The Radetski Steamship National Museum – City of Kozloduyi

The steamship and museum are entirely dedicated to the life and activities of the Bulgarian revolutionary Hristo Botev, and commemorate the tragic defeat of his detachment, who took part in the national liberation movement that sought to free the country from Ottoman rule (1876-1878). Their heroic efforts during the April Uprising presaged the events to come during the Russo-Turkish war that liberated Bulgaria in 1877-1878. The Radetski, a unique floating museum ship, commemorates these courageous Bulgarian revolutionaries. The Austrian vessel Radetski was built in 1851 at the Obuda Naval Works in Budapest, then part of Austro-Hungary. The ship was christened in honor of Field Marshall Josef Ventseslav Radetski (1766-1858), of Slovakian descent, whose bust can be seen today on the ship’s prow. At present the Radetski rests at its own mooring at the Kozloduyi docks.