In less than 48 hours, with an official ceremony and procession, the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil will be welcomed in Sofia and laid to rest in the basilica “St. Sophia”. “This is the fruit of long diplomatic talks, lasting no less than 30 years. We must appreciate this gesture on the part of the Greek government”, commented the prominent historian, archaeologist and epigrapher Prof. D.Sc. Kazimir Popkonstantinov in the “Interview in NOVA News”.
Professor Popkonstantinov is the initiator of the Greek scientist Prof. Nikolaos Moutsopoulos – the discoverer of the tomb of the Bulgarian ruler, to be awarded the title “Doctor Honoris Causa” of the University of Veliko Tarnovo. “We renewed the talks about his great merit, for which he gladly accepted to be an honorary doctor of our university, shared the historian. According to him, the Greek researcher had great love and respect not only for Tarnovo, but also for all of Bulgaria, and as a sign of gratitude he donated a significant part of his research and books to the university library.
⇒ The Secret of “Saint Achilles”: The Story of the Scientist Who Discovered the Tomb of Tsar Samuil
The archaeologist recalled the historic moment in 1969, when Prof. Moutsopoulos discovered the three sarcophagi on the island of Saint Achilles in the basilica of the same name. The historian emphasized that the recognition of the Greek researcher, who devoted much of his work to the era of Samuil, is not a courtesy, but is fully deserved.
⇒ We welcome the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil with a procession in Sofia
According to the professor, the agreement provides for the mortal remains of not only Tsar Samuil, but also of Gavrail Radomir and Ivan Vladislav, to be transferred to the capital. He revealed that the exact place for them has already been found – in the southern nave of the ancient temple “St. Sophia”, where the sarcophagi will be arranged as they were discovered in the basilica ”St. Achilles”. According to the historian, this is a tradition inherited from Byzantium for burial in princely temples, which is also the approach in Preslav.
The choice of Sofia as the eternal home of the ruler is not accidental. Prof. Popkonstantinov recalled the historical fact that Samuil's father - Commissar Nikola, was a regional governor precisely in this territory. “He was a regional governor of a vast territory with the center in Sredets. This is a respected tradition from a modern point of view for placing the sarcophagi with mortal remains”, explained the researcher, expressing a huge bow to all the efforts made to realize this event.