Bulgaria marks 147 years since the outbreak of 1876 April Uprising

Bulgaria marks 147 years since the outbreak of April Uprising in 1876.

The commemorative ceremonies in honour of the heroes from the April Uprising, who sacrificed their lives for Bulgaria’s liberation, included reenactments at the historical sites of the uprising, which marked the beginning of the Bulgarian liberation movement.

As part of the tradition, the towns of Klisura, Koprivshtitsa and Panagyurishte in Central Bulgaria, organise the start of the celebrations dedicated to the outbreak of the uprising.

The celebrations began last night, Representative companies of the 61st Stryama Mechanized Brigade Karlovo participated in a ceremony with firework display to commemorate the feat of the 400 victims that Klisura gave for the freedom of Bulgaria.

The uprising in Klisura was suppressed 6 days after its announcement. During the uprising, the town was burned to the ground and the survivors retreated to Koprivshtitsa. Today's reenactment of the events began with a bell ringing from the church "St. Nikola", which first announced the beginning of the April Uprising.

Traditional reenactment took place in Koprivshtitsa, which is the place where the first gun was fired in 1876.

Images by BGNES

A special programme opened the celebrations in Panagyurishte. Nearly 200 people took part in a historical reenactment of the events.

The participants were dressed in replica clothing and carried replica of the weapons used in the defense of the town 147 years ago.

The celebrations ended with fireworks display. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Rosen Zhelyazkov, attended the celebrations.

Images by Mariela Hubinova

The April Uprising broke out prematurely on April 20 in 1876 (May 2, New Style calendar). It was suppressed by the Ottoman authorities, but produced a wide international response and indirectly resulted in the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878.

Despite the defeat and atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire in Batak, Perushtitsa, Klisura, Panagyurishte, the action was a political success, making the Bulgarian question part of the agenda of European diplomacy at the time.