site.btaSquare in Sofia Named The Heroes of Ukraine, Another One Named Boris Nemtsov

The Sofia City Hall Thursday voted two resolutions to name a square in the city The Heroes of Ukraine, and another one after the late Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. 

The square which is now called The Heroes of Ukraine is located in a space, which did not have a name, near the Russian Embassy and the Moscow Park Hotel opposite the embassy building. The Boris Nemtsov Square is located in a green space also close by. 

The deliberations in the Sofia City Hall regarding such symbols of solidarity with the people of Ukraine continued for nearly two hours. Malina Edreva, a councillor from GERB-UDF noted that with the naming proposal, Sofia joins the global initiative for support to Ukraine by means of renaming locations in close proximity to Russian embassies. Other cities, among them Athens, Vilnius, Copenhagen, Lisbon, London, Oslo, Prague, Riga, Tirana, Toronto and Washington, have already passed or are discussing similar proposals. 

The municipal councillors from the group of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), who together with the councillors of Patriots for Sofia voted against the proposal, were adamant that the "naming symbolism is not expedient for Bulgaria". 

Also, the Sofia Town Hall passed a resolution to have the Ukrainian flag hoisted in front of the building of the city hall next to the Bulgarian flag. The move is seen as yet another gesture of solidarity with the people of Ukraine while the war continues. 

The debate on the motion about the flag went on for more than an hour. Sofia Town Hall Chairman Georgi Georgiev, who made the proposal, said that the capital of Bulgaria needs to set the trend that leaders must lead, and not calculate and justify themselves. "Today is a historic day," Georgiev said, adding that the time has come for a responsible, European and democratic position. The municipal councillors of the BSP voted against this motion as well.