The architectural monument – obelisk of the perished during the Balkan War in the year 1912 was erected in 1941 at the Sheinovec peak, in the land between the villages of Valche Pole and Malko Gradishte.

The peak itself is connected to the beginning of the Balkan War in 1912. According to the Bulgarian secret services, on October 4, 1912, the Ottoman battalion on the Kurtkale peak numbered around 100 soldiers and two more small brigades were situated nearby. Commanding authorities of the Bulgarian military were preparing for an assault on the peak with the aim of seizing it, since the place is convenient for scanning the valleys of the Arda and Maritsa rivers and the Edirne Valley. Access to the peak is exceptionally difficult. The slopes from the south and northwest descend vertically and are inaccessible, while the eastern slope is rocky and steep. Climbing to the top was possible only via one path, meandering between the rocks and bushes.

Continue reading Architectural monument – obelisk of the perished during the Balkan War (1912), Ljubimetz municipality

With the emergence of the grandiose empire, the Romans thought about its protection. A protective zone, the so-called limes, oriented to the north, was created along the thousands of miles of the border from Britain to Asia, whereby the present day Bulgarian lands were in the Lower Danubian part. That was a defence with a deep echelon structure, in which the fortified cities built played the principal role. The names of dozens of such fortified settlements are known, notably Ratiaria, Oescus, Novae, latrus, and others. They all emerged in the same way: the families of soldiers, merchants and artisans gradually settled near the main camp of a stationed legion, cohort or some auxiliary military unit. Strong fortification walls were built to protect the cities, and their layout followed the typical Roman pattern with straight streets, a central square (forum) with beautiful porticos and statues, public baths, and various representative and public buildings.
Continue reading The Barbarians Attack the Roman Empire

Emperor Basil II defeats Tsar Samouil - 14th century miniature.
One of the greatest tragedies in Bulgarian history occurred in 1014. The Byzantine Emperor Basil the Macedonian (for then Macedonia was the name of the region we call Thrace today) organized a new march. Samouil, who was too elderly to fight himself, sent his army against the Byzantines. The Bulgarians built a fortified camp in a narrow valley between two mountain slopes along the Stroumeshnitsa River, a hundred kilometers or so to the north of Salonika. The Byzantine army had no choice but to try a frontal attack. Or at least that was what the Bulgarian commanders thought, not so their enemy. Bribed guides led numerous companies along goat tracks and the surprised Bulgarians were attacked both front and back. The defeat was absolute, and 14,000 men were taken prisoners. Quite familiar with the significance of psychological warfare, Basil II decided on a step with few analogues in world history. All 14,000 prisoners of war were blinded upon his order, one in each hundred being left with one eye to lead the rest. Several days later, an indescribable column of thousands of blind men in their prime reached Samouil’s capital. The heart of the ruler could not stand the sight. He suffered a heart attack and died several days later. The Byzantine was called some time after Basil Bulgaroctonos (Slayer of Bulgarians) a name with which he has remained in the annals of history.
Continue reading The Decline of the First Bulgarian Kingdom part II

The victory of the Bulgarians over the Avars also marked the triumph of the ideas of sobriety. According to the chronicles, Krum, filled with apprehension, asked the defeated what they thought was the reason for their downfall. Their answer was that their state had declined because of lies, theft, and drunkenness. Krum introduced severe laws in order to avoid this very end. Legislation provided terrible punishment for criminals, and vineyards were uprooted so their fruit could not be made into enticing juice. judging by subsequent information, as with later reformations of this type, the restrictions were met only with the insatiable thirst for wine and fell through soon after.While the emperor inspected his farthest eastern borders, Krum took the chance, invaded the empire, and took the city of Serdica in 809. Centuries later it was to become the capital of the state under the name of Sofia. The conquest was accompanied with the then customary plunder and atrocities, which did not surprise anyone. The valley of the river Strouma also became part of the Bulgarian state.
Continue reading The Rise of the First Bulgarian Kingdom part I

The Romans reached the Balkan Peninsula after they defeated the ancient Macedonian kingdom in the 2nd century BC. The first Roman colonies in the Balkans were also created then. And after the victories in Asia Minor in 133 BC, the Aegean region became the principal communication for the conquests in eastern direction. The last two centuries BC were marked by numerous clashes between the mainland Thracian tribes and the Roman governors of the Macedonia province, who were charged with the protection of the important artery.

Continue reading The Roman Legions are Coming