The Bulgarian Naval Forces (Navy) are celebrating their 147th anniversary of their establishment with a series of large-scale official events in the city of Varna.
A special guest of the events is the President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Iliyana Yotova (acting as head of state), who will personally participate in the ceremonial ritual of conferring the first officer rank to the cadets of the 140th class "April - 2026" of the Higher Naval Academy (VVMU) "N. Y. Vaptsarov".
According to official information from the Bulgarian National Radio, in At 9:00 am, President Iliana Yotova will be welcomed with an official guard of honor at the Naval Station - Varna (Source: bnr.bg/horizont/post/513356/prezidentat-yotova-vav-varna-za-otbelyazvaneto-na-147-g-ot-sazdavaneto-na-vvs). The program will begin with the ceremonial raising of the flags of the ships of the Bulgarian Navy. During the ceremony, Yotova is expected to present the epaulettes and diploma to the cadet-first class and deliver an official festive greeting to the young officers and those present.
In parallel with the festive mood, the defense leadership emphasized the serious challenges facing security in the Black Sea. The Commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, and the Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov, emphasized to the Military Television Channel the need to quickly modernization, integration of new technologies and dealing with current mine threats and drones in the region (Source: armymedia.bg/2026/08/09/147-години-на-вахта-военноморските-сили-отбелязаха-своя-празник/). Deputy Minister of Defense Katerina Gramatikova also takes part in the celebrations.
The festive program in Varna for the citizens and guests of the city will continue throughout the day. Immediately after the end of the official part, at 10:30 a.m., the Representative Band of the Navy will give an open concert. For all enthusiasts, warships from the fleet in Varna and Burgas will be open for free visits from 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and a static display of specialized weapons and equipment will also be presented on site.