Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria marks the International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust

On today's memorial date - January 27, the world community pays tribute to the victims of the Holocaust. It was on this date, in 1945, when the Soviet army liberated the few survivors of the concentration camp Auschwitz (Oswiecim-Birkenau, in Poland), the atrocities of the Nazis in the death camps became public knowledge, and the liberated Auschwitz camp became a symbol of the Nazi genocide. 

60 years later, in 2005, the date was declared by the United Nations as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Then the Secretary General of the organization described the day as "an important reminder of the universally relevant lessons of the Holocaust -  this unprecedented manifestation of evil that should not simply be left in the past and passed into oblivion".

Today, this day is already observed by more and more countries, paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and the liberation of the most horrific Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. This year, however, the heirs of the liberators are not invited to the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Jews in the Polish city. To AFP, the spokesman of the Auschwitz museum, Piotr Cywinski, noted that representatives of Russia were not invited to the commemoration because of its aggression against independent Ukraine.

In Sofia, the memory of the victims is being commemorated with a film week from January 26 to 31 at the Odeon cinema, which recalls in special thematic screenings the dark events of the time of Nazism. The aim of the initiative of the Organization of Jews in Bulgaria "Shalom" together with the Master of Art International Film Festival and the support of Sofia Municipality is to present to the general public the fate of various Jews during the Second World War. The free screenings present different perspectives and personal stories from Europe's not-so-distant dark past.

The date will also be marked by the representatives of the Bulgarian Anti-Fascist Union in Sofia, who will honor the victims and lay flowers and wreaths in front of the monument to the Soviet Army.





Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

“Crushed beans with nettles and horo dancing” festival in Cheri Osam village

The 6 th culinary festival “Crushed beans with nettles and horo dancing” in Cherni Osam village near Troyan brought together crowds of fans of folklore and of traditional cuisine from all parts of the country, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports...

published on 6/22/24 3:50 PM

Traditional culinary festival in Montana attracts chefs from all over Bulgaria

On June 22, more than 30 chefs from all over the country are gathering in Montana for the folk cuisine festival "Babina Dushitsa" . The culinary festival is part of the program for the celebration of the Day of Montana in..

published on 6/22/24 9:40 AM

Yoga Days in Bulgaria attract fans of spiritual practices

For the tenth consecutive year in the days around June 21, many countries across the world celebrate the International Day of Yoga. In Bulgaria, from June 15 to 23, a total of 44 settlements, including the largest cities - Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora,..

published on 6/22/24 9:15 AM