Date: January 9, 2023 Time: 15:16:03
The act began with a funeral prayer for the 340 deceased in this monastery at the hands of the Ottoman soldiers. Subsequently, the townspeople laid wreaths at the monument to fallen heroes and honored their memory with a minute’s silence.
In 1877, Suleiman Pasha’s detachments turned the convent into a prison where Russian and Bulgarian prisoners were kept and tortured. All donations that came from Russia and other countries were looted and frescoes and icons were desecrated. During the retreat, the Turks also tried to burn the church, fortunately without success.
The liberation of the city of Kazanlak on January 8-9, 1878 and the defeat of the Turkish troops at Sheinovo is considered the end of the battle for Shipka. The turning point of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 predetermined not only the outcome of the conflict, but also the existence of an independent Bulgaria.
