A thanksgiving service and a military ritual launched in the city of Veliko Tarnovo gave the start of the celebrations of the 139^th anniversary since the Liberation of the settlement from Ottoman rule. Wreaths and flowers were laid as a sign of gratitude and honor at the monument of General Gurko, at the commemorative plaque at the Military Club and at the Mother Bulgaria Monument.    Photo: BTA

The ninth edition of the Dixie Jazz Fest in the city of Veliko Tarnovo, central Bulgaria opened with a parade of the musicians from the Royal Dixie Band along the main streets of the place. This evening the festival will be officially opened on stage at the Open Air Theater in the Marno Pole city park.  Photo: BTA

Rescue paratroopers from the Krumovo air base performed cognitive and training jumps from a helicopter with manual opening of the parachute after a free fall. Such traininh has not been conducted in the Bulgarian army in the last 17 years. In the past parachute landing from helicopters was performed with Mi-8 and Mi-17 machines. Now for the first time the air force used for the drill a helicopter of the AS-532 AL Cougar type.    Photo: BGNES

A group of young men stretched a rope across the bed of the Perlovska River in Sofia and made an acrobatic performance. Their masterly display showed they were professional acrobats.     Photo: BULFOTO

Hundreds of believers from Southern Bulgaria gathered at the St. Nedelya Monastery near the town of Assenovgrad, southern Bulgaria for the patron saint day of the monastery and the Day of the Holy Martyr Nedelya. The festive liturgy was headed by the Bishop of Plovdiv Nikolai. The monastery is the place of the miraculous spring with healing water, which local people believe to be curing eye diseases.     Photo: BTA

An attempted "attack" on the part of a para-military formation against an airport was thwarted by the army. The exercise happened during the National certification of a Module for “active security and defense of an airport”. The military exercise was carried out July 5 through the 7 at the training ground at Simitly, southwestern Bulgaria.  Photo: BGNES

As of today the citizens of the Black Sea city of Burgas and its guests can use electric transport along the new promenade to the Sarafovo quarters. The municipality provided this service in response to a suggestion coming from several different groups of citizens. The small busses are working from 9AM to 9PM at intervals of 15 minutes. The price of the ticket is 1 Lev. They are a good possibility for a quick and comfortable trip to the mud spa center and the more distant sand strips along the shore on the way to Sarafovo. However this attraction line will be working for tourists only in summer. Photo: BULFOTO

The 125th year since the birth of rear admiral Ivan Variklechkov – the first Bulgarian admiral in command of this country’s navy, was marked with a military ceremony. Wreaths and flowers were laid at the monument of rear admiral Variklechkov at the building of the Navy Command in the Black Sea city of Varna. The ritual was joined by representative units of Varna Garrison. Photo: BGNES