March 3rd is not just a special date in the Bulgarian calendar, but is a measure for us, our belonging, our memory and our identity. This was said in her speech by President Iliana Yotova, who accepted the honorary rank of the representative units of the Bulgarian Army.
The President emphasized that this day is of Bulgarian freedom and is an unchanging dream of generations of Bulgarians – for freedom, independence and their own homeland. Yotova pointed out that this dream was born from the martyrdom of the people during the five-century Ottoman rule and from the memory of the centuries-old and glorious Bulgarian history.
Iliyana Yotova recalled the role of the Russo-Turkish War for the Liberation of Bulgaria and the significance of the San Stefano Peace Treaty for the return of the name Bulgaria to world history. She emphasized that this was a just cause that attracted soldiers, officers and volunteers from Russia and resonated in Europe at the time.
The President paid tribute to the Bulgarian volunteers - officers, cadets, intellectuals and freedom fighters, who with their heroism contributed to the historic victory. “History does not remember their names, but calls them martyrs, victors, heroes“, Yotova added.