Balgarianovinite.com With wreaths and a military tattoo, servicemen and government ministers marked the 140th anniversary of the Serbo-Bulgarian War at the Heroes of Slivnitsa Memorial in the eponymous town on Friday.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, Bulgarian Patriarch Daniel, Slivnitsa Mayor Vasko Stoilkov, officers, and other officials.
“This was the first and most important victory won by the Bulgarian army. Our army advanced in three days from the Ottoman border. They marched in columns with three soldiers in a row, the one in the middle resting on a rifle carried on the shoulders of those on the left and right—that’s how they advanced. That was a feat in our military history,” said Slivnitsa Mayor Vasko Stoilkov.
He noted that the local population actively participated in the military actions. “All the men were at the front, the women fed the soldiers, and the children brought them water,” Stoilkov added, emphasizing that he feels proud to be a local.
“Investing in modern technologies would be meaningless if there is no inspiration, desire, and dedication to the military profession. That is why the task of every government and administration is to build the authority of the Bulgarian soldier, the attractiveness of the military profession, because the most important goal is the defense of the homeland,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in his speech.
Earlier in the day, servicemen laid wreaths and paid tribute to the fallen at the Mother Bulgaria Pantheon of the Fallen in the Serbo-Bulgarian War near the village of Gurgulyat and at the Five Captains Monument in Slivnitsa.
The Battle of Slivnitsa lasted three days and is considered the baptism of fire for the young Bulgarian army. The front line at Slivnitsa was divided into three parts, with 12,000 Bulgarians facing 25,000 Serbs. At 9:00 a.m. on November 5, 1885, the Serbs advanced, but Capt. Georgi Silianov’s battery repelled them quickly and without casualties. On the orders of Prince Alexander of Battenberg, the Bulgarians launched a counterattack near the village of Malo Malovo. The Serbian units were forced to retreat. The decisive day of the battle was November 7. The ratio of forces was now 32,000 Bulgarians against 40,000 Serbs.
The Serbian Morava Division, stopped the previous day by Capt. Stefan Kisov and his detachment of nearly 2,000 men, advanced again. Capt. Marin Marinov, commander of the Bdin Regiment, ordered a bayonet attack, leading his soldiers himself and dying in battle. On the right flank near Slivnitsa, the Bulgarians attacked the Tri Ushi heights. Capt. Marin Marinov was also killed there. The Serbs sent new units against Tri Ushi. The Bulgarians from the central section also charged the heights. Although the Serbs had superiority of 89 against 64 Bulgarian companies, all the peaks of Tri Ushi were captured by the Bulgarians. The Slivnitsa position was saved, and in the following days the Bulgarians went on the offensive and entered Serbian territory.
The battle resulted in 1,800 casualties on the Bulgarian side and 2,100 on the Serbian. The victory served to defend the Unification of Bulgaria, which took place in the autumn of 1885. Bulgaria Commemorates Battle of Slivnitsa Heros 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-07 20:56:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law