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

More than a millennium after his demise, the remains of the legendary Bulgarian ruler, Czar Samuel, have made their triumphant return to Bulgaria. A revered figure in Bulgarian national identity, Samuel was a formidable warrior-emperor who relentlessly clashed with the Byzantine Empire to expand his dominion prior to his tragic defeat and untimely death in 1014.

His purported remains were unearthed in a contested region of Greece during the 1960s. On Saturday, the coffin and remains embarked on a ceremonial journey to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, aboard a military aircraft flanked by fighter jets. Thousands of Bulgarians gathered in a public square to pay their respects to the czar's arrival, a momentous occasion that culminated years of complex negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece.

Upon his arrival, Bulgarian politicians of all political affiliations hailed the medieval ruler, paying homage with the national anthem and a 21-gun salute. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev remarked, "Today, we Europeans are learning to read history with a desire to belong not only to our homeland, but also to the culture that unites us across the entire European continent."

The procession continued as crowds cheered as fighter jets executed a flypast. The remains were then escorted to the Church of Saint Sofia, an ancient sixth-century basilica that shares its name with the capital city and the historic site of Samuel's baptism.