In the 21st century, our greatest task and responsible mission is to leave a peaceful world for our children. May there never be more maternal and childish tears and broken wings of children.
This was stated by President Iliyana Yotova at the National Thracian Youth Assembly "Ilieva Niva". The event was held in the area of the same name near the village of Glumovo, Ivaylovgrad Municipality, and marked the Day of the Thracian Child, which honors the memory of the children of Thracian refugees massacred in 1913. This year marks 30 years since the construction of the memorial complex.
There is no national and geopolitical interest that can justify the massacre of over 200 children and the opposition of one country against another, the President pointed out. On Ilieva Niva, the Golgotha of the Thracian children, one of the lessons we must learn is not to close the great book of the glorious Bulgarian history, in which every page has tragedy, but there is also greatness, said Iliyana Yotova.
113 years later, the Thracian wound is alive, the president noted. “The Thracian refugees wanted to be Bulgarians, they wanted a future for their children, to preserve the faith and the Bulgarian within themselves, and that is why they were killed in the most cruel way“, said the head of state. In the words of Iliyana Yotova, the wound continues to bleed with family stories, preserved and passed down from generation to generation, with the sad Thracian songs that children are still learning today. In their memory, we must be here and at every single Thracian monument, the president emphasized.
In her speech to their descendants, President Yotova expressed hope that justice will soon come for the Thracian Bulgarians. "We have rulers on whom I place great hope and who will not hesitate to put the Bulgarian map and the Bulgarian national interest where it should be - at the highest level", the head of state pointed out. In her words, we do not need conflicts, but we can, through negotiations and mutual compromises, render justice to the Thracian cause.
The head of state expressed gratitude to the Union of Thracian Societies and the municipality of Ivaylovgrad for the annual organization of the National Youth Thracian Festival. Thanks to your efforts, we remember history and pass it on to children, emphasized the president, who participates in the event every year. For his part, the Chairman of the Union of Thracian Societies Krasimir Premyanov expressed his gratitude to Iliana Yotova for her active work and support for the Thracian cause.
At Ilieva Niva, President Yotova paid tribute to the memory of the deceased Thracian children. During the event, a tree was planted in their memory and a memory capsule was laid.
Earlier, the Head of State visited the ancient villa "Armira" near Ivaylovgrad - an archaeological monument from the Roman era.