The St.St. Cyril and Methodius National Library was the host of a presentation of a new historical book, dedicated to the Bulgarian military glory from the Middle Ages to the Second World War. Its authors are three young men: a political scientist, a lawyer and a student of international relations, who all share the passion for history. They deal with a vast period looking not only through the prism of historical facts but focusing also on the realm of legends about historical events and people, told from generation to generation. Ivomir Kolev, Martin Chorbadzhiiski and Vladislav Karageorgiev spent nine months writing the book. More from Ivomir Kolev:

“One of the main reasons that motivated us are frequent speculations about Bulgarian battle glory. We wanted to present this glory the way it is and to restore the broken link between Bulgarian soldiers as persons and their immense courage shown on the battlefield. Without understanding the character of the Bulgarian soldier and why he did all those miracles of courage, we can hardly understand what actually Bulgarian glory is.”

The desire of the authors to resurrect the memory of people who gave their lives for the peace and freedom of Bulgaria shows us that these are not just names from a long list, but behind every name, there are human lives, hopes and expectations.

Ivomir told us more about the life of Momchil Voivoda, whom people call “The Defender of the Rhodopes":

“The fate of Momchil Voivoda is curious. We have all heard legends and folk songs about him, but the historical image is quite different from the mythological one. This was a man who wanted to become an independent ruler. Sometimes he fought even against Bulgarians. In his last battle he was defeated by the united forces of Turks and Byzantines, as he fought against a distant descendant of the Assen Dynasty, who was part of the Byzantine army.”

Momchil does not fit into the idealistic image of the Bulgarian hero as he took advantage of the weakness of the Byzantine Empire and became a threat to its citizens with his raids. This forced the emperor to make him a vassal and give him lands, some of which in the region of the Rhodope Mountains. This way he became a defender of people living there.

Part of the book "Bulgarian Battle Glory" is dedicated to the post-liberation successes of the Bulgarian Army. The Serbian-Bulgarian War /1885-86/, the struggles for the liberation of Macedonia and the participation of this country in the Balkan Wars have left lasting marks in our newer history. By reading the book, we have the opportunity to rethink what we already know about history and to draw lessons, as "people who do not know their story are doomed to repeat it."

English: Alexander Markov