bulgaria

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With the Bulgarian Empire welcoming the discpiles of Cyril and Methodius after they were expelled from Great Moravia, the country became a centre of rich literary activity during what is known as the Golden Age of medieval Bulgarian culture. In the late 9th, the 10th and early 11th century literature in Bulgaria prospered, with many books being translated from Byzantine Greek, but also new works being created. Many scholars worked in the Preslav and Ohrid Literary Schools, creating the Cyrillic alphabet for their needs. Chernorizets Hrabar wrote his popular work An Account of Letters, Clement of Ohrid worked on translations from Greek and is credited with several important religious books, John Exarch wrote his Shestodnev and translated On Orthodox Christianity by John of Damascus, Naum of Preslav also had a significant contribution. Bulgarian scholars and works influenced most of the Slavic world, spreading Old Church Slavonic, the Cyrillic and the Glagolithic alphabet to Kievan Rus', medieval Serbia and medieval Croatia.

The fall of the Second Bulgarian Empire to the Ottomans in 1396 was a serious blow for Bulgarian literature and culture in general. Literary activity largely ceased, being concentrated in the monasteries that established themselves as centres of Bulgarian culture in the foreign empire. The religious theme continued to be dominant in the few works that were produced.

The main literary form of the 17th and 18th century were instructive sermons, at first translated from Greek and then compiled by Bulgarians.

The title page of Abagar, the first printed book in modern Bulgarian (1651)

A literary tradition continued to exist relatively uninterrupted during the early Ottoman rule in northwestern Bulgaria up until the Chiprovtsi Uprising in end of the 17th century among the Bulgarian Catholics who were supported by the Catholic states of Central Europe. Many of these works were written in a mixture of vernacular Bulgarian, Church Slavonic and Serbo-Croatian and was called "Illyric". Among these was the first book printed in modern Bulgarian, the breviary Abagar published in Rome in 1651 by Filip Stanislavov, bishop of Nikopol.

The Illyrian movement for South Slavic unity had an impact on the Bulgarian literature of the 18th and 19th century. Hristofor Zhefarovich's Stemmatographia of 1741 is thought of us the earliest example of modern Bulgarian secular poetry for its quatrains, although it was essentially a collection of engravings.

I don’t like poetry very much. The only poetess, who really inspired me, is Elisaveta Bagriana. She was born on the sixteen of April 1893 in Sofia. From 1906 to 1908 she and her family moved to Veliko Tarnovo and Sliven where she graduated high school. From 1915 to 1919 she studied at Sofia University. There she graduated Slavonic Philology. After that she worked as a teacher in Vratsa and Kjustendil. In 1915 she wrote her first poems for a magazine ”Savremenna missal”. From 1927 to 1979 she wrote six books, some of them are ”Vechnata i sviatata”, “Poems”, “Kontrapunkti” etc.

Bagriana wrote for children too. She was given two special prizes: Dimitrovska (1952) and National art and culture (1963). One of the great Bulgarian poets and writers of 20^th century (Dimcho Debelianov, Jordan Jovkov and Nikolai Liliev) are her friends.

Bagriana isn’t her real name, her real name is Belcheva). Her colleagues from Zlatograd gave her this nickname. The reason for that were her colourful, vivid and emotional poems. Bagriana comes from Bulgarian word “bagra” which means tint or shade.

Bulgarian literature does not have a smooth and uninterrupted development. The most significant period in its history lasted four centuries. On the other hand, however, the most prminent representatives of the Bulgarian literature were often preachers, spiritual and revolutionary leaders, advocates of the National Liberation, freedom and democracy. Bulgarian literature is felt to be an integrative part of the building the national consciousness, confidence and dignity.

In the Middle Ages Bulgarian literature had already had a history of over a thousand years. The eleventh-century jubilee was recently celebrated of the special alphabet, called Glagolisa, which was used for the translation of the Gospel into Slavic. In 863 the clergyman Constantine the Philosopher, whose secular name was Cyril, was assigned by the Byzantine authorities to spread the sacred Byzantine books to Moravia in the language of its native population. In 869 after Cyril's death, his brother Methodius continued his noble task. The alphabet named after Cyril was a later revision of Glagolitsa. The Cyrilic alphabet is still used by all Bulgarians, Russians, Ukrainians and Serbians.

