The oath that Vasil Levski took as a revolutionary far exceeded the goals of the revolutionary committees. It is an oath-readiness to fight to the death, an oath-devotion to the Motherland, an oath-sacrifice in which Levski puts himself on the stake Freedom or death.
There is a secret power hidden in the oath, because the one who utters it gives up everything – from home, from family, from his life in the name of the cherished goal – Freedom. And while Levski’s oath, which he signed on 16.06.1872 and which was common to all brave men who joined the CBRK, contains dry information about taking responsibility for faithful service, responsibility for his actions, a promise to distribute duties among members according to their abilities and skills and responsibility for the accurate performance of the position, the other oath of the Apostle – the one before the people – is emotional and unravels to the last loop his spirit and character. Levski’s oath to his people is full of self-denial and readiness for self-sacrifice.
Levski’s oath to the people
Levski’s vow was to pronounce the oath in front of a Gospel or a cross, in front of a knife and a revolver and with the left hand placed on the heart. The readiness for self-sacrifice is clearly visible from the content of Levski’s oath, which he gave to the people.
The national oath reads: I swear on the Gospel, on my honor and on my Fatherland, before God and before the honest assembly of the co-swearer, that of everything that appeared to me, I will not tell or reveal anything to anyone until death and grave. I swear and promise, laying down for the holy this purpose, life and property. The power of words overturns all the oaths that the members of the committees have ever taken, pierces the slavish silence and brings to the fore the self-sacrifice for the sake of freedom, the readiness to give up everything and even yourself in order to achieve the cherished goal and be your Motherland independent.
The end of Levski’s oath is particularly strong and shocking: …if I am a traitor or a criminal, I agree to be pierced by the weapon of the co-swearer, who has the duty to defend me and the right to judge me.
What does Levski’s oath sheet look like?
The yellowed piece of paper with Levski’s oath, more valuable than gold because it was written by the Apostle’s hand and was the product of his self-denial and his readiness to die in the name of freedom, is preserved and kept as a relic in the museum. The document has also been digitized and its photo can be found in the online space, so that you can touch Levski’s oath, come out from under his fingers, the handwriting and the signature of the Apostle with your eyes and not only with your heart.
The undersigned, accepting the Duties imposed by the Power of Attorney granted by the C.B.R.K. and I am responsible for my actions, I agree in everything with the actions of the other members of the Central Committee. who will distribute among themselves the duties according to the ability of each one under the circumstances. We are responsible for actions under the statute before other art. of C.K. and I also swear before our Fatherland Bulgaria that we will follow our duties exactly.
16/28 II 72
V. Levsky
PHOTO: Wikipedia
Levski’s oath today
On March 3 every year – the day of the cherished Freedom – in a number of cities in our country, tribute is paid to Levski and to the heroes who died for our independence, by recreating famous moments and events and recreating the establishment of the committees of the Internal Revolutionary Organization by the Apostle and the taking by the members of the People’s Oath to Vasil Levski, which we can all repeat together to remember the glorious past and revive it from the ashes. With respect, with love and with hope to be worthy heirs of the Apostle.
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