The Urvich Fortress – The Home of the Double-Headed Eagle, where archaeologists Violina Kiryakova from the Bulgarian History Museum and Dr. Philip Petrunov from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum-Bulgarian Academy of Science discovered the grave of the little princess, heiress of Tsar Ivan Alexander, received the grand prize of the national campaign for the preservation of cultural heritage “Wonders of Bulgaria”

The Urvich Fortress – The Home of the Double-Headed Eagle, where archaeologists Violina Kiryakova from the Bulgarian History Museum and Dr. Philip Petrunov from the National Archaeological Institute with Museum-Bulgarian Academy of Science discovered the grave of the little princess, heiress of Tsar Ivan Alexander, received the grand prize of the national campaign for the preservation of cultural heritage “Wonders of Bulgaria”. The unique site of the Bulgarian History Museum, which every year reveals the secrets of the medieval fortress, one of the last strongholds of faith before falling under Ottoman rule, was one of the three archaeological discoveries honored as the greatest in the last 15 years. They were determined by a national vote on the website of the media outlet “Standart”, in which over 100,000 Bulgarians participated.

On November 1 – the Day of the National Awakeners, the Ivan Vazov National Theater became a stage of history and inspiration during the solemn performance “Bulgaria – Wonderland”, which marked the 15th anniversary of the “Wonders of Bulgaria” campaign.

This year, the focus fell on the archaeological discoveries that have rewritten the pages of Bulgarian and European history in recent years. “Among the finalists, there are no big or small miracles – each discovery is a piece of our common history,” emphasized host Deyan Donkov.

In the “Miracle of the 15s” category, the three most iconic archaeological sites received awards: Provadia-Solnitsata – the oldest city in Europe, Heraclea Sintica – an ancient city with unique finds, and the Urvich Fortress – the archaeological site of the Bulgarian History Museum, which shed light on the dark spots of medieval Bulgarian history.

The awards to Violina Kryakova and Philip Petrunov, to Acad. Vasil Nikolov and Prof. Lyudmil Vagalinski were presented by Deputy Minister of Culture Todor Chobanov, who emphasized that “the wonders of Bulgaria are the way in which our country tells its story to the world.”

As part of the festive program, Valya Balkanska, Nina Chakardakova, Ivan Lechev and Konstantin Tsekov, the “Vakali” formation and others took to the stage. Zvezdi Keremedchiev from the “Ahat” group sang the song “We Are Bulgarians” for the first time in front of an audience, with lyrics and music by Ognyan Ivanov.

The event ended with a message for the future: to turn the preservation of cultural and historical heritage into a national cause that unites generations and inspires new miracles.