The tragic death of rock legend Kiril Marichkov, who died in an accident just before a concert in Selanovtsi village near Vratsa, evoked the emotional reaction of thousands of fans, musicians, public figures and politicians.

•  Bulgarian rock legend Kiril Marichkov dies at 79

“With the loss of Kiril Marichkov the Bulgarian stage is losing a legend – a rock legend at heart, an aristocrat in his soul,” President Rumen Radev writes on Facebook.

“Powerful souls, which nothing can break, never disappear,” writes Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, and goes back to Kiril Marichkov’s own words which demonstrate what it means to remain true to oneself: “You can push me “out of key” but you can never play me.”

On its official website, the Council of Ministers writes: “A rebel and a free man, Kiril Marichkov won over the hearts of generations of fans. He shall remain with us with his songs.”

The diva of Bulgarian pop music Lili Ivanova honoured the “foremost Bulgarian musician and singer-songwriter Kiril Marichkov” with the words:
 “Rest in peace, my friend! Your work remains.”

“We lost part of our selves. It happened right before our eyes. It happened in a second. It’s difficult to forget,” wrote the musicians from the Foundation with whom Kiril Marichkov was supposed to play last night. For 11 years were like a family, they say “travelling the world with concerts, laughing, arguing, loving each other. Thank you, Kircho! Wait for us!”