Being a cradle of the Slavic culture, Bulgarian literature flourished with religious work at first. Their authors fulfilled two tasks at a time: they preached and advocated independence from Byzantine. The most outstanding representatives of that period in Bulgarian literature were Kliment of Ohrid, Constantine of Preslav, Chernorozets Hrabar, whose literary works in its essence was anti-Byzantine. Later their beliefs were over by Tsar Simeon who was himself aa remarkable politician and a man of letters. He encouraged Bulgarian culture t break away with the Greek canons. The icons in Ohrid and Preslav give evidence of a new treatment of the official literature production. At the same time the body of literature about saints and apocrypha, legends with ambiguous interpretation was increasing and was suggestive of the emerging heretic Bogomil movement. The latter seemed to have supporters even in the remotest corners of the kingdom and was directed against the privileged feudal lords and the clergy.

In the period of Byzantine domination (1018-1186) the development of Bulgarian literature was retarded and hindered. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1186-1396), however, it started prospering again. The 14th century was a landmark in its development when such eminent writers worked as Theodosiy of Turnovo and his disciples, Evtimity of Turnovo who wrote the biography of Ivan Rilski and St. Petka as well as his follower Grigoriy Tsamblak who wrote the eulogy of his teacher Evtimiy.

Noteworthy, the body of oral literary works played an important role in the history of the Bulgarian literature, especially during the period of Ottoman domination. It included folk songs, legends, stories and tales which gave vent to the Bulgarian people's cravings for love, freedom and liberation.

The Revival period in Bulgaria started as late as the 18th century with the "History of Slavs and Bulgarians", written by the monk Paisiy of Hilendar in 1762. With it a new leaf was turned in Bulgarian history and the movement for national self-consciousness and independence. The book was published in 1844 but many copies had bees written in hand and spread all over the country advocating the struggle against both Ottoman oppressors and the Greek clergy. Thus, Paisiy of Hilendar started a school of his own, whose most outstnding representative was Sofroniy Vrachanski, the author of the first published literary work "Nedelnik" (1806). In it Paisiy's ideals were continued along with the idea for the independence of the Bulgarian literature from the imposed Greek dogmas and canons.

Inspired by the Ukranian writer Yuriy Venelin's book as well as the ideas of the great Bulgarian teacher Petar Beron, in 1835 Vassil Aprilov founded the first secular school - the high school in Gabrovo, in which the teaching was conducted in Bulgarian language. The author of the first Bulgarian Grammar Book Neophit Rilski taugh at the Gabrovo High School and trained many remarkable teachers there.

The struggle for independent Bulgarian church culminated in the middle of the nineteenth century. The first Bulgarian periodicals also date from that time. Newspapers and magazines were published by Hristo Danov, who sponsored many bright young students and opened a bookshop in Thessaloniki and Plovdiv. The time had come for a powerful historical figure to epitomise the cravings and ideals of a whole people. This was done by Georgi Rakovski (1824-1867) who in 1858 wrote "Traveller in Woods". This work of art was the first one to bear hints of the people's discontent and protest. The harbinger and the singer of the revolutionary movement was Dobri Chintulov (1822-1886) whose songs accompanied the rebels. The first patriotic plays were written by Dobri Voynikov (1833-1878) and some of them were later revised by Vassil Drumev (1841-1904). The first original talent in Bulgarian literature Petko Slaveykov (1827-1895) was both a publicist and a pedagogue. He was an extremely productive writer in almost all literary genres.

Lyuben Karavelov (1835-1879) and Hristo Botev (1848-1876) were both fervent revolutionaries and colossi of Bulgarian poetry and prose. Hristo Botev who glorifies the craving to sacridice one's life for one's people anticipated his own heroic death in a battle for his mothercountry.

The indisputable father of Bulgarian literature is Ivan Vazov (1850-1921). His masterpiece "Under the Yoke" narrates about the life and struggle of the Bulgarian people against the Turkish oppressors. In his later works he described the continuing struggle for independence and freedom as in the collection of epic poems "Epopee of the Forgotten" (1881) which commemorates the heroes who died in the National Liberation movement. The classic of Bulgarian literature tried his hand in all literary genres from historical drama to poetry, prose and journalistic style.

Aleko Konstantinov (1863-1897) is one of the favourite Bulgarian writers famous for his travel notes and above all for his well-known novel "Bay Ganyo".

Other authors like Stoyan Mihailovski, Todor Vlaykov, Anton Strashimirov and Elin Pelin wrote about the Bulgarian rural culture and lifestyle in a realistic way.

The Poetry of that period was represented by talented writers as Pencho Slaveykov (1866-1912) who concerned himself with the struggle for National Liberation, Peyo Yavorov (1877-1914) whose poetry and drama pictured the oppressed Bulgarian villagers and Dimcho Debelyanov (1887-1916) who stands out with his sensitivity and lyricism. The new trends in Bulgarian literature were later formed under the infuence of Symbolism and west Europen literature. Geo Milev Was a most brilliant poet and translator of lyric poetry executed in the events in 1925.

