Bulgarian Volunteer Corps
Opalchentsi (Bulgarian: опълченци) were Bulgarian voluntary army units, who took part in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The people in these units were called opalchenets-pobornik (опълченец-поборник) roughly meaning "folk-" or "regiment-combatant" .
| Volunteer (Bulgarian: опълченци) | |
|---|---|
The standard of the Bulgarian Opaltchentsi | |
| Leaders | Collective leadership |
| Dates of operation | 1877-1878 |
| Headquarters | Sofia, Bulgaria |
| Active regions | Bulgaria |
| Ideology | Bulgarian nationalism |
| Size | 40,300 |
| Allies | Russian Empire Romania Serbia Montenegro |
| Opponents | Ottoman Empire |
| Battles and wars | Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 |
The Bulgarian voluntary army units for the Russo-Turkish War were gathered after the manifesto of Alexander II of Russia, announcing the War. The meeting point of the Bulgarian volunteers in Russia was the city of Samara. The Bulgarian Opalchentsi were given the Samara flag bearing the images of the Holy Mother and Saints Cyril and Methodius (the flag is kept in the National Museum of Military History in Sofia). The Opalchentsi took an active part in the Second and Fourth Battle of Shipka Pass and after the end of the war went on to form Bulgaria's army.