"Dear fellow citizens,
Happy March 3rd! Happy holiday of Bulgarian freedom! 144 years ago, the longest and darkest page in our centuries-old history came to an end. The thorny road to Freedom passes through the Chetnik movement, the work of Vasil Levski, the April Epic, the glorious march of Botev's detachment, the suffering of Batak and the heroism of the Bulgarian militia at Shipka Peak.
This date will always remind us that the Bulgarian people have a strong spirit and faith, thanks to which they have withstood the vicissitudes of time. March 3 is a significant symbol of our love for the fatherland and a supporter of our national dignity. Therefore, it is our duty to remember and fulfil the covenants of our ancestors, as well as to educate our heirs in patriotism.
March 3 is an important page in our history, in which it is indisputably written that the Bulgarian people are worthy of their place among other European nations. This bright date obliges us to remember the history and work of the Bulgarian voivodes, rebels, clergymen and revivalists, of the soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish war of 1878.
Despite the difficult situation in which Europe and the world are at the moment, as Bulgarians today we will honour the memory of all known and unknown heroes who gave their lives for Freedom without fear or hesitation. In Burgas, Russians and Ukrainians live in peace and understanding. I pray to our common God and common sense to stop the war between their fatherlands!
Dear citizens of Burgas, in all our actions let us be guided by dignity and a sense of high responsibility for the suffered freedom and to prove with our deeds that in our city the Bulgarian language is alive.
Happy national holiday!"
Dimitar Nikolov
Mayor of the Municipality of Burgas
