8th-10th of December 2007 – 130th anniversary of the conquest of Plevna, Bulgaria
The 130th anniversary of the ottoman army’s surrender and the liberation of the city of Plevna by the russo-romanian troops on 10th of December 1877 was celebrated by way of several events organized by the Bulgarian Society “Traditsia”. The members of the “6th Dorobantzes” association, now renamed “Miltary Tradition” representing the reenactment groups of the 6th Dorobantzes Regiment “Michael the Brave”, the 4th Artillery Regiment “King Ferdinand I” and the „Mountain Chasseurs Group” (Grupul de Vênatori de Munte), have participated. During their whole stay in Bulgaria, members of our assosciation donned Mod.1877 Romanian uniforms of dorobantzes, artillerymen and of the 2nd Chaseurs Battalion „Queen Elisabeth”, in homage to the Romanian soldiers who had gloriously fought there 130 years ago, conquering the redoubt Grivitsa 1 and capturing an Ottoman flag. The Romanian delegation visited many historical sites: the Museum of the town of Bjala, the monument and mausoleum of Grivitsa, where a wreath of flowers was laid in the name of the „6 Dorobantzes” association, the “Plevna Epopee” panorama, the house that had hosted the Russian headquarters in 1877, the Russian-Romanian soldier’s mausoleum of Plevna, etc. The battles that had been fought in summer – autumn 1877 for the conquest of the fortified city of Plevna, were reenacted on Monday, 10th of December 2007, in the center of the city, together with the Bulgarian colleagues, who impersonated the Russian and Ottoman armies. The Romanian participants reconstituted the third battle of Plevna, the attack of the Grivitsa redoubt and in the end, the battle of 10th of December 1877, when, as a result of the unsuccessful attempt to break the encirclement, the Ottoman army led by Osman Pasha surrendered to the Russo-Romanian troops. It was a pity that the capture of the Ottoman flag by the Romanian Chasseurs was not reenacted, although the Bulgarian hosts had proposed it and had prepared for it.
During the final ceremony, the Romanian reenactors were awarded the commemorative bar “PLEVEN” for the medal “Ploiesti-2007” and the Bulgarian colleagues received the commemorative bar “PLEVNA-2007” for the medal “Traditie Militara”. The event was honored by the presence or representatives of the Governments of Bulgaria, Romania, Moldavia, Russia and Ukraine.