In June and July of this year, several proposals reached the presidential institution to declare 2027 the Year of Levski. This was announced in a speech by the President of Bulgaria Iliana Yotova, presented by her secretary Milena Dimitrova during the solemn celebration of the 189th anniversary of the birth of the Apostle of Freedom at the National History Museum.
Due to a change in the head of state's program, she was unable to attend in person. The speech noted that in June and July of this year, the presidential institution received proposals and ideas from the Karlovo Municipality, the All-Bulgarian Committee “Vasil Levski“ and the “Vasil Levski“ Foundation and the presidential institution is already discussing how to mark the anniversary.
Among the proposals of the All-Bulgarian Committee is to focus on Levski's ideology and his role as a politician and revolutionary, and not just as a symbol of the struggle for freedom. Among the ideas is the construction of a monument to the Apostle at the capital's airport, which already bears his name.
The “Vasil Levski“ Foundation has prepared a program of initiatives, including historical routes and the restoration of Levski's hiding place in the village of Golyam Izvor. The Municipality of Karlovo insists that a national initiative committee be promptly established to prepare the program and provide the necessary funding for the celebration of the year.
The speech also stated that the upcoming 190th anniversary of the birth of Vasil Levski is an opportunity to strengthen national self-confidence, unite Bulgarians and encourage patriotic education.
On behalf of the President, an appeal was made to declare 2027 the Year of Vasil Levski.
The event was organized by the National Museum of History (NIM) and the National Museum “Vasil Levski“ on the occasion of the 189th anniversary of the birth of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski. The initiative was dedicated to the life, work and spiritual legacy of Vasil Levski and aims to pay tribute to his personality through a meeting between science, culture and public memory. The program included greetings from the directors of the two museums - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boni Petrunova and the director of the National Museum “Vasil Levski“ Dora Chausheva, the scientific exposition “Vasil Levski in his historical time“, which was presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Todor Radev from the Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski“, and the multimedia panorama “The Image of the Apostle in our Fine Arts“, prepared by Prof. Dr. Boyan Dobrev.
Among those present were the Minister of Education Prof. Georgi Valchev, the Minister of Culture Evtim Miloshev, Plamen Slavov, Deputy Minister of Culture, Assoc. Prof. Mihail Gruev, Head of the State Agency “Archives“, the rector of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“ Prof. Dr. Eliza Stefanova, the general directors of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) and the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) - Kiril Valchev and Milen Mitev, informs BTA.