Botev - Legacy

Legacy

In 1885 a commemoration committee was founded on the date of Botev's death 1 June. A monument was presented on the main square of Vratsa in 1890 in the presence of King Ferdinand. Some of the most prominent Bulgarians in the new history of the country, such as Stefan Stambolov and Zahari Stoyanov, devoted a lot of attention to Botev and his deeds for Bulgaria. Soon Botev became a mythical figure in the Bulgarian National Revival, and is even today commemorated as one of the two greatest Bulgarian revolutionaries alongside Vasil Levski.

Every year at exactly 12:00 on 2 June, air raid sirens throughout all of the country resonate for a minute to honour Hristo Botev and those who died for the freedom of Bulgaria. People everywhere stand still for 2 to 3 minutes until the sirens are stopped.

The following are named after Hristo Botev:

• Botev Point and Botev Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
• The highest peak in Stara planina
• The city of Botevgrad
• Streets and boulevards in most Bulgarian cities
• Streets and boulevards in many Romanian cities
• A number of schools and high schools
• Several football clubs – FC Botev Vratsa, PFC Botev Plovdiv, Botev Ihtiman, Botev Galabovo, Botev Kozlodui, Botev Boljarovo and etc.
• Several football stadiums in Bulgaria
• A Bulgarian National Radio channel
• The International Botev Prize
• Asteroid (225238) 2009 QJ5, which was discovered on 23 August 2009, by F. Fratev – Zvezdno Obshtestvo Observatory (Bulgaria).
• A street in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• An avenue in Kraków, Poland