The Rise of Jubilee Diplomacy: The Shipka Celebrations of 1902

Abstract

Grandiose celebrations took place in 1902 in Bulgaria on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the epopee of Shipka. The idea for the celebration belongs to the “Tsar Osvoboditel Alexander IIˮ Committee. Started as a public initiative, the preparations for the jubilee received the full support of the Bulgarian prince, and at a later stage, the government in Sofia became involved. The present study reveals the activity of the Bulgarian country to organize the celebration and to ensure Russian presence at it. The different visions of Sofia and Petersburg regarding the nature of the celebrations and the reasons for the difficult communication between the two countries are presented. Moreover, the article emphasizes the efforts of the Bulgarians to turn the anniversary into a demonstration of the close relations between Bulgaria and Russia. Last but not least, the study interprets the Shipka celebrations as the first manifestation of the so-called jubilee diplomacy, which gained momentum in this period and used landmark historical events and the celebrations organized in their honor to achieve political goals.