Guus Bosman

The city of Perushtitsa is famous throughout Bulgaria because of the bloody uprising against the Ottoman occupation that took place in April 1876.

The uprising was the first step towards the liberation of Bulgaria, but the particular event in Perushtitsa ended in a dramatic murder of close to 600 people who were hiding from the Ottoman army in the church in the city.

Two years after the April uprising Bulgaria became a free country again, and the Saint Archangel Michael church was designated as a memorial.

The outside of the church. I had visited the church once before, I think in 1999 when I came to Perushtitsa for the first time.

In the middle of the church is a commemorative tomb, with fragments of Ivan Vazov's poem about the events in Perushtitsa.

Statue of a defender of the church. In the background, next to the small round window, is list with names of the people that perished in the church.

The roof of the church was destroyed by the Ottoman cannons during the attack. The survivors later added a wooden roof and decided to preserve the church to commemorate the uprising.