Greece transfers Tsar Samuel remains to Bulgaria in exchange for 48 monastic relics
Greek and Bulgarian leaders concluded a cultural repatriation accord in Thessaloniki, returning the medieval monarch's remains to Sofia alongside 48 World War I monastic relics.
Diplomatic handover in Thessaloniki
On the morning of 3 October 2026, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev gathered at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki to attend a formal artifact handover ceremony. Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and Bulgarian Minister of Culture Evtim Miloshev signed and exchanged the official protocols, culminating a memorandum of understanding reached after decades of bilateral negotiations. Under the terms of the accord, Greece transferred anthropological material identified as the remains of Tsar Samuel, which had been stored at the Thessaloniki museum. In return, Bulgaria agreed to repatriate 48 sacred church relics taken from Greek monasteries during World War I.
Military transit and ceremonies in Sofia
Following the ceremony in Thessaloniki, the remains of Tsar Samuel were placed aboard a military transport aircraft to travel to the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. Two pairs of MiG-29 and F-16 fighter jets escorted the transport plane, which carried Bulgarian dignitaries including Radev, Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov, and Miloshev. Upon landing in Sofia, representatives of the Bulgarian government and a military honor company received the casket with a 21-gun salute. The casket was scheduled for transfer in a formal public procession to the Basilica of St. Sophia, where a religious service will be held and the remains will rest in a designated sarcophagus to allow citizens to pay homage.
- Tsar Samuel rules the Bulgarian realm and campaigns against the Byzantine Empire
- Tsar Samuel dies shortly after military defeat by Byzantine forces
- Bulgarian forces seize 48 sacred relics from Greek monasteries
- Archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos discovers Samuel's remains near Lake Prespa
- Greece transfers remains to Bulgaria at Thessaloniki ceremony as Sofia returns relics
Historical legacy and domestic dispute
Tsar Samuel ruled the Bulgarian realm from 997 until his death in 1014, waging prolonged campaigns against the Byzantine Empire to defend Bulgarian autonomy and expand his territory. Greek archaeologist Professor Nikolaos Moutsopoulos discovered the ruler's bones 60 years ago in a border area near Lake Prespa in northern Greece. While Bulgarians revere Samuel as a national hero and symbol of identity, the exchange provoked debate in Greece prior to the handover. Several prominent Greek academics and religious leaders voiced objections to the agreement, criticizing the return of 48 monastic items as inadequate compensation for the monarch's remains.
If in the past Czar Samuel divided us, I can say that today he unites us. He strengthens our strategic cooperation and makes the historical relations between our states and peoples even stronger.
International restitution and Parthenon campaign
During the ceremony, Mitsotakis linked the bilateral exchange to Athens's ongoing international campaign to recover the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum in London. The Greek prime minister argued that the 2,500-year-old sculptures, removed from the Acropolis in Athens, should likewise be returned as global norms evolve regarding historical heirlooms.
The global community is essentially re-evaluating its long-standing stance on protecting cultural heritage. This shift is embodied by today's initiative, which rests on the obvious principle that monuments and historical heirlooms cannot be treated as spoils of war, nor as the result of circumstances subsequent to their creation.
Mitsotakis expressed optimism that the agreement would foster deeper cultural collaboration between Athens and Sofia, enabling the future restitution of other historical relics between the two neighboring states.
