21.4.2007

Bulgaria Marks 131 Years of Historical April Uprising

Several Bulgarian towns and cities will mark with torch processions, church bells ringing and cultural events the 131st anniversary of the historical April Uprising.

In all towns that played key role in the revolutionary past of Bulgaria there will be processions on the streets. The Bulgarian National Union has already ordered black flags that will be held together with the Bulgarian one to pay respect to the thousands of Bulgarians who took part in the uprising.

In Burgas the local bishop will hold a mass in memory of Georgi Benkovski, panayot Volov, Gerogi Ikonomov, Todor Kableshkov, Rayna Knyaginya, Vassil Petleshkov, Kocho Chestimenski, Spas Ginev, Hristo Botev and all those who gave their life for Bulgaria's freedom.

At 10 sharp the church bells started ringing, calling to all Bulgarians to remember the historical date April 20, 1976 and who fought for their freedom.

The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, the indirect result of which was the establishment of Bulgaria as an independent nation in 1878.

The 1876 uprising was the last and biggest in a string of Bulgarian revolts but spread only in parts of the Bulgarian territories.

In November 1875, activists of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee met in the Romanian town of Giurgiu and decided that the political situation was suitable for a general uprising. The uprising was scheduled for April or May 1876. The territory of the country was divided into five revolutionary districts with centres in Vratsa, Veliko Tarnovo, Sliven, Plovdiv and Sofia.

The uprisal started but the reaction of the Ottoman authorities was quick and ruthless. Detachments of regular and irregular Ottoman troops (bashi-bazouks) were mobilised and attacked the first insurgent towns as early as 25 April. By the middle of May, the insurrection was completely suppressed.

At least 15,000 people were killed in the suppression of the uprising byu the Ottomans. Some 80 villages and towns were burned and destroyed and 200 others were plundered. The atrocities which accompanied the suppression of the insurrection reached its peak in the northern Rhodopes. Nearly the whole population (9,000) of the town of Batak including women and children was slaughtered, beheaded or burned alive by Ottoman irregulars who left piles of dead bodies around the town square and church.

This is the flag that Rayna Knyaginya made for the insurgents. It says "Freedom or Death". Photo by National Historical Museum.

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