Today, on March 3, 2026, historian Hristo Matanov and teacher Kalin Radulov were guests on the show "Hello, Bulgaria" on NOVA, where they called for an objective reading of the events surrounding the Liberation of Bulgaria. According to them, the national holiday should be an occasion for an in-depth conversation based on facts, not emotional rhetoric and political speculation.
The broadcast emphasized that society's perception of historical processes is often burdened with myths and inaccuracies.
"We do not know many things. The archives contain information that we have not been able to assimilate. A lifetime will not be enough to go into the archives and read everything," said Hristo Matanov.
The historian explained that Bulgarians do not know at least a third of the events that took place on and before March 3. He gave the example of the Ottoman military leader Suleiman Pasha, whom he described as a symbol of the systematic underestimation of professionalism, since he had graduated in art history in Paris, not military affairs.
One of the most persistent myths that experts commented on is related to the number of Russian soldiers who died during the war.
"There is talk of 200 thousand victims. This is too many. If there were 200 thousand, the entire Danube Army would have disappeared," said Hristo Matanov.
He referred to Russian archival publications, according to which the real losses were about 25 thousand killed and another as many died from wounds and diseases, which makes a total of at most 50 thousand people.
For his part, Kalin Radulov placed the Liberation in a broader context, recalling the active role of the Bulgarians themselves.
"The Third of March is a consequence of a war in which the Russian army played a serious role, but it is also the result of a number of historical processes - the Revival, the April Uprising, our own efforts. We have reason to be grateful, but we also have reason to be proud," Kalin Radulov noted.
The conversation also touched on contemporary attempts to use the holiday to advance political interests.
"Using the national holiday to justify geopolitical choices in the present is not serious," warned Kalin Radulov, adding that history is a reason for pride, and the present requires responsibility.
Regarding the country's contemporary position, the historian emphasized that Bulgaria has already made its strategic choice through the alliances in which it is a member.
"From a national point of view, there is a right side. From a professional point of view - there is none, because all countries are right for themselves. We are not that small. Bulgaria is in eighth place in terms of territory in the EU and approximately the same in terms of population," Hristo Matanov was categorical.
At the end of the conversation, the experts united around the conclusion that national self-confidence is built with experience, and a professional reading of history requires the exclusion of emotions.