A blessing ceremony for military flags and sacred banners took place on May 6, Tuesday, marking the Day of Valour and Armed Forces Day at St. Alexander Nevsky Square, by the Monument to the Unknown Soldier.

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Rumen Radev took part in the ceremony and received the guard of honour from the representative Guard units.

Also present were Chair of the National Assembly Nataliya Kiselova, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, MPs, representatives of State institutions, Defence Chief Emil Eftimov, senior army officers, figures from military-patriotic unions, and diplomats.

The blessing of the battle flags and sacred banners was delivered by Bishop Isaac of Velbazhd, a vicar bishop of Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil.

“On this day, the people and the army, the State and the Church stand together as a symbol of our unity,” Isaak said. He read a message from Patriarch Daniil and added, “The strength of the Bulgarian people has always been their faith and unity.”

The President placed a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, followed by a march of the representative formations of the Armed Forces.

Wreaths were also laid by Kiselova, Zhelyazkov, and Terziev.

The ceremony featured a colour guard platoon from the National Guard with the sacred banners, along with representative formations.