The National Museum of Military History opens exhibition on the Balkan Wars
Until the end of February 2013 The National Museum of Military History will host an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). During this war Bulgaria and its allies Greece, Serbia and Montenegro were joined in a Balkan alliance to fight the Ottoman Empire and liberate all Christians living within the Empire. During the Second Balkan War the military conflict was between Bulgaria and its former allies, Romania and the Ottoman Empire. Marieta Staneva who is a PR expert in this museum tells us more.
“The celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Balkan wars started with exhibition in the National Museum of Military History. The exhibition organized in this museum is very original. This is what the President of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva said in her speech. The subject of the exhibition was chosen for a reason- “March 13, 1913, the town of Edirne, Omen or Illusion”? The fortress in Edirne, which was a strategic object, was in every single plan of the Bulgarian commanders for a war against Turkey. This town was the apple of discord between Bulgaria and its neighbor. It was the reason for conflicts between the Bulgarian king and the commanders, between politicians and military men as well as between the members of the military staff. The strategic fortress was under the siege of the Bulgarian and the Serbian troops from October 1912 till March 1913. It was the reason for a conflict during the negotiations for the London peace treaty sighed on May 17 1913. The name of the exhibition sounds like a question to our visitors. Ordinary people, military men and the politicians were regarding this war as the one which had to complete the project for national unification, a process which started during the revival period”, says Marieta Staneva.
However the idea was not brought to a successful end- the Second Balkan War which started in the summer of 1913 led to a national catastrophe for Bulgaria.
At the exhibition visitors can see the three military forces which met in the town of Edirne as well as armaments and the accoutrements of the Bulgarian, the Turkish and the Serbian army. Personal belongings of commander lieutenant Nikola Ivanov who was leading the Second Bulgarian Army which besieged Edirne, belongings of the head of the general staff colonel Nikola Zhekov and those of lieutenant- general Georgi Vazov, who was leading the troops on the eastern sector, where the Bulgarian army started its rupture over the enemy, are also displayed here. There are also 7 beautiful military flags at the exhibition, which were part of the great Bulgarian victory during the First Balkan War.
There also 5 military flags which were captivated from the enemy.
“The original thing in our exhibition is an idea which gives us the chance to communicate better with public”, says Marietta Staneva.” This idea is fulfilled in the second part of the exhibition. There the visitor takes active part in it. People can watch a return film and to visit our library, where special military literature materials are displayed. Visitors can also see postcards and read the one-time newspapers which were informing the people of Sofia about the military affairs near the town of Edirne in 1912 and 1913. The Union of the Bulgarian Actors is helping us to fully represent the events from this period. They are telling stories of people who participated in the battles nearEdirne.
A film show reveals the battle actions to the interpretation of engineer Gencho Stainov, who left his beautiful wife and his 3 year-old daughter to join the battle. It is also an interpretation of the battle by a Bulgarian priest who witnessed the death of many Bulgarian soldiers there as well as of a Bulgarian teacher from the town of Edirne who lived through the hard days of the siege, hoping that the Bulgarian troops will enter into the town.
The schedule of The National Museum of Military History is very rich in events dedicated to the anniversary. We have exhibitions in the town of Burgas displaying the military route of the 24th Black Sea navy. Another exhibition in the town of Haskovo shows the route of the 10th Rhodope infantry regiment. We have not forgotten our branches in Varna- the park-museum of the combat friendship Vladislav Varnenchik and the Naval museum”, says Marieta Staneva in conclusion.
Works of one of the most renowned artists- Boris Denev, Petar Morozov , Alexander Mutafof and Simeon Velkov will be displayed in Varna. Most of them were mobilized in the army and other joined the army as volunteers. Works of the Czeck artist Yaroslav Veshin who lived and worked in Bulgaria are also displayed in Varna.
Text: bnr.bg
Photo: BGNES