Greece Returns Remains of Tsar Samuel to Bulgaria

The remains of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel will be officially received in Sofia on Saturday, October 3. They will be transported from Greece to Bulgaria aboard a Spartan military transport aircraft and then placed in a specially prepared sarcophagus at the St Sofia Church. Prime Minister Rumen Radev made the announcement ahead of a meeting of the Council of Ministers on Tuesday.

He called on Bulgarian citizens to join the official reception of the remains. “On Saturday, October 3, at 12:30 p.m., I invite all our compatriots to Battenberg Square, in front of the former Royal Palace in Sofia, to welcome the remains together and pay tribute to the memory of the great Bulgarian ruler, Tsar Samuel,” Radev said.

Following the ceremony at Battenberg Square, a procession will proceed to St Sofia Church, where Tsar Samuel’s remains will be laid to rest. According to the prime minister, it was there that the future ruler was introduced to Christianity as a child.

The return of the remains is the result of a historic agreement reached between Bulgaria and Greece. It also provides for the reciprocal transfer of historical, religious and cultural artefacts and relics for safekeeping.

The remains of Tsar Samuel were discovered in 1965 by Greek archaeologist and professor Nikolaos Moutsopoulos during excavations at the basilica on St Achillius Island in the Lesser Prespa Lake. The same church also yielded remains from two other sarcophagi, associated with Tsar Gavril Radomir and members of the royal family. They will also be handed over to Bulgaria.