147th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Bulgarian Navy

Today, the city of Ruse traditionally marked the official start of the celebrations on the occasion of the 147th anniversary of the establishment of the Bulgarian Naval Forces. The events were jointly organised by the Naval Command, the Municipality of Ruse and the Regional Administration.

The choice of the city of Ruse as the starting point of the celebrations is historical - it was here in 1879 that the foundations of the Bulgarian Navy were laid. The only Monument to the Sailor in Bulgaria is located in Ruse and the inscription "This is where Bulgarian seafaring began" is carved on it. The first cadres for the fleet began their training in Ruse in 1881 at the future Naval Academy, before it was moved to Varna in 1900.

A ceremony was held in front of the Fleet Tower to lay flowers on the memorial plaque of Lieutenant Commander Alexander Konkevich - the first commander of the Bulgarian Navy and founder of maritime education, and the tower itself is the first meteorological station in the country.

The central military event of the day included an official wreath-laying ceremony at the Sailor's Monument, with representative units of the Navy and an honor guard participating in the ritual, who paid tribute to the memory of the Bulgarian sailors. The senior command staff of the Naval Forces, representatives of the Regional Administration and local authorities in Ruse, veterans and numerous citizens were present.

The official program of the day ended with an open concert by the Representative Brass Band of the Naval Forces under the direction of Captain Georgi Zairanov.

In the coming days of the week, the festive program will continue in the Black Sea garrisons, with the culmination of the celebrations on Sunday in Varna with the traditional military parade and the raising of the naval flag.

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