Bulgaria plans fanfare welcome for remains of mediaeval ruler Tsar Samuil
The Bulgarian government has arranged an elaborate state welcome in Sofia on October 3 for the remains of Tsar Samuil, with a military aircraft escort and a ceremony in the capital city with the national anthem and a 21-gun salute, while state railways BDZ is providing free return trips to Sofia and major broadcasters are providing live coverage.
On September 29, it was confirmed that Greece had agreed to transfer the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil – who ruled from 997 to 1014 CE – to Bulgaria.
On October 3, the remains of Tsar Samuil will be handed over to the Bulgarian state at an official ceremony at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Roumen Radev and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis present, the Bulgarian government information service said.
After entering Bulgarian airspace, the Spartan military transport aircraft carrying Tsar Samuil’s remains will be met and escorted by two pairs of Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 and F-16 fighter jets.
The formation will fly over Sofia’s Knyaz Alexander I Square at about 12.30pm. The fighter jets will do a flypast over the square again after the Spartan transport aircraft has landed.
The Bulgarian Armed Forces will transport the remains from Vassil Levski Airport Sofia to Knyaz Alexander I Square.
As part of the state ceremony “Bulgaria Welcomes Tsar Samuel”, Radev will deliver an address.
Twenty-one artillery salutes will be fired during the playing of the Bulgarian national anthem.
The ceremony will continue with a procession to St Sofia Church, where members of the public will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Tsar Samuel’s mortal remains and a trisagion service – a brief memorial service in the Orthodox Christian tradition – will be held.
In a separate statement, the Sofia directorate of the Interior Ministry said that in connection with the event, police will set up security zones in the areas of the two venues where the ceremony will be held.
Law enforcement agencies will carry out checks for suspicious packages and luggage, as well as for objects that can be used to harm people. If such items are found, those possessing them will not be allowed into the designated zones.
From 4pm. on October 3, parking of cars will be prohibited on Battenberg Square, Nikolay Gyaurov Square, in front of the Bulgarian National Bank and the Archaeological Museum, on Moskovska Street – from Malko Turnovo Street to 11 Avgust Street, as well as on Knyaz Alexander I Street – from Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd. to Gen. Yosif V. Gurko Street.
From noon, at the discretion of the traffic police, traffic will be gradually restricted on Mimi Balkanska Street, Brussels Blvd, Tsarigradsko Shosse Blvd, Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., GS Rakovski Street and Oborishte Street. When the need is no longer there, traffic will be gradually restored, the Interior Ministry said.
BDZ – Passenger Transport is providing free round-trip travel to Sofia to citizens who wish to attend the ceremony welcoming the mortal remains of Tsar Samuil on October 3, BDZ said on its website.
For the trip, free two-way tickets with a fixed return will be issued. Tickets will be issued from all stations in the country for travel on the trains designated for the occasion to the stations and stops on the territory of Sofia – Sofia Central Station, Poduyane, Iskar, Zaharna Fabrika, Gorna Banya, Sofia-North, Iskarsko Shosse and Gorna Banya stop.
The journey will be with a reserved seat, and passengers will only pay a reservation fee of 0.51 euro, BDZ said. Free travel to Sofia and back will be provided on various lines. Details, in Bulgarian, are available on the BDZ website.
Bulgaria’s major broadcasters – Bulgarian National Television, bTV and Nova Televizia have announced several hours of live coverage of the reception of Tsar Samuil’s remains on October 3.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
