Wirten by Viktor Stoilov exclusively for SouthFront
On March 3rd, Bulgaria celebrated 140 years since its liberation from Ottoman yoke by the Russian Empire. For the first time in years, official guests from Russia came to the celebrations. On this special anniversary, the main guest was the Russian Patriarch Kirill. During his visit to Bulgaria, he visited Shipka and Sofia and upon leaving he told the reporters at the airport that he felt both surprised and aggrieved when he heard the Bulgarian politicians saying in their speeches that they thank just as much as the Russian soldiers, the soldiers from Poland, Finland, Lithuania and others for fighting for the Bulgarian liberation. He added that these were Russian garrisons who were just stationed in Finland along with Poland and Lithuania didn’t even exist back then and were part of the Russian Empire. These statements sparked the traditional russophobic reactions in a major part of the Bulgarian media. But is the Patriarch right?
Let’s start with a history check. In April 1876, a small part of the Bulgarian population rebelled against the Ottomans and were brutally slaughtered by the Sultan’s troops. The news of the rebellion made the headlines all over Europe and even the United States. This event gave the Russian Empire a motive to start another war against the Ottomans. At that time, Russia was still recovering from the devastating loss in the Crimean war and its consequences and had to be very careful and precise. On the following year, in 1877, the Russian Empire declared war on the Ottoman Empire. The two key battles during the war were in Pleven where about 30 000 Russian troops died during the unsuccessful first attacks and later successful siege, and on the Shipka pass where the Bulgarian militia along with a handful of Russian soldiers were holding a five-time larger Ottoman army from passing through the mountains and reaching the besieged Pleven. After the two heroic victories, the Russian army quickly reached the suburbs of Istanbul where they were “welcomed” by the British fleet which had been helping the Ottoman army during the whole war. The Great European powers led by the UK stopped the Russian army from entering Istanbul and on the March 3rd 1878, in the small village of San Stefano, the Russian and Ottoman empires signed a preliminary peace agreement according to which, after 500 years under Ottoman rule, Bulgaria finally got liberated. A few months later, the Great Powers pushed Russia to sign the Berlin treaty which drastically limited the Bulgarian territories.
Map of Bulgaria according to the San Stefano treaty:
Map of Bulgaria according to the Berlin treaty:
140 years later, Bulgaria is a part of NATO and the EU. The official rhetoric for years has been to literally blame Russia for its imperial interests during the war which granted the country’s long-awaited liberation. While the President of Bulgaria was Rosen Plevneliev (2012-2017), no official guests from Russia were invited on the March 3rd. Every year, the Bulgarian politicians were giving an equal role to the Russian and the so-called Finnish, Ukrainian, Polish, Lithuanian, Estonian, Romania, Serbian, Montenegrin troops. This year, the current President Rumen Radev, during his speech at Shipka, had the nerve to only mention the Russian and Bulgarian troops. He even went as far as saying the truth that on this top, the bones of the Russian and Bulgarian soldiers laid the foundation of the Bulgarian state.
The Bulgarian liberal media quickly started blaming Radev for not mentioning their NATO partners from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. How dare him not say about their role… even though they didn’t even exist at that time. At the same time, the Bulgarian main TV channels did everything possible to have as many Russophobic analysts as possible during the celebrations. They even broadcasted special interviews with the ambassador of Finland in Sofia.
However, later that day, in his speech in Sofia, in front of the monument of Tsar Alexander II – the liberator, Radev did what the Bulgarian politicians have been doing for years – thanking for the liberation, along with the Russian soldiers, the so-called Polish, Lithuanian, Finish etc ones.
Yes, the Patriarch has all the right to feel aggrieved. The Russian troops are the ones who fought and died for freedom of the Bulgarian people. Today’s NATO partners were on the side of the Ottomans and had no interests in having a free Bulgarian state. That’s why they sided with the Ottomans and then pushed Russia into signing the Berlin treaty which left more than 2/3 of the Bulgarian population under Ottoman rule again.
The Bulgarian political elites, paid analysts, media and ordinary Russophobes will do everything they can to rewrite the history of the war and belittle and even blame Russia, yet the truth is and will always be that it wasn’t the British, French, German, Lithuanian, Polish, Finnish, Ukrainian or any other troops but the Russians who fought and died for the Bulgarian liberation.
