Decades of bilateral diplomacy have concluded with the repatriation of medieval ruler Czar Samuel’s remains to Sofia, Bulgaria, alongside a reciprocal exchange of ecclesiastical treasures taken during the First World War. The historic transfer drew thousands of citizens and prompted Greek leaders to link the accord to ongoing repatriation campaigns for the Parthenon Marbles.
A military aircraft escorted by air force fighter jets carried the coffin of Czar Samuel into Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia, where thousands of people gathered in a central public square. Patriarch Daniil and members of the public were present at the event. The homecoming on Saturday marked the end of decades of negotiations between Bulgaria and Greece that officially began in 2007, though discussions regarding the remains trace back to the 1970s under Konstantinos Karamanlis and Todor Zhivkov. Politicians across Bulgaria’s political spectrum attended the state ceremony alongside military bands, a Guard of Honor, and 21-gun salutes.
The medieval ruler, who governed the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 1014, is considered a symbol of national identity. Archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos originally discovered the remains in 1965 at the Basilica of Saint Achillios in the Greek border area of Prespes, where they remained housed at the Museum of Byzantine Culture until the recent agreement. A procession accompanied the coffin to the sixth-century Church of Saint Sofia, where church officials state the ruler was baptized.
The Reciprocal Return of Treasures to Greece
In exchange for the remains, Greece is receiving 48 ecclesiastical treasures, including icons, crosses, and ornate liturgical vessels pillaged by Bulgarian troops in 1917 during the First World War. These artifacts originated from the Monastery of Panagia Eikosifoinissa, the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Serres, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, having spent more than a century safeguarded at Bulgaria’s National History Museum.
Culture Ministers Lina Mendoni of Greece and Evtim Miloshev of Bulgaria signed the formal Memorandum of Understanding concluding years of systematic efforts. The returned items remain temporarily on display at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki through November 5, 2026, before returning permanently to their original monasteries and metropolises.
While local church leaders largely welcomed the development, some voiced reservations. Metropolitan Dorotheos noted that the current agreement covers only a fraction of the historical inventory removed from the monasteries, pointing out that approximately 800 treasures and 430 manuscripts were taken from the Monastery of Panagia Eikosifoinissa alone.
Political Leaders Frame the Accord Around European Unity and Parthenon Marbles
Speaking at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki prior to the handover, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that cultural heirlooms should not remain treated as spoils of war. He utilized the bilateral accord to bolster Athens’ ongoing campaign to retrieve the Parthenon sculptures from the British Museum.
“The global community is re-evaluating its longstanding stance on protecting cultural heritage.”
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Prime Minister
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev focused his remarks on overcoming historical grievances between neighboring states, pointing to the shift in bilateral relations.
Radev added that the resolution strengthens strategic cooperation and deepens historical ties between the two populations.
Competing Historical Claims Over Samuel’s Legacy in North Macedonia
Bulgaria is not the sole nation asserting a claim to the medieval monarch’s historical footprint. A large statue of Czar Samuel stands in the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, where national narratives also claim him as a domestic ruler. The historical legacy has long functioned as a contested focal point between Sofia and Skopje.
A bilateral commission recommended in 2022 that Samuel be presented publicly as the head of a state that most contemporary historians categorize as the Bulgarian Empire, with its powerbase located in what is currently North Macedonia. Dimitar Bechev, an analyst, observed that the high-profile return of the remains to Sofia aims to attract the patriotic electorate and underline the Bulgarian character of the Slavic population of the region.
