Memorial Ossuary of Botev's Detachment

The Memorial Ossuary of Botev's Detachment is a memorial structure in Skravena, Botevgrad Municipality. It honours ten members of Botev's detachment belonging to Georgi Apostolov's group, killed when the detachment was defeated at Rashov Dol near Ritlite on 2 June 1876, or 21 May Old Style. According to the account, after the men's deaths their skulls were shown to a group of bashi-bazouks, after which two village notables managed to ransom the heads. Village women cleaned them, wrapped them in homespun cloth and buried the skulls in the churchyard. In 1930 they were exhumed and placed in a display case in the Church of the Holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian. In 1982, on local residents' initiative, the remains were moved into a purpose-built ossuary. The memorial opened on 18 May 1982 and was designed by architect Rositsa Grancharova, sculptor Stefana Boyadzhieva and artist Bozhidar Ovcharov. The skulls are held in glass sarcophagi, and the sculpture "A Mother's Grief" honours the fallen. Reliefs on the exterior symbolise local people's respect and reverence for those who sacrificed their lives for Bulgaria's freedom. The ossuary is listed as number 82 among the Hundred National Tourist Sites. Visitors can obtain the key and stamp from the information centre at the 19 February 1906 Chitalishte cultural centre. Combining historical value and cultural significance, the memorial offers an opportunity to honour and remember the heroic actions of Botev's detachment in Bulgaria's history.