Yet, this is not the only case of literally rewriting history. The concept and theory that for example Ukraine liberated Poland, Belarus and other European countries from the Nazi occupation is also being pushed for year, pointing arguments that in the Soviet army, there were Ukrainian fronts. This war on the historical facts just got aggravated after the collapse of the Soviet Union when Russia faced one of its biggest historical catastrophes. Studies from France, Germany, and even Central European and Eastern European countries suggest that the majority of the young population believes that the major push against Nazi Germany was made by the US and British forces not the Soviet ones. In the history textbooks in Japan, the situation is even worse. You can read there: “The Soviet Union declared war on Japan” and then in the next sentence, without mentioning who did it, “Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed with atomic bombs.”
The war on the minds of the people is in full action and the case with the Bulgarian politicians will not be the last one where the historic truth is being replaced by a politically-correct statements.
what a fucked up world
Very strange move from Russian government. President Radev is seen as (the only) pro-Russian politician in Bulgaria. Yet with this move the Patriarch gave big indirect support for the pro-Western media and current government in Bulgaria which is very much a NATO puppet.
Which move exactly?
The statement by the Patriarch was made to the president directly. Infront of all the western media cameras. Direct hit on his persona. All the while the PM did not even attend the ceremonies at Shipka. He got a congratulations call from Putin also. I am in total amusement.
What you suggesting is that Patriarch had to lie in order to be polite?
Why harshtalk to the only one who praised the Russians only? Do you not see my point? And factually speaking – yes, there were many non russians who died in this war. Why go for mentioning that fact this year , every year its non issue.
Well, I think we can find even baptised turks among Shipka defenders. Should we start saying “thank you” to turks?
You should say “thank you” to all that fought to liberate Bulgaria from Turks: Russian army, Romanian army, Serbian troops.
I should say nothing. I’m russian. Who to say thank you to is up to bulgarians. But we watch at em with interest.
Me personally I have no problems with Bolgaria granting thanks to finns, because finnish regiment consisted of finns and was sent by Russian Emperor and finnish parliament. But poles? Lithuanians???
There were for sure small contingents of Poles or Georgians or Armenians or whatever, in the Russian imperial army. But, for historical reasons, that was Russian army, not Polish army. At political level, it was Russian decision to fight the Turks, and it was the main force in that war. That doesn’t mean that it was the only one, and Russia requested help when it was almost to lose the war. The Romanian army provided more than one third of the soldiers fighting in Bulgaria. The Serbs also fought as entity not as part of the Russian army.
Next time we will leave Bulgarians with Romanians, Armenians and all other great NATiOns.
Now you passed over the thing I mentioned about Russia being the main force in that war against the Turks, and made a political stunt, just to cover your ignorance in history.
Just imagine how much history we take for granted now is also fake.revisionism has been with humanity forever.
Id guess Damn near all history is revised.
History is told from the side of the victor. Rarely does a loser get the opportunity to undo a defeat – in writing.
Lel what a piece of shitty propaganda made in USSR, the only history books that say ONLY Russians won that war ALONE, are made only in Russia.
Who also other than Russians and Bulgarians won that war? I would like to learn.
“Besides the Romanian Army (which mobilized 130,000 men, losing 10,000 of them to this war), a strong Finnish contingent and more than 12,000 volunteer Bulgarian troops (Opalchenie) from the local Bulgarian population as well as many hajduk detachments fought in the war on the side of the Russians. To express his gratitude to the Finnish battalion, the Tsar elevated the battalion on their return home to the name Old Guard Battalion.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Turkish_War_(1877%E2%80%931878)
Romanian (130k army) liberating Bulgaria :) This one was especially good. Are you talking about 14th infantry division and 8 cavalry division of Tsar-Imperator’s army (stationed before that war in Chishineu and Tiraspol before that war? Using Wikipedia as a source of historical facts shows your level of education (not your fault). Luck of education (“hermetisation” of knowledge) is one of main principles used by your masters to govern western societies (sheeple). Regarding Russo Turkey war of 1877-1878, if you’re interested I can provide your detailed information including each notable operation and episode of this campaign including actual forces involved, including names of commanders, losses, weapons used by both sides. For now I will tell you one thing – that was war against England and France which were using Turkey as their boots on the ground against Russia (what we have now actually started many centuries ago). Finland a country didn’t exist, Lithuania, Estonia and who also they are thanking now – all were parts of Russian Empire… Can you comprehend simple things? Russian army had many other nationalities present, but Bulgarians don’t thank them separately now because they are not yet within NATO :) and are still a part of “Russian world”. If things would go according to Howards project plan they would already thank more “sovereign/souvenir” countries. And yes, Bulgarian opolchenie did fight and die for their land. I hope that Syrians would prove more able to keep memory of who helped them past 140 years. Those nation that have short memory (unable to see large picture both in territory and time) are bound to be used and enslaved by anglo-zio empire – again and again.
