More than a millennium after his death, the remains of the medieval monarch Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria. The warrior emperor, who is central to the nation’s historical identity, fought the Byzantine Empire in a bid to expand his borders before dying in 1014. His supposed remains were located within a Greek border region during the 1960s. More than 1,000 years after his death, the remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel have arrived in Bulgaria.
On Saturday, a military aircraft transported the coffin to Sofia, escorted by fighter jets. Thousands gathered in the city square for the arrival, marking the conclusion of extensive diplomatic negotiations between Sofia and Athens. During the state ceremony, officials honored the ruler with a 21-gun salute and the national anthem. Crowds cheered as fighter jets performed a flypast.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev addressed the crowd, emphasizing the importance of peace over historic grievances. He stated, “Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent.” He added, “That is why Europe must not reopen old wounds but must work for peace as the supreme good.”
The return was met with strong public approval. Martin Nestorov, 42, explained that he came to honor the czar, stating, “I am here to welcome Czar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs.” Retired art historian Tsanka Zlatkova, 65, echoed this sentiment, noting her pride in the return of a figure she identifies as a compatriot. A 42-year-old software engineer, told the AFP news agency he attended the ceremony “to welcome Czar Samuel back to Bulgaria, where he belongs”, martin Nestorov.
Following the ceremonies, the remains were processed to the Church of Saint Sofia, a sixth-century site where historical accounts suggest the czar was baptized. This repatriation is part of a broader cultural agreement between Bulgaria and Greece. In exchange for the remains, Bulgaria will return 48 objects that its military confiscated from Greek monasteries and churches during World War I.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted that the agreement might bolster efforts to recover the Parthenon Marbles, which were removed from Athens and currently reside in the British Museum. He remarked that the global community is shifting its perspective on heritage, asserting that historical artifacts “cannot be treated as the spoils of war.” According to speaking before the handover, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, He hoped the ceremony would boost Greece’s campaign to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of 2,500-year-old marble sculptures taken from the Acropolis in Athens and later displayed in the British Museum.
While Bulgaria celebrates the homecoming, the legacy of Czar Samuel remains contested. In North Macedonia, the ruler is also claimed as a national figure, a status commemorated by a large statue of the monarch located in the capital, Skopje. With Macedonians claiming him as “their” ruler, a huge statue of the czar stands in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje.
