„Some time ago, my children asked me a question that makes every adult think - how should we think about the relationship between the past, the present and the future“, stated the mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev on the occasion of the Day of Tribute to the Victims of the Communist Regime, quoted by the press center of the Sofia Municipality.
"The most important thing is the present - because we only have it. In it we make our choices and decide how to live. For today to have meaning, however, we must have a direction, something to consciously strive for", he points out.
„The past is a source of lessons. It shows us what went wrong and what mistakes we should not repeat. But only if we have the courage to look at it honestly“, the mayor of Sofia also stated.
He emphasizes that today we pay tribute to people whose lives and dignity were taken away because of their convictions, faith and free spirit. “History teaches us what happens when human dignity is ignored – when brave and thinking people are crushed. This should not be repeated. Never“, the mayor of Sofia stated.
In his words, today is not only a moment of worship, but also of a clear public position that freedom is a supreme value, democracy requires courage every day, and humanity must guide our decisions, even when it is difficult.
“We owe this to the past. We owe this to our children. And above all, the future“, Terziev declared.
Bulgaria honors the memory of the victims of the communist regime today. The date of February 1 was declared the Day of Appreciation and Tribute to the Victims of the Communist Regime by a decision of the Council of Ministers of January 20, 2011, published in the “State Gazette“ on January 28 of the same year. On February 1, 1945, the death sentences of those convicted by the First and Second Chambers of the People's Court were pronounced, and today marks the 81st anniversary of these events.