The Paisius Days, dedicated to the 300^th birth anniversary of Paisius of Hilendar and 260 years since he wrote Slav-Bulgarian History opened in Samokov.

 At the opening ceremony, Vice President Iliana Iotova stated that Slav-Bulgarian History marks the awakening of the Bulgarian people, which, thanks to its Christian Orthodox faith, the awareness of its origin and the Bulgarian language, has survived through the centuries of oppression. The Bulgarian Vice President stated that there is no other book that speaks so much about independence and the future, and called on the politicians of today to learn from Bulgarian history. “During the days of political turbulence, may the Paisius Days be the cleansing river that shall wash away the bitterness, the spite and the confrontation," she said.