The exhibition traces the Great War through the eyes of ordinary people – the soldier sent to the battlefields, the wife left alone in the struggle for survival, the thousands of refugees who set out in search of shelter in the hope of finding a home, and the children who lost their childhood.
Despite the horror of war, a number of Bulgarian soldiers made their mark on history with their heroism and self-sacrifice, illustrated by the bullet removed from the body of Lieutenant Angel Yanchev, who hid the flag of the 35th Vratsa Infantry Regiment for nine months while held hostage, thus saving it, the soldier’s cross “For Bravery” awarded to the youngest volunteer in the war, 10-year-old Nikola Kostov, and the sabre of Captain Garabed Pechyan, who fought in the fierce battles to defend Kaymakchalan. The devastating force of war is reflected in the exhibits – symbols of the fate of thousands who came face to face with death. Among them are the watch that blocked the path of a French bullet and saved the life of Vasil Dyulgerov from the 54th Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Alexander Popov’s Luger pistol, who died in the battles near Constanta, and Second Lieutenant Ivan Boychev’s flashlight, who died during a combat flight near Bitola.
With a variety of photographs, personal testimonies, and iconic exhibits, the global conflict is presented through the lens of human emotions. The exhibition shows how the hope for national unity, a quick end to the war, and the preservation of human life is intertwined with the horror of death, destruction, and the collapse of moral values. The soldier’s belief in family and self-preservation through the creation of his own tiny world recreates his attempts to escape the terrible reality of the battlefield.
