19/02/2025
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟓𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐢, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦."
He is Bulgaria’s most revered national hero, symbolizing the resilience and pride of a people who have fought for their independence and freedom for centuries.
Born on July 18, 1837, in Karlovo, and executed on February 18, 1873, in Sofia, Vassil Levski was a revolutionary and ideologue of the Bulgarian national liberation movement against Ottoman rule. He worked to organize uprisings across Bulgarian territories through regional committees.
His pseudonym, "Levski," means "lion-like."
"𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐧, 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬."
Arrested on December 27, 1872, Levski was interrogated, imprisoned in Tarnovo, and transferred to Sofia on January 4, 1873. Despite torture, he admitted his identity but never betrayed his comrades. Weakened, he was sentenced to death and hanged, deepening the crisis within the revolutionary movement. Five years later, the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) led to Bulgaria’s liberation, formalized by the 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟑, 𝟏𝟖𝟕𝟖.
To honor this national day of remembrance, we shared sweet and savory Banitsa with colleagues and launched a donation campaign for children and families in need. Books about Levski are also available.
Ceremonies take place in Sofia and across the country, with floral tributes and official speeches. In Karlovo, his birthplace, cultural events and historical reenactments keep his memory alive.
This is a time for reflection and remembrance, a testament to the strength of the Bulgarian people.
