes and Strandzha remained in possession of the Ottoman Empire. The news of breaking up Bulgaria was not accepted by the population in Eastern Rumelia. The Bulgarians opposed deployment of Ottoman troops in the area and insisted that the army and security forces continued to be comprised of Bulgarians. Despite concessions made by the Sultan, Bulgarians who remained within the borders of Eastern Rumelia continued to work for unification with the Principality and gradually succeeded in winning the support of senior army and gendarmerie officers.

On September 6, 1885, Eastern Rumelia ousted the rule of the Sultan and declared that it would join the Principality of Bulgaria. This was accomplished after the detachment of Chardafon the Great (born Prodan Tishkov) and troops led by Major Danail Nikolaev entered the city of Plovdiv, arrested the District Governor of Eastern Rumelia, Gavril Krustevich and established a temporary government. Two days later, on 8th of September, Prince Alexander of Batenberg recognised the unification through a special proclamation and accepted that from this point on he would be named Prince of North and South Bulgaria.

This remarkable historic event gave Bulgaria the memorable motto “United We Stand Strong” that today stands above the main entrance of the building of the Bulgarian Parliament.