Today, Bulgaria witnessed one of the most significant historical events in its modern history. The mortal remains of Tsar Samuil, who ruled the country during an era of epic battles for independence, returned to his homeland. Together with him, the bones of his son Tsar Gavril Radomir and his nephew Tsar Ivan Vladislav were also transported.
The return of the relics is the result of a signed Memorandum of Understanding between Sofia and Athens, regulating the exchange of artifacts – the royal remains in exchange for church values taken from Greek monasteries during the First World War.
Here is the chronology of this historical act, tracked by hours:
09:30 a.m. – Official handover in Thessaloniki
The official state ceremony began at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. The Greek side officially handed over the three sarcophagi with the mortal remains to the Bulgarian delegation, led by the Minister of Culture and representatives of the Holy Synod.
11:15 a.m. – Takeoff
The military transport plane “Spartan“ of the Bulgarian Air Force took off from the airport in Thessaloniki. Immediately after entering Bulgarian airspace, the plane was intercepted and escorted by a pair of F-16 fighter jets.
12:00 p.m. – Landing on Homeland
The plane landed at Sofia Airport. On the runway, the coffins, covered with the national tricolor, were greeted by a Guards Honor Guard. The music of the Guards Orchestra played the national anthem, followed by 21 artillery salutes, with which only heads of state are greeted.
1:30 p.m. – National procession in the capital
The funeral procession arrived in the center of Sofia. Thousands of citizens, dressed in national costumes and carrying Bulgarian flags, filled the square "Prince Alexander I Battenberg". People formed a trellis through which the carriages with the remains of our medieval rulers passed.
14:00 - Requiem and eternal rest
The procession ended in front of the basilica "St. Sophia" - a symbolic place where, according to historians, Samuil was introduced to the Christian faith as a child. The Patriarch, together with the senior clergy, served a requiem prayer.
The mortal remains of Tsar Samuil were laid in a specially made marble sarcophagus in the crypt of the temple, where citizens and guests of the capital will be able to bow before his memory.
With today's act, Bulgaria not only brought home one of its greatest kings, but also closed a centuries-old page in its history, proving that the memory of ancestors is stronger than time.