You’re comment is great! Thank you! It very nice to read something that is written by educated person, I sincerely wish you all the best =)
Thank you and best wishes from Russia.
Yeah I know Wiki sucks, still better than what can you provide from the Russian version of history. Btw what is your version for this: “Osman surrendered the city, the garrison, and his sword to the Romanian colonel, Mihail Cerchez”?
Still better? Lol. Insisting with deliberate ignorance – that’s your choice.
btw does in the Russian version of history Price Carol 1 of Rumania even crossed the Danube with the army, to give a hand at Pleven, or he was just home watching TV?
“Romanian (130k army) liberating Bulgaria :) This one was especially good. Are you talking about 14th infantry division and 8 cavalry division of Tsar-Imperator’s army (stationed before that war in Chishineu and Tiraspol before that war?)”
Tudor Miron, your comments are no different to the American hollow propaganda. It’s quite shame that Southfront is becoming so low in its articles, not to talk about “historians” like you. Russia was losing the war and asked Romania for help. Plevna was surrendered to the Romanian army, which after that liberated the north and east of Bulgaira.
Sir, that time Finland, as a political entity, did not exist. It was attached to Russia.
In this case was about praising the people who gave their lives not political entities, Russians are obsessed with their imperialism, no other nation captive in the empire should be mentioned, according to them.
Don’t you know that wikipedia is not a relyable sourse of information? How naive!
1691
Then read a reliable book of history and you will find the same: Romania fought against the Turks to liberate Bulgaria. You and Miron Tudor are not making any service to Southfront.
Thanks for the laugh. SF hardly expects service from me. Donations- yes but there it ends with expectations. I’ve read more that you can imagine but never came across Romanians liberating Bulgaria from the ottomans. Never. May be you should do some reading before you take up a job that involves some intelligence. :)
PlayBoy doesn’t count as reading, Try some history books, you will find that in the 1877 war Romanian army and Serbian troops fought along the Russian army to liberate Bulgaria.
The Siege of Pleven, or Siege of Plevna, as it is also known in English-language historical literature, was a protracted battle in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 in which the forces of the Russian Empire and Romania managed to capture the city of Pleven only on the fourth attempt, having suffered substantial losses in the three preceding attacks.
http://archaeologyinbulgaria.com/2017/01/07/military-history-museums-in-bulgarias-pleven-saw-almost-150000-visitors-in-2016/
I do not communicate with people who are paid to post comments.
Never speak to yourself, then.
what a joke!
Rubbish. How many countries fight for Americans in every war? In Korea, Vietnam, Iraq? No one even mention them.
I don’t have access to any reliable source of information other than RT, Sputnik, Southfront, all the rest are in cyrillic.
I understand. Google translate is not correct so I rule that out. I have studied history and before 1989 no one spoke about Rumanians, Poles or Serbs liberating Bulgaria from the ottomans. I do not exclude some participation but I would never consider the modern days history presentation as it has been manipulated. Why would the Bulgarian government not mention them before the “democracy” took over the countries of the Eastern bloc? Bulgaria was in perfect relationship with Rumania, Poland, Yugoslavia, the Baltic Soviet States. Why it was never mentioned before? I guess it is only to belittle Russia, to make it look like it is not the power it is. Basically they are teaching the new generation a made up story. Any truth that is not 100% supported by facts is not true. In a court of justice you swear to speak the truth, nothing but the truth so help me Lord.
Actually is not something new for Russian history version to differ from the rest of the world accepted, way before Bulgaria and Poland joined NATO & EU, but your comment is priceless, other nationalities that died there should not be mentioned cause that makes Russians look powerless, that’s how tiny, Russian dicks are!