The neoromantic Yordan Yovkov devoted his literary work to the Bulgarian village.

The comedies of St. L. Kostov together with Angel Karaliychev's stories dealt with the social problems castigated the vices ot their times and the bourgeoisie.

The most prominent writers between the two World Wars were the so-called "revolutionary poets". Hristo Smirnenski (1898-1923) is one of the most outsdtanding representatives of socialist realism. Nikola Y. Vaptsarov (1909-1942) was a proletarian poet, shot in 1942 for his progressive beliefs and ideals. His "Motor Songs" are a brilliant collection of poems written with talent and sincerity. In 1952 he was posthumously awarded the International Prize for Literature by the International Peace Union.

Dimitar Dimov who wrote the novel "Tabacco", Dimitar Talev and Georgi Karaslavov are only a few of the post-World Wars II generation of writers.

The Bulgarian literary works have been translated into over 23 languages and popular in many corners of the world.

Hristo Botev (Bulgarian: Христо Ботев) (January 6, 1848 – June 2, 1876), born Hristo Botyov Petkov (Bulgarian: Христо Ботйов Петков), was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary.Contents [hide]

Botyov was born in Kalofer. His father, Botyo Petkov (1815-1869), was a teacher and one of the most significant figures of the late period of the Bulgarian National Revival, towards the end of the Ottoman rule. He had a strong influence on his son during the latter's youth.

In 1863, after completing his elementary education in Kalofer, Botev was sent by his father to a high school in Odessa. While there, he was deeply impressed by the work of the liberal Russian poets of the day. He left high school in 1865 and spent the next two years teaching in Odessa and Bessarabia. In the meantime he began creating his first poetic works and also established strong connections with the Russian revolutionary movement.

Botev returned to Kalofer at the beginning of 1867, where he temporarily replaced his ill father as a teacher. In May, during the festivities celebrating St. Cyril and Methodius (it was his father who first organised at the end of the school year such festivities which today correspond to Bulgaria's national holiday on 24 May), he made a public speech against the Turkish authorities and the wealthy Bulgarians (whom he alleged were collaborating with the Ottomans). Botev was pressed into leaving the town as a result. He initially decided he would return to Russia, but due to lack of money instead opted for Romania, at the time an asylum for many Bulgarian exiles.

Greatly influenced by the Bulgarian revolutionaries who lived in Romania, Botiov led a life typical for any revolutionary. He was constantly deprived of means and even home. A remarkable moment in this period of his life was his close friendship with Vassil Levski. Both of them lived in an abandoned mill near Bucharest in indescribable poverty and destitution. However, their fighting spirit proved to be stronger than that. Later in his life, Botev would make a vivid, full of humor description of that situation.

From 1869 to 1871 Botiov worked again as a teacher in Bessarabia, keeping close relations with the Bulgarian revolutionary movement and its leaders. In June 1871 he became editor of the revolutionary emigrant newspaper "Word of the Bulgarian emigrants" (Duma na bulgarskite emigranti), where he began publishing his early poetic works. Imprisoned for some months, due to his close collaboration with the Russian revolutionaries, Botiov started working for the "Liberty" (Svoboda) newspaper, edited by the famous Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov.

Their collaboration was prolific and did not only have a great influence on the emigrants, but gave also courage to the Bulgarian people to rise against the Ottomans . In 1873 he also edited the satiric newspaper "Alarm clock" (Budilnik), where he published a number of feuilletons, aimed at those wealthy Bulgarians, who did not take part in the revolutionary movement.

The struggle for Bulgarian independence was a difficult one. At the end of 1872 the Ottoman police captured Levski, who was at that time the undisputable leader of the Bulgarian insurgency. He had established an enormous net of revolutionary committees, supervised by the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee (BCRC) in Romania, which had the task of preparing the Bulgarian revolutionaries for the future general uprising against the Ottoman rule. Levski was brought to trial, sentenced to death end hanged on 19.02.1873. His death was a significant blow to the morale of the revolutionary movement. In that difficult moment, Hristo Botiov stepped forward and persuaded his comrades to start preparations for an uprising earlier than planned. He was engaged in revolutionary activities of huge scale, developing Levski's ideas. At the same time he continued writing his poetry.

The BCRC was divided in two—the moderate revolutionaries, led by Lyuben Karavelov, thought that the people of Bulgaria were not yet ready for an uprising. Botiov and his supporters backed up the opposite idea. They intended to start an uprising in the first possible moment, in order to take advantage of the international situation (the mounting tension between the Ottoman empire on one side, and Serbia and Russia on the other), as well as the fact that the revolutionary net, established by Levski, was still relatively intact and could take an active part in the preparations. As a result, the BCRC was dissolved and a new committee was set up in Giurgiu, and the preparations for the uprising went on.

