From Ferdinand's abdication until now, we always like to shake our historical conscience with him. When there is a universal sinner - beat the black cat, and then we will think about whether there is someone else to blame for what has been done."
This was commented in the bTV studio by prof. Petar Stojanovich, historian and former Minister of Culture.
"Historical science will have to decide. It is not possible for success to have several fathers, and for loss to have only one mother”, he also noted.
On May 29, the mortal remains of King Ferdinand will be transported from the German city of Coburg to Sofia by a military plane, which will land in front of the government VIP at Sofia Airport.
„This is news, but for our recent history this will certainly be the arch-news, because in this way we show several things as Bulgarians and as a country. First, that we have a responsibility to our history, regardless of our biases towards the main characters in it," the historian pointed out.
"Secondly, that even divided at the moment into camps – both the Bulgarian government and the Bulgarian society have the strength to overcome themselves and make a united gesture towards history and towards themselves. Third – we show it to the civilized world“, he also noted.
„With the upcoming act, it is not about a “republic”, a “monarchy”. We speak only and only from a statesman's point of view. Why has this not been possible before? If we start from 1918, when Ferdinand abdicated, it is natural that his return to Bulgaria was impossible – because of the loss in the wars, the severe crisis and because when people go into exile, it is difficult to return to that place”, explained Prof. Stojanovic.
„The political class of the Third Bulgarian Kingdom, headed by his son Tsar Boris the Third, avoid allowing him back to Bulgaria for purely external and internal political reasons. Although Ferdinand has been away from Bulgaria, he continues to cast a shadow over our relations here – is suspected as influences and acquaintances”, the historian also commented.
„Ferdinand will be laid in a sarcophagus in the crypt of the “Crow“ palace. Many other places over the years have been linked to his final resting place. "He is a Catholic and cannot be buried in an Orthodox monastery," Prof. Stojanovic pointed out.
„I think that we are on the threshold of paying last respects to a Bulgarian head of state at a sufficiently high level. Both the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry and the Council of Ministers did what was necessary to make this process possible. A citizenship cannot do what the state can. We will not necessarily reach the levels that even Romania, Serbia and Montenegro have reached, let alone Russia. I think, however, that it will be marked with dignity“, he also noted.
The historian added that by welcoming the mortal remains of Ferdinand, we will be able to stand even more convincingly in the family of European nations.