Greece and Bulgaria signed a cultural agreement on September 29, 2026, providing for the return of 48 Greek religious treasures taken to Sofia during World War I and the transfer to Bulgaria of remains attributed to Tsar Samuil. Ceremonies are scheduled for October 3 in Thessaloniki and Sofia.
Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and her Bulgarian counterpart, Evtim Miloshev, signed the memorandum of understanding. The announcement describes a reciprocal “deposit” of historically significant objects, rather than explicitly announcing a transfer of ownership.
Greek Religious Treasures Returning After 109 Years
The 48 treasures originate from the monasteries of Panagia Eikosifoinissa and Timios Prodromos in Serres, and the Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita, an Orthodox ecclesiastical jurisdiction in northern Greece. They were transported to Sofia in 1917 and have been displayed or stored at Bulgaria’s National Museum of History. Their return brings objects held abroad for more than a century back to the religious communities from which they came.
The objects will initially be exhibited at Thessaloniki’s Museum of Byzantine Culture through November 5, 2026. They will then be delivered to their respective monasteries and the metropolis, according to their provenance.
Ceremonies Planned in Thessaloniki and Sofia
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev are expected to attend the signing of the handover protocols at the Museum of Byzantine Culture on Saturday, October 3.
Radev announced the agreement at a cabinet meeting, saying Bulgaria had pursued the return of Samuil’s remains for six decades. He thanked Mitsotakis for helping secure the arrangement and invited the public to attend the reception in Sofia.
Following the Thessaloniki ceremony, the remains are scheduled to travel to Bulgaria aboard an aircraft. A public reception is planned for 12:30 p.m. at Battenberg Square, outside Sofia’s former royal palace. A procession will accompany them to the Church of Saint Sophia, where they will be placed in a specially prepared sarcophagus.
Remains Attributed to a Medieval Ruler
Samuil ruled Bulgaria from 997 to 1014. The remains attributed to him were recovered by Greek archaeologist Nikolaos Moutsopoulos at the Basilica of Agios Achilleios in the Prespa region and have been kept in recent years at Thessaloniki’s Museum of Byzantine Culture.
Accounts differ on the discovery date: Greece’s official announcement gives 1965, while Bulgarian reporting identifies 1969. The remains are therefore described here as attributed to Samuil, without treating their identification as independently established.
The transfer also includes other human remains recovered from four sarcophagi inside the basilica. Although the agreement resolves specific longstanding requests, it does not settle all outstanding cultural claims. Both governments have agreed to continue negotiations over historical objects excluded from the current arrangement.
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