Suzanne
03-03-06, 02:52 PM
Seven Bulgarian volunteers in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) were personally presented with silver goblets by the Russian Emperor Nikolay II. He awarded them for the heroism they performed at rescuing the Samara flag at the battle for Sheinovo. One of the relics was exhibited in the Museum of History in Pernik (southwestern Bulgaria) in an exhibition devoted to the Bulgarian national holiday March 3rd - the Liberation Day. The goblet is made of silver, its bottom is gold-plated. Time has almost eaten away the yellow cover but has not touched the big silver crest of the Russian Emperor on the front of the goblet.
Nikolay II, at a ceremony in Sofia gave the goblet to the volunteer from Kalishte Todor Stamenov. He fought in the battles for Sheinovo and Shipka, the defence of Stara Zagora, he fought in Serbia, Romania and Russia.
Four generations of his descendents have kept the goblet. At Stamenov's order, the goblet has been preserved as a family relic and has been passed down from a father to son for over a century. Now Stamenov's grand-grand-son Vassil is taking care of the family's treasure together with his brother Pavel. On every March 3rd they put the goblet onto a prominent place in the house and drink wine from it in memory of the Bulgarians who gave their lives for liberated Bulgaria.
The legend says there are seven such goblets. Supposedly one of them is kept in the church in the village of Shipka (central Bulgaria), others in the National Museum of History, the museums in Vratsa and Koprivshtitsa (northwestern Bulgaria). A descendent of another volunteer gave one of the relics to Russian President Vladimir Putin at his visit to Bulgaria a couple of years ago.
Anna Georgieva
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/03/03/pics/472315a.jpg
Picture One of the seven silver goblets Russian Emperor Nikolay II gave to Bulgarian volunteers
Photo Anna Georgieva
www.standartnews.com
Nikolay II, at a ceremony in Sofia gave the goblet to the volunteer from Kalishte Todor Stamenov. He fought in the battles for Sheinovo and Shipka, the defence of Stara Zagora, he fought in Serbia, Romania and Russia.
Four generations of his descendents have kept the goblet. At Stamenov's order, the goblet has been preserved as a family relic and has been passed down from a father to son for over a century. Now Stamenov's grand-grand-son Vassil is taking care of the family's treasure together with his brother Pavel. On every March 3rd they put the goblet onto a prominent place in the house and drink wine from it in memory of the Bulgarians who gave their lives for liberated Bulgaria.
The legend says there are seven such goblets. Supposedly one of them is kept in the church in the village of Shipka (central Bulgaria), others in the National Museum of History, the museums in Vratsa and Koprivshtitsa (northwestern Bulgaria). A descendent of another volunteer gave one of the relics to Russian President Vladimir Putin at his visit to Bulgaria a couple of years ago.
Anna Georgieva
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/03/03/pics/472315a.jpg
Picture One of the seven silver goblets Russian Emperor Nikolay II gave to Bulgarian volunteers
Photo Anna Georgieva
www.standartnews.com