The Liberation of Sofia

On January 4, 1878, Sofia – the current capital of Bulgaria, was liberated from the Turkish yoke. In the course of the Russian-Turkish war, the troops of the Russian general Gurko were firmly advancing towards Sofia. The attempt of the Turks to set fire to the city was thwarted with the help of the foreign consuls of France (Lavelle), Italy (Positano) and others.. On January 4, general Joseph Gurko managed to liberate the town without any fight after 491 years of Ottoman occupation. The next year, Sofia was proclaimed capital of Bulgaria. At that time, the town’s population numbered only 12,000 people. Gradually, it became to increase, as the town turned in Bulgaria’s political, commercial and cultural center.