137 years of Unification: How Bulgaria celebrated the holiday

Bulgaria celebrates Unification Day. On this date 137 years ago, Eastern Rumelia and the Principality of Bulgaria announced their unification - an event that gave impetus to the upward development of the restored Bulgarian state. The culmination of the celebrations on the occasion of the official holiday - September 6, was in Plovdiv - the city that became the capital of the Unification.

September 6 is perhaps the most Plovdiv day in Bulgarian history. A day when we bow to the courage to stand up for national unity as a personal struggle. Both Plovdiv citizens and guests of the city visited today the landmark places associated with the events of 1885 - the church "St. Mary", where the first prayer service was held for the participants in the heroic events, the memorial plaque Major Raicho Nikolov - the only victim in Plovdiv of the Unionist act, the monument of Zahari Stoyanov - the chronicler of the events of a heroic Bulgarian epic.

The events of the Unification came to life again in a reenactment in which the "Patriotism" Committee showed how Chardaphon's Golyamokonar Cheka arrested the Governor General of Eastern Rumelia, Gavrail Krastevich. The reenactment enjoys great interest, as do all reenactments of events from the national liberation struggles of Bulgaria.

Here is how the people of Plovdiv describe in words and emotions what Unification is for them:

- I still believe that Unification is the strength and we must be united and I am proud of this celebration as I try to pass it on to my children.

- Very nice Bulgarian holiday, one of the best. And it's nice to go out and honor this holiday, to be better, to support each other, for a better Bulgaria.

- It is not just a day, it is an event that should and will remain forever in our history, because then Bulgaria became united.

- The message is to be united, the word union - it speaks enough.

- We are all together and we are all united - everything is beautiful. It feels like a beautiful day.