Students from 6 to 12 grades took part in the competition. The National Assembly’s President handed out awards to the winners in the competition.

“This glorious peak gives strength to everyone willing to climb to it. I am very glad this year the participants are more than 200 – twice more than last year. I believe next year those willing to go to the top of this most glorious peak will be even more. I compliment your will and strength to get to this historic Golgotha”, stated Mihail Mikov.

In the evening the president of the National Assembly, Mihail Mikov, attended the solemn roll call at the square in the town of Gabrovo. Mihail Mikov delivered a speech on occasion of the 136th anniversary of the heroic battle on Peak Shipka.

Speech of the President of the National Assembly, Mihail Mikov, delivered at the solemn roll call on occasion of the 136th anniversary of the epopee at peak Shipka
23 August 2013
Revival Square, town of Gabrovo

Esteemed Mrs. Vice-Premier,
Esteemed National Representatives,
Your Excellences,
Dear hosts – Mrs. Hristova and Mr. Grigorov,
Mr. General,
Mr. Rear Admiral,
Officers and Soldiers,
Esteemed citizens of the glorious town of Gabrovo,

For 136th time we bow before the blood of the Russian soldiers and the Bulgarian volunteers, before the feat of the citizens of Gabrovo, who once in those hot days of August, under a rain of bullets had helped in the battle – everyone at his best. “All stones and woods have disappeared” to make place to the exploit of the 5 regiments of volunteers, to the soldiers of the Russian generals Skobelev and Gourko. The name of Shipka, embroidered with golden letters, will remain in the Pantheon of our movement for national liberation as the highest peak of all the uprisings which had taken place in the middle of the 19th century up to the Balkan war.

Just a week ago we marked the anniversary of the Ilinden – Preobrazhenie uprising. All these bright dates and pathways lead to and are the effects of Shipka, and are part of the tremendous will and desire of the Bulgarian people for freedom. Writer Simeon Radev says that not freedom descends upon people but people should climb to freedom. Today we do just that - with bowed heads climbing towards the historic peak St. Nikolas we mount towards this sacred place, where the Bulgarian people, 136 years ago, had touched its freedom.

There are a lot of dates in the history of Bulgaria, to be proud about, to make you ponder and to give Bulgarians reason for optimism. The date of 23 August, the anniversary of the battle at Shipka is one of the brightest dates.

Today we live in conditions of economic and social crisis. The feeling of the crisis becomes stronger from the sense of inequality among people. Such dates should give us strength to unite – to unite the institutions, the political parties, the central and local powers, to unite the citizens of Bulgaria in order to be able with the will and the spirits present 136 years ago to overcome the difficulties, in view to preserve Bulgaria and the memory about the sacred blood of our ancestors, shed 136 years ago at Peak Shipka. Let their memory be kept in eternity.