Other nationalities , may they rest in peace, have been solders of the Russian army. I will not bend over to some mentally sick and change history.The rest of your comment does not deserve response. The zio-mafia will say anything, but anything just to tarnish the image of Russia. I don’t give a penny for what they or their employees say.
The perfect relation in the Eastern block is a good joke. History is always politic, in any country. Romanians were not mentioned because of the Romanian community south of Danube, Serbia because of Macedonia, Greece because of Mediterranean coast, and so on. And there was also pressure from the Soviet Union that only they liberated everything on Earth. There is a monument at Plevna that mention how the Turkish army surrendered to Russian army, while the truth is that the Turks surrendered to Romanian army. I was there as student in 90, and asked the guide why. She just smiled, (at least she was a beautiful girl). Then she took me aside and apologized that: “it is the official line”
I know exactly who you are that’s why I shall not get engaged in discussions with you and your buddies. You are beyond help.
You know everything that moves in this world bar history.
Serbs fought in that war as Russian allies.
Good for them Russians – at least some country is still fighting for the truth and sanity. You should study history more, check facts, think for yourself…
what a piece of shitty propaganda made by usa. Yes, it was the Russians who liberated Bulgaria. If there had been some foreign solders, well, thank you guys, rest in peace but it was Russia, only Russia who helped the Bulgarians! You can brag about the holohoax …but don’t change the history of Bulgaria!
It’s you who falsify the history. Romanian army and Serbian troops also fought to liberate Bulgaria. Russia was close to be defeated by the Turks and asked for help.
And why it was not mentioned in the history books before? Nothing bad about it. Why all of a sudden, 140 years after the war we are informed that there were other nationals? Why keep it a secret for so long? It is just another manipulation and we know who specializes in it. Do I have to say more?
That is a secret only for those who have never read a history book.
Yeah right, like saying that the US invasion of Iraq was a “coalition of 60 countries”. Back in 1878. it was Russian troops, Russian weapons, Russian money, with some auxiliary troops. Romania itself was liberated by Russia.
How many countries fight for Americans in every war? In Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan? The US invasion of Iraq was a coalition of “60 countries”. No one even mention them…. Waterloo? 50% of british troops were not british (NOT even including Prussians! in that case not even 20% of allied troops were british). Yet it was the ‘british glorious victory’. So the Russian empire/army were ‘Poles, Lithuanians, Georgians, Ukrainians..’ but the US army is what then – Poles, Mexicans, Africans? btw you are the one who is spreading shitty propaganda, you’re just too indoctrinated and retarded to realize that.
Finally and very soon, the USA and its puppets will take a responsibility like Hitler did
Hitler never took responsibility for his actions. Had he done so he would have stuck around for his trial and execution. The Germans themselves would have done that.
Romanians died fighting in Bulgaria, many of them. Romania procalimed its independence and entered the war on the side of the Russians. The Romanian Army faught at Plevna and Sinan Pasa capitualted in front of them. It is NOT the same case as with Finns, Poles etc who were subjects of the Russian Empire, and faught in the Russian army. Be fair in your annalysis, don’t mix things!
It’s right. But here in SF are many russophiles-communists pieces of shits, who try to make the world black and white. Black the whole West and USA, and Russia – only white 100%. It’s just insane and infantile behaviour. Probably Southfront is funded by Kremlin and Putin.
Eat shit and die moron, you are not even bulgarian. you FAKE pile of feces.
Shut the fuck up gibon monkey! Suck my dick! Hahahaa…
Kurwacek you bitch have no dick, except that donkey cock in your aids infested monkey mouth. Go choke on it and DIE.
Blah, blah, blah…eat my shits, you cocksucker subhuman gibon! Hahaha!
Kurvacek you pathetic FAKE shiteater is that the best you can? Eating shit again and again? Trying to hide that you are NOT Bulgarian you pathetic, lying sack of manure. How many fake accounts you have, you pathetic loser?
Blah, blah, blah… slovak gibon subhuman suck my dick !
Blah, blah, suck my dick, blah, lick my balls, blah, drink my piss, blah, eat my shit, blah, your family is subhuman, blah, go fuck yourself in hell.
Lol I’m not Slovak, you’re not bulgarian and your daddy is a gibBon (2 B’s).. you exist on a level of stupidity I find curious but also very sad, even monkeys have standards that you do not posses… you’re just a slimy excuse for a partially aborted fetus that is miraculously still drawing breath. do me favor: get a rope and hang yourself.
