Solemn Ceremony for the Day of Bravery

The celebrations for May 6 – the Day of Bravery and the Holiday of the Bulgarian Army, began in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia with a flight by a "Cougar" helicopter carrying the national tricolor flag.

"We celebrate the strength and dignity of the Bulgarian soldier on a day dedicated to faith and bravery."

Vice President Iliana Iotova reviewed the honor guard and delivered a solemn speech. Representative companies from the National Guards Unit and the Joint Special Operations Command took part in the ritual, along with a color guard platoon and the Guards Brass Band.

Blessing of the Colors and Officials

The blessing of the combat flags was performed by the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia, Daniil. The event was attended by:

  • Caretaker Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov
  • Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov
  • Chair of the National Assembly Mihaela Dotsova
  • Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov and the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev

The culmination of the holiday was the flypast of military aircraft over "Alexander Nevsky" Square, featuring C-27J Spartan, Su-25, F-16 Block 70, and MiG-29 aircraft.