A ceremony in the “Yerevan “ garden in Sofia honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide. Today marks the 110th anniversary of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917
Among those who came to the “Yerevan “ garden this evening were also descendants of the victims and refugees from the persecution. In memory of their ancestors, they performed songs, poems and delivered speeches in their native language. The ceremony was also attended by the Speaker of the Parliament Natalia Kiselova, the Ambassador of Armenia Tsovinar Hambartsumyan, and the Municipal Councilor Vili Lilkov.
April 24 is a sad day not only in world but also in Bulgarian history. We remember the extermination of Armenians within the Ottoman Empire, Kiselova pointed out. The Bulgarian state, but also Bulgarian citizens open their homes and hearts to the Armenians who were expelled from their homes, she said, adding that such occasions should remind us that there should be no discrimination. The Bulgarian Armenians who have chosen to remain here are an integral part of Bulgarian society, with their contribution to all spheres of public and political life, Kiselova also said.
The ceremony ended with the laying of flowers and wreaths in front of the Sofia Khachkar.
The Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Mass Extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the period 1915-1922 was declared by a decision of the 43rd National Assembly of April 24, 2015. With the same decision, the parliament recognizes the mass extermination of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the period 1915-1922, which is identified with categorical historical facts and authentic documents. The day marks the anniversary of the mass arrests (1915) in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) in Turkey of thousands of Armenians suspected of hostile acts against the central government of the Ottoman Empire. Most of them were subsequently executed or deported.