Bulgaria marks 181 years since the birth of national hero Vasil Levski

On 18^th of July, Bulgaria marks 181 years since the birth of national hero Vasil Levski. Ceremonies will be held in Levski’s native town of Karlovo and across the country to homour his memory.

The programme in Karlovo starts at 9:00 with a solemn liturgy at the temple "St. Nikolai”. An hour later, wreaths and flowers will be placed at Levski's mother's grave - Gina Kuncheva.

An exhibition will be opened in the museum of history in the town. The programme will end with a solemn fireworks display in Vassil Levski Square. Bulgaria’s head of state Rumen Radev will visit the village of Ruen where he will unveil a monument to Vasil Levski.

Vassil Levski was a leading figure in the fight of the Bulgarian people against Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. He was a revolutionary, democrat, ideologist, organizer and leader of the Bulgarian national liberation movement, founder of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation (IRO) and of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (BRCC).

He was called the the Apostle of Freedom by the Bulgatrian people for his self-sacrifice in developing a strategy to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

Vassil Levski organised the revolutionary movement across Bulgaria for several years. He established numerous revolutionary committees and started preparing the people for a general uprising. Betrayed by a traitor, he was captured by the Ottoman authorities and was executed by hanging on 18th of February 1873 in the outskirts of Sofia.