/ world today news/ Those who removed the word “fascism” from the monument must be satisfied with the thought that they killed these bright personalities a second time, and by removing the bronze letters that irritated them, they also confirmed the favorite thesis of the modern Bulgarian right that “there was no fascism in Bulgaria”. The words “Irrelevant! Resto! Not worth it!” of Nikola Vaptsarov. It was together with him that one of the heroes of the memorial moraine in front of the Faculty of Biology was shot
The struggle with monuments and memory is experiencing a new renaissance in Bulgaria, to the shame of the entire society, which is still deceived into perceiving the disputes on this topic as only a political confrontation. And he blinks before the scariest thing – that the aggressively imposed destructive passion is not only directed against stones or ideologies, but against moral and humane foundations, which since time immemorial have been the coordinate axis for the construction of reason, culture, and humanity.
Since it is the Ninth of September and since in a few days the 23rd will come – the centenary of the September Uprising, I want to put on public display today a somewhat forgotten monument, which, alas, has no less a sad fate today than others, more famous.
Undoubtedly, most Sofia residents have passed by it more than once, either on foot or by car. It is in a fairly central location – on Dragan Tsankov Blvd., in front of the red brick building of the former Faculty of Agronomy at Sofia University, which has housed the Faculty of Biology for many years. A few meters from the Bulgarian National Radio.
There, in the green area, is a frozen Vitoska moraine in memory of agronomists who gave their lives in the fight against fascism. This is also indicated by the original inscription in bronze letters. But… For years, the last word in the dedication – “fascism” – has been struck out. And someone’s vandal hand has tried to daub the word “Bulgaria” in its place with bland paint. To become “…fallen in the struggle with Bulgaria”.
The authors of this nonsense with the memory of the young agronomists killed by Bulgarian fascism must be satisfied with themselves – they think that they have killed these bright personalities for the second time, and by removing the bronze letters that irritate them, they have confirmed the favorite thesis of the modern Bulgarian right that “there was no fascism in Bulgaria”.
“Inappropriate! Resto! Not worth it!” – these words from the “Faith” of the anti-fascist Nikola Vaptsarov, who was also killed by the “non-existent” Bulgarian fascism, are the clearest answer to all such pressures to rewrite Bulgarian history retroactively. By the way, one of the eleven agronomists, in whose memory is the Vitoshka moraine on “Dragan Tsankov” Blvd., Petar Ivanov Bogdanov, was shot right along with Vaptsarov at the Garrison shooting range on July 23, 1942.
The names of these eleven agronomists can be seen today on the moraine-monument. My youthful memories are that these names were also written in bronze letters. I’m not sure anymore, they might have been painted bronze, but they were clearly visible. Now they are almost uncountable.
Therefore, I will recall them here. They must remember!
I take the data about them from the monuments.bg site, which published them, describing the monument itself with politically correct terms, harmonized with the current denial of anti-fascism. However, even in the text there is a tribute to the idealism of these young people who sacrificed their lives in the belief that they were fighting for a better and just world.
I hope that the Bulgarian Anti-Fascist Union has more information about these eleven heroes and will find a way to commemorate them with dignity.
Here are their names (in the order in which they are written on the stone) and brief information about them:
- Trifon Minchev Saraliev – Born in the village of Kilifarevo, Velikoturnovo in 1888. He is an agronomist by profession. Member of the Bulgarian Labor Social Democratic Party since 1913 and an activist of the revolutionary labor movement. In April 1921, he was elected a representative of the people. He led the June anti-fascist uprising in Kilifarevo, during which he was killed (June 12, 1923).
- Peter Ivanov Bogdanov – Born on June 6, 1908 in the city of Tryavna in a modest official family. An active follower of the ideas of communism during his school and student years. He was one of the founders of the Bulgarian General People’s Union of Students (BONSS) in 1930. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for revolutionary activity in 1936, released 4 years later. Participated in the Resistance Movement during the Second World War. Since 1942, he has been an instructor at the Central Committee of the BKP. In the spring of the same year, he was arrested on charges of his participation in the partisan movement in Bulgaria and in the activities of militant groups. He was sentenced to death by firing squad (together with Nikola Vaptsarov) and the sentence was carried out on July 23, 1942 at the garrison shooting range in Sofia.
- Cyril Sp. Dylgerov – 1901-1923.
- Vasil Bochev Vatev-Zhelyo – Born on April 16, 1916 in the village of Kaleytsa, Loveshko. As a student at the “Tsar Boris III” mixed high school in the city of Lovech, he was a member of the Workers’ Youth Union (RMS), because of which, under threat of arrest, he was forced to go underground in 1942. He participated in the “Hristo Karpachev” Partisan Squad, active in the area of Lovech and Troyan. He died in battle on March 12, 1944 in the “Trifonova Usoyna” area near his native village, together with other partisans. Their dugout was rebuilt and a monument was erected at this location.
- Dimitar Stoyanov Karaivanov-Botjo – Born on September 15, 1919 in the village of Malo Konare, Pazardjishko. Political commissar of the “Kocho Chestimenski” partisan detachment. Died in battle on February 15, 1944 under Mount Eledzhik.
- Canko Marinov Panov-Peter – Born on December 16, 1919 in the city of Lovech. Partisan. Died in battle on January 8, 1944.
- Kostadin Dimitrov Starev-Klim – Born on December 31, 1919 in the village of Malo Konare, Pazardjishko. An active member and secretary of the RMS in his native village, because of which, under threat of arrest, he is forced to go underground. Organizer and commander of the partisan detachment “Kocho Chestimenski” 1941-44 Died in battle on February 15, 1944 under Mount Eledzhik.
- Ivan Valchev Kunchev-Goran – Born on October 27, 1921 in the village of Dolno Pavlikeni, Loveshko. As a student at the “Tsar Boris III” mixed high school in the city of Lovech, he is an active member of the RMS, a participant in various initiatives, and as a student at the Faculty of Agriculture in Sofia, he is a member of the BONSS. He maintained relations with the partisans from his native region and supplied them with supplies. He went underground and became part of the “Hristo Karpachev” partisan unit from August 17, 1943. He died on September 18, 1943 after a shootout with the police on the outskirts of Lovech. His native village was renamed with his partisan name – Goran, in 1951.
- Nikola Chikov Monov – Born on October 19, 1922 in the village of Dragana, Loveshko. As a student at the “Tsar Boris III” mixed high school in the city of Lovech, he is an active member of the RMS, and as a student at the Faculty of Agriculture in Sofia, he is a member of the BONSS. In 1943, he was mobilized in the 52nd Infantry Regiment in Serbia, but he deserted and took part as a partisan in combat actions against the Wehrmacht on the side of the Yugoslav People’s Liberation Army. The same year, he joined the “Hristo Botev” Voynish Partisan Battalion. On May 23, 1944, after crossing the Iskar River, the battalion fought a fierce battle with army and gendarmerie units near the village of Batulia and was almost completely defeated, but Monov survived and, together with others, headed for the city of Sofia. He was caught in the vicinity of the village of Borimirtsi, Sofia region. On June 6, 1944, he was shot without trial near the village of Dolni Bogrov, Sofia region.
- Lazar Mitov Lalov (Valov) – Born on April 21, 1922 in the village of Strupen, Pleven region. Partisan. Died in battle on May 13, 1944. His native village was renamed after him. There, the date of his death is commemorated every year by offering flowers to the monument in the village.
- Boyan Todorov Bozhilov-Boiko – Born on March 14, 1924 in the village of Dolna Dikanya, Pernishko. Partisan. Died in battle on June 6, 1944.
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