In an address read here on Saturday during the solemn ceremony to welcome the remains of Tsar Samuel, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that a symbol of statesmanlike valour and military virtues will find its eternal resting place in St Sophia Basilica.
Radev said: “This square [Prince Alexander of Battenberg Square] has witnessed many parades and processions; the turbulent river of our history flows through it, but today we have gathered together to fulfil a moving mission and a long-awaited duty. It fell to [Samuel] to bear the heavy burden of defending the homeland, bordering the mighty Byzantine Empire, to safeguard our lands to the east and west, and to endure blows from behind, often from those closest to him.”
The Prime Minister added: “The chronicles bear witness to the greatness of many Bulgarian rulers: Asparuh; Tervel; St Tsar Boris I who introduced Christianity to Bulgaria, his son Simeon the Great, but historical and human fate are fickle, and after years of prosperity come times of severe trials.”
Radev noted that Samuel had the difficult fate of spending his life defending Bulgarian identity and added: “Samuel employed skilful diplomacy to safeguard the lives and lands of the Bulgarians and spent his days on horseback to preserve Bulgaria’s national unity. The final episode in the life of our great ruler is worthy of a biblical tragedy – following the defeat at Belasitsa in 1014, Samuel was wounded and his army taken prisoner. Our tsar died at the sight of his blinded soldiers. What greater testament to nobility is there than this – the ruler’s heart, torn apart by the suffering of his subjects?”.
The Prime Minister concluded: “A whole millennium separates us from those turbulent times. Many empires perished during that period, but Bulgaria rose again twice. Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent. That is why Europe must not reopen old wounds but must work for peace as the supreme good. That is why, today, I expressed my deepest gratitude to the Prime Minister of our friend Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, for the wisdom and courage shown in working together to reach this historic agreement and to return the mortal remains of our tsar to his homeland. An agreement that further strengthens the strategic partnership between our two countries and the friendship and trust between the Bulgarian and Greek peoples. This act builds a bridge across the centuries, healing any doubts about our shared spiritual strength as a people and any lack of faith in our future, because Bulgaria has been and will be.”
PM Radev: Tsar Samuel, Man of Valour and Virtues, Finds Eternal Rest in St Sophia Basilica 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-03 12:01:00
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