Remains of Bulgaria’s Czar Samuel return ‘home’ after 1,000 years

Key Points:

• The remains of medieval ruler Czar Samuel, a key figure in Bulgarian national identity who died in 1014, have been returned to Bulgaria after being discovered in a Greek border area in the 1960s, following years of negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece.
• The coffin was flown to Sofia amid a military escort and greeted by thousands of Bulgarians, with a ceremony including the national anthem, a 21-gun salute, and a procession to the Church of Saint Sofia where Samuel was reportedly baptized.
• The handover is part of a cultural exchange deal in which Greece will receive 48 objects taken by Bulgarian troops during World War I, reflecting ongoing efforts to resolve historical disputes over cultural heritage.
• Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed hope that the event would support Greece's campaign to repatriate the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum, emphasizing the importance of respecting cultural heritage.
• The legacy of Czar Samuel remains contested, with North Macedonia also claiming him as a historical figure, though a 2022 commission suggested recognizing him as head of the medieval Bulgarian Empire, whose territory overlaps with modern North Macedonia.