On Thursday, October 29, Turkey celebrated the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic, while in Bulgaria Bessarabian Bulgarians’ Day was observed, commemorating the 1838 consecration of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Bolhrad, Ukraine.
UAE leaders sent congratulatory messages to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from Abu Dhabi; President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan all dispatched similar messages, underscoring close diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia also sent a cable to President Erdoğan wishing him good health, happiness, and steady progress and prosperity for Turkey, further highlighting friendly relations between the countries.
In Bulgaria, the All‑Bulgarian Union Father Paisius, through Secretary General Dimitar Todorov, established Bessarabian Bulgarians’ Day to honor the first major Orthodox church built by Bulgarian settlers in Bessarabia. More than 10,000 settlers used their own labour and funds to construct the Transfiguration Cathedral in 1838, and the tradition of celebrating the holiday was interrupted after the Second World War before officially reviving in the late 20th century.
Today the holiday is celebrated in Bulgaria, Ukraine and Moldova with concerts, exhibitions, cultural events and academic conferences that highlight the community’s traditions, history and its contribution to Bulgaria’s development.
The Bulgarian historical timeline for October 29 includes the 1838 consecration of the Transfiguration Church, the 1886 election of Prince Valdemar of Denmark who later declined the throne, the 2003 admission of the Bulgarian Socialist Party to the Socialist International, the 2006 presidential election in which Georgi Parvanov and Angel Marin secured 75.95% of the vote for a second term, and the 2007 adoption of the Bulgarian version of the Euro name, "evro", for EU documents.
