A National Initiative Committee for the commemoration of Hristo Botev’s 170th anniversary has been set up in Parliament. Speaker of Parliament Tsveta Karayancheva will be the honorary patron of the events. Let us not forget Botev’s legacy that the Bulgarian nation is able to build its own future, said Speaker of Parliament Tsveta Karayancheva at the founding meeting. I agreed to be the patron of this initiative because 170 years ago, in a country under oppression, was born one of the brightest minds, adventurer and prophet, risk-taker and saviour, champion of justice, incredibly wise for his age. Botev amazes with his gift of eloquence, poetic genius, superhuman audacity and unbelievable providence, added Tsveta Karayancheva.

In her words, even today, Botev’s words sound contemporary and are unequalled in power and magnitude. There is no other figure in the spiritual pantheon of our nation, that gives such a meaning to words like “freedom”, “slavery”, “love” and “hate”, added Tsveta Karayancheva. She introduced the members of the initiative committee, among whom are Deputy Prime Minister for Public Order and Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policy Valeri Simeonov, Minister of Education Krasimir Vulchev, Minister of Culture Boil Banov, Minister of Tourism Nikolina Angelkova, Mayor of Karlovo Emil Kabaivanov, Mayor of Kalofer Rumen Stoyanov, and Mayor of Vratsa Kalin Kamenov.

The initiative committee will work throughout 2018 and coordinate all events related to Hristo Botev’s anniversary. There will be a conference, exhibitions, a school convention, and a youth trekking initiative from Kozloduy to Okolchitsa. The initiative committee also discussed the idea about issuing a jubilee coin, and publishing Botev’s publicistic work in an online collection of works. On the occasion of Hristo Botev’s anniversary there will be a website showing the calendar of events with an option to add new initiatives.