Heroes' Day, Ascension of the Lord, celebrated in Bucharest and in the country

President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Marcel Ciolacu will attend on Thursday a military and religious ceremony on Heroes' Day, celebrated on Ascension Day, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Bucharest, Agerpres reports.

The event will also be attended by the Minister of National Defense, Vasile Dincu, and the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu.

Similar commemorative events will take place in the country's garrisons, mausoleums, cemeteries and monuments dedicated to Romanian heroes, with the participation of representatives of local authorities, schools, religious denominations, veterans' associations and non-governmental organizations.

During these events, the names of the heroes of the Romanian people who fell in duty in the wars fought by the Romanian Army or in missions executed in the theaters of operations will be symbolically uttered.

In Bucharest, there will be wreath-laying ceremonies at the Monument of Military Heroes Fallen in Mission in Operational Theaters and on the territory of Romania (Youth Park), at the Monument of the Heroes of the Fatherland ("Carol I" National Defense University), Ghencea Military Cemetery, the Revolution Heroes Cemetery, as well as the "Filantropia" Israeli Cemetery.

On Thursday, from 21:00, a concert by the Military Music of 30th Honour Guard Regiment "Mihai Viteazul" will take place on the esplanade of the Palace of the National Military Circle, and starting with 21:30, the military with the 30th Honour Guard Regiment "Mihai Viteazul" will carry out the torchlight retreat procession along the route Palace of the National Military Circle - Calea Victoriei - Eroilor Avenue - Cotroceni Palace - headquarters of the Brigade.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the torches of the 30th Guard Brigade military detachment will be symbolically lit by wounded veterans in the theaters of operations of the Invictus Romania team, accompanied by military students. Beforehand, they will light a torch from the eternal flame that burns at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (18.00) and will run, for about 20 kilometers, along the route: Monument of Military Heroes Fallen in Mission in Operational Theaters and on the territory of Romania in the Youth Park - Monument of the Heroes of the Fatherland in front of "Carol I" National Defense University - Monument of the Heroic Heroes in front of the Cotroceni Palace - Monument of the Sanitary Heroes in the Heroes Park - Monument of the Railway Heroes in the North Railway Station Square, the Arc de Triomphe on Kiseleff Avenue - Monument to the Heroes of the Air on Aviatorilor Avenue - Palace of the National Military Circle (arrival at approximately 21:20).

At 10:30 pm, lighted candles and flowers will be laid by students of the "Ferdinand I" Military Technical Academy at the graves of the heroes from the Romanian Ghencea Military Cemetery.

In all the places of worship the bells will be tolling at 12:00, and in the public institutions and educational units a moment of silence will be kept as a sign of homage for the heroes of the homeland.

The commemoration of the Romanian heroes on the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord was decided by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church in 1920 and later consecrated by two other synodic decisions of 1999 and 2001, when the day was proclaimed a national church holiday.

Under Law 379/2003 on war graves and memorials, the 40th day after Easter, the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, was proclaimed Heroes Day as a national holiday of the Romanian people.