Jordan Ruszkov Memorial Plaque
The commemorative plaque honors the Bulgarian poet Jordan Ruszkov, who, inspired by the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, wrote the poem “A Call for Freedom,” in which he urged people to fight for democracy.
Jordan Ruszkov was born on February 19, 1926, in Pleven, as the son of a cooper. He lived and grew up in Plovdiv, where he also earned his high school diploma in 1944. As a student, his writings appeared in the magazines "Gyermekélet", "Szentjánosbogár", "Kicsi Társ", and "Térségek". While still in high school, he published his first poems for adults in "Bolgár Beszéd", "Este", and other newspapers. He worked as a municipal employee and as a librarian at the city library.
After writing the poem, following a two-year manhunt, he was arrested in 1958 and sentenced to seven years in prison for inciting rebellion and anti-state activities; he ultimately served three and a half years of that sentence. He was unable to publish his works until the fall of communism in 1989. Years after his studies were interrupted, he earned a degree from the State Institute of Library Science and worked as a school librarian for decades. A member of the Bulgarian Writers’ Union, he passed away in Plovdiv in 2010.
In 2001, he received Bulgaria’s highest state honor, the Order of Stara Planina, awarded by the President of the Republic, which is bestowed upon Bulgarian and foreign citizens (heads of state, ministers, politicians, diplomats, public figures, military personnel, and clergy, as well as outstanding figures in the fields of culture, the arts, and sports) may receive. Plovdiv, the poet’s hometown, also established a memorial site; on May 22, 2017, a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the city council building, honoring his famous pro-freedom poem and his local opposition activities.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, László Sólyom awarded Jordan Ruszkov the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (Civil Division) to Jordan Ruszkov.
The unveiling of the commemorative plaque was honored by the presence of former President Petör Sztojanov (1997–2002), Zsolt Németh, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Jordan Ruszkov’s widow and two daughters.
The inscription in Hungarian on the memorial plaque mounted on a pillar of the Embassy’s fence reads:
In memory of the poet Jordan Ruszkov (1926–2010),
who was sentenced to seven years
in prison for his poem
“A Call for Freedom,”
dedicated to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Erected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
The inscription on the memorial plaque in Bulgarian:
В памет на поета Йордан Русков (1926-2010),
осъден на седем години затвор
за стихотворението
„Зов за свобода”, посветено на
унгарската революция от 1956 година
От Министерството на външните работи на Унгария