October 24, 2009



National Assembly President Tsetska Tsacheva has taken part, on October 24, 2009 in the celebration of the 132nd anniversary of the heroic battle, which took place around the village of Gorni Dubnik, for the Liberation of Bulgaria. In this battle more than 3000 Russian and Finnish troops were killed.

The Chair of Parliament, Mrs. Tsetska Tsacheva was met with military honors in the historical park and museum of general Lavrov. The anthem of the Republic of Bulgaria was performed.

In her speech, the President of the National Assembly stressed that the battles during the siege of Pleven started the victory over the Ottoman troops. The heroic death and the historic victory of Dabnik’s warriors made possible the liberation of Pleven and the final victory in the Russo-Turkish War, added Tsetska Tsacheva. She pointed out that the sacrifice of the Russian, Finnish and Romanian troops, supported by the Bulgarian population, made possible the ideas, of the Bulgarian revivalists for free, independent and united Bulgaria to be realized.

The National Assembly President, the Ambassador of Finland in Bulgaria Tarja Laytiaynen, representatives of the General Consulate of Russia, deputies, state and municipal officials, representatives of political parties and public organizations and institutions laid flowers on the monuments of the fallen fighters for Bulgaria’s freedom. The town of Pleven Bishop Ignatius held a memorial service for the fallen heroes.

The Chairwoman of the National Assembly distributed to children attending the ceremony educational booklets on the history of the Bulgarian Parliament.

Later on, Mrs.Tsetska Tsacheva attended the inauguration and laid flowers on the Memorial, erected in recognition of the inhabitants of Shiyakovo village near Pleven, who devoted their lives to the freedom and independence of Bulgaria.

The six year old idea to build the monument was materialized with donations and municipal funds, said Mirinka Tsvetkova, the village mayor. Architect Svetoslav Gerganov is the author of the monument. Local historians have found in the military archives the names of 24 village residents, who at the time when they died in the Balkan, the First and Second World wars were 20 to 30 years old.