Bulgaria commemorates Ferdinand I's coronation and the Kruševo Republic

On 2 August 1887, Prince Ferdinand I of Saxe‑Coburg‑Gotha was crowned in Tarnovo, becoming the ruler of Bulgaria after being elected by the Third Grand National Assembly. He swore allegiance to the Tarnovo Constitution, succeeded the regency led by Stefan Stambolov, and later proclaimed Bulgaria’s independence in 1908, assuming the title of king.

On 3 August 1903, during the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie uprising, the short‑lived Kruševo Republic was declared. Led by N. Karеv as its president, the republic lasted ten days and included a revolutionary council of six members representing Bulgarians, Vlachs and Turks. It established a strict revolutionary court and sought to protect the civilian population, embodying the nationalist principles of Gotse Delchev and his comrades.