Today marks the 80th anniversary of one of the most dramatic moments in human history - the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 in the morning, American military aircraft dropped the first atomic bomb with the code name "Little Boy", which exploded about 600 meters above the city's surface.
The destructive power of the bomb, amounting to approximately 13 kilotons of TNT equivalent, caused unprecedented destruction. At the epicenter of the explosion, the temperature reached an unimaginable 7,000 degrees Celsius, with the intense flash causing instant blindness and irreversible damage.
Statistical data reveal the true scale of human loss - around 80,000 people died on the spot, and the total number of victims reached 140,000 by the end of 1945. The total destruction zone covered a radius of 1.4 kilometers, and the fires following the explosion affected an area of 11.4 square kilometers.
Three days later, a similar tragedy befell the city of Nagasaki, where a second atomic bomb, known as "Fat Man", took the lives of 74,000 people. This bomb possessed an even greater destructive power - about 21,000 tons of TNT equivalent.
The goal of the American leadership was to force Japan to surrender during World War II by using an unprecedented weapon that would end the conflict.
In honor and remembrance, August 6 is declared Hiroshima Day - World Day for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. In Bulgaria, the National Museum "Earth and People" will mark this anniversary with an exhibition of the "Hiroshima Stone" - a symbolic monument donated in 1997.
The stone has an exceptional history related to the Japanese public figure Reikyo Umemoto, who created the "Stone for Peace" association with the idea of spreading a message of non-violence around the world. Since 1991, the Japanese government has begun donating granite pieces to all 188 countries worldwide.
At the museum, visitors will be able to participate in commemorative events - laying flowers, viewing a poster exhibition, and writing personal messages of peace. Japanese pianist Yusuke Hosaka will give a free concert as an additional gesture of solidarity.
This week, large-scale commemorative ceremonies will be held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the participation of representatives from about 100 countries. They will honor the memory of the victims and call for preventing similar tragedies in the future.
The message remains unchanged - peace is fragile and requires constant efforts from all people in the world. As Milena Hristova from the museum notes, "everything good in this world happens in conditions of peace".