Day of Salvation: Honoring the Heroes
With a minute of silence and the laying of wreaths at the Monument to Medical Officers at the Military Medical Academy (MMA), Bulgaria pays tribute to those who lost their lives while saving others.
"The Day of Salvation is dedicated to those for whom duty and human life stood higher than their own lives."
The history behind the initiative
The day, observed on August 15, dates back to 2005. The date is linked to the feat of 26-year-old Dr. Stefan Cherkezov. In 1963, he saved 47 people from a burning bus near Gorna Oryahovitsa, dying himself from his severe burns.
Who do we honor?
- Doctors and nurses who died in the line of duty.
- Police officers, firefighters, and rescuers.
- Volunteers and citizens who lost their lives in the name of saving others.
- Over 120 medics who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony is traditionally attended by representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health, the Bulgarian Medical Association, and many other institutions.