The official ceremony to celebrate 160 years since the birth of Bulgarian revolutionary Hristo Botev would be held on January 6, 2008 at 12pm. The ceremony would take place in front of the Hristo Botev monument in Sofia's Borissova Gradina (Boris' Garden), the press centre of Sofia Municipality said.

Born on January 6 1848 as Hristo Botyov Petkov, Botev was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary, widely considered the nation's greatest poet.

The national committee for the celebration of 160 years since the birth of Hristo Botyov, the Culture Ministry, the Defence Ministry, Sofia Municipality, the nation-wide Hristo Botyov foundation and Bulgarian National Television (BNT) are the organisers of the event.

Actor Ivan Nalbantov would host the ceremony, Focus news agency said.

On January 4, at 6pm, a concert will be held at the Theatar Sofia (Sofia Theatre).

On January 5, a conference will be held in Botev's hometown of Kalofer on his cultural legacy. The conference is organised by the national committee for the celebration of 160 years since the birth of Hristo Botyov, together with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Sofia University.

Hristo Botev's anniversary will be celebrated on January 6 in his hometown of Kalofer, as well as in Kozlodui, Vratsa, Botevgrad and the village of Skravena in the Botevgrad area.