Remembrance Day 2023 services to be held in Bulgaria’s Sofia and Plovdiv
This year’s annual Remembrance Day Services will be held in Sofia Central Cemetery on November and 11 in Plovdiv Central Cemetery on November 12, the British embassy said.
The services are in commemoration of all those who lost their lives in the service of their country in the wars of the 20th century.
These services are open to the members of the public. If you plan to join please arrive before 10.30am for the Sofia service or 10.45am for the Plovdiv service.
The British embassy will live stream the Sofia service on Facebook.
The Commonwealth war graves cemetery is in Central Sofia Cemetery. It is about two km north of the railway station on Purva Bulgarska Armia Street, with the cemetery entrance opposite Mara Buneva Street.
Sofia’s Commonwealth war graves cemetery contains the remains not only of British military personnel, but also of South Africans, Australians and others from the Commonwealth who sacrificed their lives, in the Second World War, in the fight against Nazism and fascism.
Plovdiv Central Cemetery is about a kilometre from the city centre, within the city limits, with the entrance about 100m north of the crossroads of Iztochen Boulevard and Maria Loisa Boulevard. As you enter the main entrance to Plovdiv Central Cemetery, take the first turning on the right in front of the church. Continue and take the third road on the left. The Commission cemetery is at the end of this road and is surrounded by a low brick wall.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Commonwealth servicemen buried at Plovdiv Central Cemetery died either as prisoners of war or while serving with the occupying forces following the Bulgarian capitulation in September 1918.
It was formerly called Philippopolis (St. Archangel) Cemetery and was formed after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from Philippopolis Protestant Cemetery, Philippopolis Roman Catholic Cemetery, Karagatch Protestant Cemetery, Kostenecbanja British Cemetery, Kurtova Konare Civil Cemetery, Mustafa Pasha British Cemetery and Tatar Pazardzik Protestant Cemetery.
The cemetery now contains 55 Commonwealth burials from the First World War. Among the British burials is a South African national who was serving with British forces.
If you would like to buy a poppy beforehand, these will be available on sale at the British embassy Sofia, 9 Moskovska Street, and at the British Council, 7 Krakra Street, from November 1 onwards.
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