Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

118 years since the outbreak of the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising

Photo: BGNES-archive

On 20 July the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours the memory of the prophet Elijah. It is also a day celebrated by furriers, saddlers, bakers and firemen.

20 July also marks the outbreak of the 1903 Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising of the Bulgarians in Macedonia and Eastern Thrace. In North Macedonia it is marked only as the Ilinden uprising and on 2 August - according to the old calendar.

Polish historian Prof. Jaroslaw Rubacha, member of the Macedonian research institute stated, in an interview for the BNR, that the 1903 Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising is a tragic episode in Bulgarian history and the history of the Macedonian lands. According to Prof. Rubacha it will be difficult to reach a consensus on historical issues between Skopje and Sofia, among them the celebration of the heroes of the uprising together. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bronze statuette of a goddess from the Greco-Roman pantheon discovered on Kaliakra

An archaeological expedition led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boni Petrunova – Director of the National Museum of History, discovered a massive bronze statuette of a goddess from the Greco-Roman pantheon. The artifact was found in residential premises in the..

published on 8/26/25 6:10 AM

Archaeologists uncover 13 ancient graves in central Sofia

13 ancient graves were discovered during archaeological excavations conducted on the premises of the National Academy of Art in Sofia.  The excavation is led by archaeologist Elena Nikolova from the Regional History Museum. The excavations began on..

published on 8/22/25 9:44 AM
Trapezitsa Hill in Veliko Tarnovo

The Trapezitsa Hill in Veliko Tarnovo preserves the spirit of medieval Bulgaria

Trapezitsa is one of the three hills for which the old Bulgarian capital, Tarnovgrad (the medieval name of today’s Veliko Tarnovo), is famous . Located to the northwest of the town, it stands across from the neighboring hill Tsarevets – the..

published on 8/20/25 2:30 PM