The hometown of the Apostle of Freedom, Karlovo, became the center of national celebrations on the occasion of 189th anniversary of the birth of Vasil Levski. The culmination of the solemn events was the traditional check-dawn, at which the official guest was the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliyana Yotova.
In her powerful and emotional speech to the crowd gathered at “Vasil Levski“ Square, Yotova emphasized that the Deacon had transformed the pursuit of freedom into a timeless national ideal. According to the president, quoted by BNT, in today's era of hyper-information and turbulent technologies, Bulgarian society has a more urgent need than ever to turn to its roots, to know its national identity and to communicate with the ideals of our great heroes.
“For the pure and holy republic of Levski, many more united efforts and a constant struggle are required“, said Iliyana Yotova, adding that modern generations must remain completely uncompromising towards today's vices in society. She made a clear appeal for the image of the Apostle to be kept pure from political vanity and personal gain, so that his noble virtues may germinate in the minds of future generations of Bulgarians.
The festive program in the city under the Balkans began in the early hours of the day with the celebration of a solemn Holy Liturgy in the local church “St. Nicholas“. Citizens and guests laid wreaths and flowers at the grave of the hero's mother - Gina Kuncheva. Among the most exciting moments on the square was the welcoming of the record 284 participants in the traditional national tourist hike "In the footsteps of the Apostle", who traveled nine different routes in the Central Balkans. The Mayor of Karlovo Municipality, Emil Kabaivanov, also called on those gathered to build a strong state and educate true Bulgarians according to the Deacon's testament, reports the Bulgarian National Radio (bnrnews.bg).
The celebrations ended with the official raising of the flag of the Karlovo Revolutionary Committee from the National Museum "Vasil Levski" and the acceptance of the honorary formation of the 61st Stryamska Mechanized Brigade by the Vice President, followed by large-scale illuminations in the night sky.