Today is 3 March, officially the “Day of Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Dominion.” It’s a day to honor the volunteers who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and helped set their country free.
I marked the occasion with a wander to the nearby village of Sredno Gradishte. My path led through sleepy winter lavender fields, past buzzing beehives, and along vineyards resting quietly for the season — the kind of scenery that would steal your attention even more if everything were in bloom or heavy with grapes.
In the village park, a local war memorial (Военен паметник) caught my eye. Nearby, a small group of women held a private ceremony, softly singing and praying for the villagers who gave their lives. The inscription lists those lost in the Balkan Wars and World War I, with one line that really lingered in my mind: “Тоз който падне в бой за свобода, той не умира” — “He who falls in battle for freedom does not die,” by the poet Hristo Botev.
Walking through history, with prayers and songs filling the quiet park, made the meaning of freedom feel just a little more tangible — and a little more beautiful.