Short version: go die, blah, blah.
Blah, blah, suck my dick, blah, lick my balls, blah, drink my piss, blah, eat my shit, blah, your family is subhuman, blah, go fuck yourself. Blah!
Shut the fuck up slovak gibon subhuman monkey! I will cut your throat! :)
Hey you fake cocksucking bitch, here’s some Bulgarian for you: da ti eba maikata v ustata!
Blah, blah, blah…eat my shits, you cocksucker subhuman gibon! Hahaha!!
What, you don’t speak Bulgarian? How about slovak: Jebal ti pes mater!
Blah, blah, blah…eat my shits, you cocksucker subhuman gibon! Hahaha!
Hey you dumb shiteater so you don’t speak Bulgarian? You only know to eat goats shit until you die. And donkeys excrement. And horse manure. FAKE pile of feces.
Blah, blah, blah…inbred slovak gibon subhuman, suck my dick !
Battle of Plevna took place between August 30 and November 28, 1877. It was a fortress, alomost impenetrable, holded by 30.000-50.000 turks and 100 cannons. First two waves of attack were done by Russian troops and lead to huge loses. Russia asked then the help of Romania, which got involved with the most of its army at that time, 43.414 soldiers, 7.170 horses and 110 cannons. Russians brought n 52.000 soldiers and 316 cannons. The leading of the Russian-Romanian operations for the third battle was given to Carol I (the king of Romania), while the chief of military field was the Russian general Pavel D. Zotov. The first day of the third battle was again a wave of frontal attacks and retreats of the combined forces (like first and second battle made by Russian troops before) and finally the Romanian troops managed to occupy one of the fortifications, called Grivita 1 with great loses. The next battles were much better analyzed and consisted in slow advancements and fortifications, with much smaller loses. In the end, turks retreat from Plevna and their commander, Osman Pasa surrenders to Romanian Colonel Cerchez. After the Plevna, Russian troops continue their advancements until Istanbul were they are stopped by British Navy, the Ottoman ally. However, Otoman Empire is defeated.
That so called PIECE of SHIT patriarch Kiril was a soviet KGB agent and communist criminal ! Piss on that subhuman ! Oh yeahhh ! :)
Bulgaria was liberated by Russia. Facts. “Yeah some other nations, blah, blah…” 50% of british army at Waterloo were NOT british (not including Prussians, with them not even 20% of allied troops were brits yet it was the glorious british victory). How many nations fought for Americans in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq? Yet those revisionist NATO cretins make laughable claims here, ‘hey there was some Lithuanian dude in russian army, so it was Lithuanian victory as well.’ Ungrateful cunts.
I’m a Bulgarian. It’s very simple – we Thanks Russia for taking the decision, sending troops and Liberated us, signing the San Stefano Treaty. And also, all the people of other nationalities and countries who helped to win this war. We honour all who died in our land to liberate us after 500 years of slavery under Тurks/Ottoman Empire. And of course, we’ve never hated England, Germany and other Great powers for what they’ve caused us, even today – we are noble soul people :)
The Turks, in European history, is a chapter or three now long forgotten. They were even a threat to the nascent United States of America. The Balkans – including a number of NATO allies are as they are, to this day, largely as a result of the Ottomans and their empire.
In 1877 the Russian army alone was not capable of defeating the Ottomans, but it was the major force to push them back.
I continue to be amazed by the discussion here. The issue here is not hystorical. I do not see why the Russian Patriarch was unhappy, considering that the issues he mention were part of the prevoius presidential cabinet, and the current one that he blamed was actually doing the norm throught the years( Thanking the Russian NATION, and the Finnish,Romanian, Serbian, Uzbek and whatever PEOPLE). All is correct here I do not get the whole problem. Why is there a drive to put wedge between our friendly nations?
Why should Bulgaria not thank the Polish and Lithuanians? They fought the Ottomans before Russia even existed as a nation. Battle of Varna in 1444. Polish–Ottoman War from 1485 to 1503. Polish–Ottoman War from 1672 to 1676. Polish troops pretty much saved central Europe in the Great Turkish War (1683-1699), fighting on the same side as the Russians.
Just because Russia invaded Lithuania and Poland in later wars, should not take away from the fact that Poland/Poland-Lithuania commonwealth fought against the Ottomans several decades across several centuries!