On November 16, 2025, a replica of the aircraft flown by Captain Dimitar Spisarevski, one of the most prominent figures in Bulgarian aviation, was unveiled in the park area of the Bulgarian History Museum.
On November 16, 2025, the park area of the Bulgarian History Museum hosted the grand opening of a replica of the aircraft flown by Captain Dimitar Spisarevski – one of the most prominent figures in Bulgarian aviation. The event brought together dozens of guests, representatives of institutions, patriotic organizations, descendants of Bulgarian pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and citizens who came to pay tribute to the hero’s immortal feat.
On November 16, the Bulgarian Air Force celebrates its holiday, and on this day our combat pilots pay well-deserved tribute to their predecessors who remain forever in the skies of their homeland.
The replica of the Messerschmitt Bf fighter plane 109, with which S. Lieutenant Spisarevski defended the skies over Sofia and rammed an American bomber on December 20, 1943, was made on the initiative of the Association for the History and Future of Bulgarian Aviation (AIBBA) and donated to the Bulgarian History Museum. This enriches the museum’s space with yet another symbol of Bulgarian heroism, which will remain a lasting sign of remembrance and inspiration.
The ceremony was opened by the director of the Bulgarian History Museum, Docent Dr. Boni Petrunova, who emphasized that “this aircraft is not just an exhibit, but a monument to the honor and courage of those who do not surrender to fear, but choose to fly high—for Bulgaria.” In her speech, she pointed out that the museum is not only home to Bulgarian memory, but also a place where history and modernity, heroism and reverence meet.
Among the guests was Mr. Dimitar Ivanov Spisarevski, the hero’s nephew, who thanked the organizers and the museum for the patriotic initiative. “For us, his loved ones, it is an honor and a responsibility that Spisarevski’s name continues to inspire generations,” he said in his speech.
On behalf of the Association for the History and Future of Bulgarian Aviation, its chairman, Mr. Orlin Georgiev, the initiator of the project, addressed the audience. He expressed his pride that the efforts of the organization and dozens of like-minded people had been crowned with success. “Here, in this museum, Spisarevski’s plane will remind us that heroism is not just a thing of the past—it is a guiding light today,” Georgiev said.
The replica of Captain Dimitar Spisarevski’s plane will remain on permanent display in the park of the Bulgarian History Museum, where visitors will be able to see it and pay tribute to the feat of the pilot who turned the sky into an altar of sacrifice.
