More than a thousand years ago, Tsar Samuil defended Sredets. Today, Sredets welcomes him with dignity. This was written by Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev on his Facebook profile.
„For me as mayor, this is a special honor. Our city has its own place in the history of this Bulgarian ruler - a story that we deserve to know and pass on to our children.
In 986, the army of Emperor Basil II besieged Sredets. The city held out for twenty days. Samuil, who was in the western Bulgarian lands at the time, headed for the besieged fortress, and the Byzantine army was forced to retreat. Soon after, at the Trajan's Gate, the Bulgarian army inflicted one of its heaviest defeats.
Sredets remains Bulgarian. And the resistance of our city becomes part of one of the great victories in Bulgarian history.
There is another, less well-known testimony to the power of what Samuil leaves behind.
After his death and the conquest of Bulgaria, Basil II himself confirmed the rights of the Ohrid Archbishopric. In his charters, he referred to the Bulgarian bishoprics under Tsars Peter and Samuil. Among them was Sredets.
Even after the loss of state independence, the Bulgarian name and church continuity remained. This story reminds us of how deep our roots are and how great the responsibility is to preserve them.
Today, Samuil's mortal remains find rest in “St. Sophia“ — the temple that gave the name to our city. Here, generations to come will be able to pay tribute to the ruler who dedicated his life to Bulgaria.
This day is a great achievement of Bulgarian diplomacy. I thank all those who have worked for it over the years, and to Greece for the understanding that made it possible.
There is a deep meaning in the fact that a history marked by wars today brings us together through friendship and mutual respect. Today, Bulgaria and Greece are part of a European family in which differences do not divide us, and mutual respect and shared values help us build a common future. Our national pride can go hand in hand with respect for others. This is how I want to pass on the memory to our children — without hatred for others, but also without forgetting ourselves.
History does not begin with us. It depends on us how the memory of it will continue.
Today, Sofia welcomes Samuil with respect. "And with the responsibility to keep the story of him alive," Terziev wrote.