With songs and dances, a solemn reenactment of parts of Slav-Bulgarian History by Paisius of Hilendar, recitals of poetry by Hristo Botev, Ivan Vazov and Petko Slaveykov, as well as a speech by President Rumen Radev, the Bulgarian flag was hoisted, last night, onto a 111-metre flagpole in the Rozhen meadows in the Rhodopes.

The ceremony marked the unofficial beginning of the traditional festival of folklore and animal husbandry Rozhen 2023. 7,000 performers from the country, as well as Bessarabian Bulgarians from Ukraine and individual performers from the Bulgarian diaspora will be taking the stage at Rozhen until 16 July. During the flag-raising ceremony, the Bulgarian president said: “Let the Bulgarian flag continue to unite and lead us to the prosperity of our people!”

The flag-raising ceremony at Rozen is dedicated to 111 years since the liberation of the Rhodopes, and 120 years since the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising.