Greece and Bulgaria sign pact to exchange Tsar Samuel remains and historic relics

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Bulgarian Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Athens on September 29, 2026 for reciprocal return of historic relics. Bulgaria will send back 48 ecclesiastical artefacts from the Holy Monastery of Panagia Eikosifoinissa, the Holy Monastery of Timios Prodromos in Serres, and the Holy Metropolis of Serres and Nigrita. The items were transferred to Sofia in 1917 during World War I and kept at Bulgaria's National Museum of History. Greece will transfer remains identified as Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria (997-1014), who died October 6, 1014 after the Battle of Kleidion, plus other anthropological material from four sarcophagi at the Basilica of Saint Achilleios. Greek sources and Reuters date the Moutsopoulos find to 1965; ProtoThema cites 1969. The remains have been kept at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the accord a "historic agreement." Protocols are due October 3, 2026 there with Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Rumen Radev present. The Greek relics will display until November 5, 2026, then return to their originating institutions. Both sides will continue talks on further objects for a later agreement.