A monument to Vasil Levski was unveiled in the town of Chiprovtsi (Northwestern Bulgaria). It was donated to the local municipality by Bulgarian oncologist and patriot Professor Dr. Ivan Gavrilov on the occasion of the town's holiday.

Professor Gavrilov and Mayor Plamen Petkov unveiled the monument in the presence of residents and guests of Chiprovtsi. 

Prof. Dr. Ivan Gavrilov (R) and Chiprovtsi Mayor Plamen Petkov (L) at the unveiling of the monument

They observed a minute’s silence in memory of the Apostle of Freedom. Local priests conducted a water blessing ritual.

Dr. Ivan Gavrilov told stories about Vasil Levski, which he learned from one of Levski’s descendants during a celebration in the revolutionary’s hometown of Karlovo.

When he first became a teacher in Voinyagovo, Levski put up two boards on which he wrote "Excellent" and "Reprimand". He warned the pupils that if anyone's name appeared on the reprimand board twice, he would leave. None of the students let this happen, Dr. Ivan Gavrilov said.

The second story was from Vasil Levski's last days, when the court in Sofia was about to sentence him to death. The Sublime Porte sent two army generals to his cell- Miralay Tefik Bey and Orhan Bey. However, their attempts to break Levski proved unsuccessful. He proudly rejected his release in exchange for begging the Sultan for mercy.