Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria commemorates 100 years of severing of Bulgaria's Western outlands after end of WW1

Town of Bosilegrad, in present-day Serbia
Photo: far.rs

After the First World War /1914-1918/ and the decision of the Neuilly Peace Treaty in 1919, on November 6, 1920, the Serbian army occupied Bulgaria's Western outlands (129 settlements in the regions of Tsaribrod, Bosilegrad, and Strumica) with an area totalling ​​1,545 sq. km and a population of nearly 65,000 people. 

On the day of the occupation, the National Assembly of Bulgaria suspended its sittings as a token of protest and declared 3 days of national mourning. 
The black headscarf became a symbol of this occupation. The Bulgarian women in the occupied territories put on black headscarves ion their heads in sign of national mourning, and the border drawn in this way has been called by the local Bulgarians the "Black Border". 
In the occupied territories, Serbs closed down 7 schools and 45 churches.
Despite the pandemic, Bosilegrad Cultural and Information centre, GLAS Association and the Democratic Union of Bulgarians in Bosilegrad, Serbia, will symbolically mark the Day of the Western Outlands and the centenary of the occupation of these lands with a minute of silence to those who died at the border, the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre has announced. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia.

Rain and strong winds towards the end of the week

On Friday, lows will be between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius , 13°C in Sofia. Maximum temperatures will be between 26 and 31°C, 28° in the capital. During the day it will be sunny in central and eastern Bulgaria. In the west, there will be clouds and after..

published on 10/3/24 7:05 PM

Bulgaria faces referral to the ECJ for failing to comply with three procedures

The European Commission has formally warned Bulgaria, Estonia and Ireland to properly implement EU laws against racism and xenophobia, reports BNR correspondent Angelina Piskova. In its letter of formal notice, the European Commission says the three..

published on 10/3/24 4:59 PM
On February 1, 2024 the first helicopter of the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service arrived in Bulgaria.

Delivery of two medical helicopters delayed until next year

There is a further delay in the delivery of the next two air ambulances to Bulgaria, the Italian manufacturer has said in a letter to the Ministry of Health. In the letter, the contractor, Leonardo S.p.A., set new deadlines for the arrival of the..

published on 10/3/24 3:30 PM