The first bust-monument of Ivan Paraskevov, whose idea was used for the creation of the prototype of the Bulgarian national flag, is unveiled today in the city of Yambol. The patriot, who was born somewhere around 1817 in Yambol and then moved to Braila, was particularly active in the preparation of the Liberation War of 1877-1878. 

Paraskevov responded enthusiastically to the idea that the citizens of Braila should make a flag for some of the freedom fighters and covered the costs. He also offered the design of the flag - white, green and red fabric laid out horizontally. Its production was assigned to the 14-year-old daughter of Ivan Paraskevov – Stiliyana. On May 8, 1877, father and daughter personally handed over the flag to Commander-in-Chief Nikolay Nikolaevich, who promised to hand it over to a group of Bulgarian freedom fighters, the Yambol Municipality says.

In March 1879, a relative of Paraskevov brought the flag to a meeting of the Constituent Assembly in Veliko Tarnovo. All the members welcomed it with a standing ovation and on March 26, 1879, Art. 3 of the Tarnovo Constitution defined it as the "Bulgarian National Flag".

• 140 years since the national flag of Bulgaria was legalized