Memorial Belfry of Byala Cherkva

The home town of one of the April Uprising heroes – Bacho Kiro – Byala Cherkva, is situated 4 km south of the town of Pavlikeni. A lot of cultural and historic sights can be found here, one of them rising impressively in the center of the town – the Memorial Belfry. It was constructed in 1878, near the old church of St. Dimitar. The memorial reminds of the Russian army. This is one of the first monuments raised in honour of Bulgaria’s Liberation from Ottoman yoke. On July 6, 1877 General Gurko’s front detachment entered Byala Cherkva. The Russians were welcomed in great state by the people and with the touching speech by Irina Bacho-Kirova. The money endowed by the Russian officers set the beginning of a fund for the building of the monument. The memorial is 25 m high, and in 1929 thanks to the funds provided by the teacher Yoakim Vassilev a clock was mounted on it. Nowadays, the clock is still timing.