Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 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

Sofia Zoo rescues distressed wild and exotic animals

As a rescue center for wild animals, this year too, the Sofia Zoo sheltered deer injured in accidents, storks that cannot fly and even a Nile crocodile . Among the animals housed are also confiscated valuable exotic birds such as pink flamingos and pink..

published on 12/28/24 10:21 PM
The result of last year's beach cleanup was hundreds of kilograms of collected waste

Environmentalists clean beaches on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast

Non-governmental organizations are cleaning two of the beaches on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.  The Clean Christmas campaign under the motto "A Clean Home for the Inhabitants of the Black Sea" is being organized for the seventh..

published on 12/28/24 12:13 PM

Sofia to celebrate New Year with light show instead of fireworks

Sofia City Hall is planning a light show instead of fireworks for the New Year's celebrations, it's press office announced.  The show, which will be part of the programme of the New Year's Concert at Knyaz Alexander I Square, will be designed with..

published on 12/27/24 2:00 PM