Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

June 3 is a day of commemoration for the victims from Belene concentration camp

Over 20,000 people have been imprisoned at Belene in total

Photo: Belene municipality

The annual initiative commemorating the victims of the biggest concentration camp for the political opponents of the Bulgarian Communist Party in Bulgaria, is to take place at 12 noon today on the spot where the former concentration camp Belene stood on Persin island in the Danube in the times of the communist regime.

The event is organized by an action group of numerous NGOs and private individuals for the restoration of the annual commemoration, a tradition since 1990 mottoed: Together again to honour the memory of the victims of the Belene camp. The commemoration is being renewed after a 3-year break.

The concentration camp was opened in 1949 by the communist regime, and went by the name of “Second site”. To begin with, there were 300 prisoners but their number quickly grew to more than 2,000. Over 20,000 people have been imprisoned at Belene in total. Many of them lie buried in unmarked graves on Persin island.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Bulgarians say the EU means democracy, human rights, law and high standard of living

Bulgarians value democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the standard of living in the EU, according to Eurobarometer data presented on July 26 by the European Commission, BTA reports. When asked what are the strengths of the..

published on 7/26/24 2:39 PM

Applications for translators' residencies are now accepted

October 9 is the deadline for applications for research residencies for literary translators from Bulgarian under the Archipelagos project, the Next Page Foundation announced. The residencies will take place at the House for..

published on 7/26/24 2:05 PM

UNWE is the only Bulgarian economic university in the QS World University ranking

The University of National and World Economy is the only economic one among the four Bulgarian universities present in the prestigious ranking of European universities QS World University Rankings, the press center of the educational..

published on 7/26/24 12:28 PM