leftcenterrightdel
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and other delegates introduced to the museum’s display areas.

As soon as he entered the main hall of the museum on the afternoon of November 25, 2024, President Rumen Radev stopped at the space displaying the MiG-21 jet fighter numbered 5121 hanging high on the ceiling for a long time. He nodded when learning that the aircraft participated in the “Hanoi - Hai Phong air defense” campaign in December 1972 and that pilots of the Vietnam People's Army steered it to down U.S. aircraft five times, contributing to protecting the sky of Hanoi and the North. He was amazed to learn that one of the pilots having flown this jet fighter was Pham Tuan who shot down a B-52 bomber of the U.S. Air Force which was considered invincible on December 27, 1972 evening. This aircraft is a national treasure of Vietnam. The Bulgarian President expressed his admiration for the aircraft, Vietnamese pilots and their feats-of-arms because he was once a soldier, a fighter pilot and the Commander of the Bulgarian Air Force in the 2014-2017 period before being elected President.

During nearly one hour touring the museum, President Rumen Radev was introduced by Senior Colonel Le Vu Huy, Director of the museum, to many themes displayed in the museum through a modern design featuring the flow of Vietnam’s history, using many projection technologies. Through these introductions, the Bulgarian leader had a panoramic picture of a difficult but heroic journey of the Vietnamese people from the beginning of the country's foundation to the resistance wars for independence, freedom, national reunification and the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. He listened attentively and watched the images, objects showcased according to each topic, such as the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnam People's Army, the August Revolution and the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Not only President Rumen Radev himself, but also other members of the high-ranking Bulgarian delegation expressed their admiration for the miracles made by the people and the military of Vietnam in the struggle to defend the Fatherland.

Although the visit was not long  due to his busy work schedule, the Bulgarian President did not seem to want to miss a single topic. At the space on the resistance war against the U.S. imperialists, the President was introduced to the valuable support and assistance of international friends, including the Bulgarian people, for the just cause of the Vietnamese people. During the difficult years of that resistance war and the national construction after liberation, Vietnam has received a lot of affection, valuable support and assistance from the country and people of Bulgaria. Touched when seeing the images and memorabilia about the good friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria kept at the museum, President Rumen Radev turned to shake hands with Senior Colonel Le Vu Huy to express his appreciation.

In the museum's guestbook, sharing his deep feelings, President Rumen Radev wrote: “Visiting the museum is a unique and unforgettable experience about the history of the struggle for freedom of the Vietnamese people. The visit has provided a deep understanding of the bravery of the heroic Vietnamese people.” Before writing those lines, he talked to the museum staff and distinguished guests that the visit helped him more deeply understand about the bravery and heroism of the Vietnamese people. The trip was also a testament to the enduring friendship between the people of Bulgaria and Vietnam and a symbol of the bright future of the two countries’ relations.

Translated by Mai Huong