Dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the First Balkan War, the exhibition “Sofia – 100 Faces in the Balkan War” presents a lesser known aspect of the events that unfolded more than a century ago. Alongside the most glorious moments in the history of the Bulgarian army, the exhibition narrative also focuses on the role of the country’s capital as a seat of political and military power, while the victorious march of the army is examined through the movements of the linked to Sofia military units. Visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the city immediately before and during the war, to learn about the role of Bulgarian politicians and military leaders in the events, and to understand why, at the end of the war, the slogan “Now or Never!” became “All or Nothing!”.
Some of the evocative exhibits include: the original flags of First Sofia Infantry Regiment and Sixth Tarnovo Infantry Regiment, the standard of Life Guard Horse Regiment, and the main flag of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitain Troops. The belongings of some of the most prominent Bulgarian military leaders, including Lieutenant General Mihail Savov, Lieutenant General Nikifor Nikiforov, Major General Ivan Fichev, Major General Stefan Toshev, Lieutenant General Nikola Genev, and many others have also been assigned a well-deserved space in the spotlight. The account of the war is complemented by the extremely rare Queen Eleonora Honorary badges, awarded to doctors, nurses, and Samaritans (volunteer nurses), for distinguished care for the wounded on the battlefield, as well as a revolver presented to Major General Stilian Kovachev by Ali Fethi Okyar, an employee at the Ottoman Empire’s embassy in Sofia and later Prime Minister of Turkey.
The exhibition narrative is enriched with animations and interactive applications, which transform it into a well-rounded and accessible experience for the general public. A digital map of the Balkan War allows visitors to follow the military operations as they unfolded. Specially developed video lessons on the topic help young audiences learn more about the Balkan War in an understandable and accessible language.
The exhibition “Sofia – 100 Faces in the Balkan War” is realized with the support of Sofia Municipality in partnership with the Bulgarian National Film Archive, the Tsar Boris and Tsarina Yoanna Fund for the Preservation of Historical Heritage, the educational platform Ucha.se, the Active Historical Map Foundation, the Scientific Archive of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Lyubomir Yurukov – a historian and collector.