In 1875 Botiov published his poetic works in a book called "Songs and poems", together with another Bulgarian revolutionary poet (and future politician and statesman) Stefan Stambolov. Botiov's poetry reflects the sentiments of the poor people, filled with revolutionary ideas, struggling for their freedom against both foreign and domestic tyrants. His poetry is influenced mainly by the Russian revolutionaries and the figures of the Paris Commune. Under this influence, Botiov rose both as a poet and a revolutionary democrat. Many of his poems are imbued with bursting revolutionary spirit and determination, such as "My Prayer" ("Moyata molitva"), "At Farewell" ("Na proshtavane"), "Haiduti", "In The Mehana" ("V mehanata") or "Struggle" ("Borba"). Others are romantic and even elegiac. His political ideas were close to those of utopian Socialism and were synthesized in his "Symbol Of Belief" ("Simvol veruyu").

The uprising started in April 1876. The poorly armed rebels fought with great bravery and selflessness against regular Ottoman troops and the bashi-bazouks. The uprising was suppressed with extreme cruelty. Many thousands of men, women and children were slaughtered, thousands were sent to exile in Asia Minor, many more left their homes [Robert Seton-Watson, Disraeli, Gladstone and the Eastern Question: a study in diplomacy and party politics, (London: Macmillan, 1935), p58, "Bulgaria" in Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service[1]]. The tragedy ignited the public opinion all over the world.

In 1876, the British statesman William Ewart Gladstone published a pamphlet, Bulgarian Horrors and the Questions of the East, attacking the Disraeli government for its indifference to the brutal suppression of the Bulgarian rebellion in Ottoman Empire:

"Let the Turks now carry away their abuses, in the only possible manner, namely, by carrying off themselves. Their Zaptiehs and their Mudirs, their Bimbashis and Yuzbachis, their Kaimakans and their Pashas, one and all, bag and baggage, shall, I hope, clear out from the province that they have desolated and profaned. This thorough riddance, this most blessed deliverance, is the only reparation we can make to those heaps and heaps of dead, the violated purity alike of matron and of maiden and of child; to the civilization which has been affronted and shamed; to the laws of God, or, if you like, of Allah; to the moral sense of mankind at large. There is not a criminal in an European jail, there is not a criminal in the South Sea Islands, whose indignation would not rise and over-boil at the recital of that which has been done, which has too late been examined, but which remains unavenged, which has left behind all the foul and all the fierce passions which produced it and which may again spring up in another murderous harvest from the soil soaked and reeking with blood and in the air tainted with every imaginable deed of crime and shame. That such things should be done once is a damning disgrace to the portion of our race which did them; that the door should be left open to the ever so barely possible repetition would spread that shame over the world."

The famous British poet Oscar Wilde dedicated his brilliant 6. Sonnet to the abominable massacre during the suppression of the rebellion (s. Massacre of the Christians in Bulgaria / Oscar Wilde/) [2]

Pictures showing piles of burned or slaughtered human bodies and articles on the Ottoman atrocities went around Europe causing tremendous indignation (s. "Bulgarian Horrors" in Encyclopedia Britannica 2006, Retrieved June 22, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: [3]). Many cultural and political figures of the time such as Charles Darwin, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Victor Hugo and many others rose in indignation at this execrable slaughtering.

Botiov watched the fatal events and decided to join his comrades in their struggle. For that mission he composed a 205-men-strong detachment of revolutionaries, only some of whom possessed military experience. Whilst Botev remained the voivod of the party, as military commander was chosen the revolutionary activist Nikola Voinovski (1849 - 1876), who had previously studied in the Nikolaev Military High-school and served as a lieutenant in the Russian army, thus possessing the necessary military training. Standard-bearer of the detachment was another famous revolutionary — Nikola Simov-Kuruto (1845 - 1876). In order to join the uprising, Botiov devised a plan to safely cross the Danube without letting the Romanian authorities know, fearing that they could stop him.

On May 16th 1876, disguised as gardeners, the members of the detachment boarded the Austro-Hungarian steamer Radetzky and, after a special signal, seized control of it. After that, Botiov presented the political motives of his act before the captain of the steamer, Dagobert Engländer, and the passengers. The noble cause and the civilized manners of the Bulgarian revolutionaries made a great impression on all the people that were present aboard the ship. Radetzky reached the Bulgarian coast near Kozlodui, where Botiov and his comrades bid the captain and the passengers farewell and disembarked on Bulgarian soil. The moment was full of drama, for the news of the suppressed uprising had already spread across all Europe and the people aboard the Radetzky had no illusions about what awaited Botiov and his comrades.

The detachment, with its standard in front, headed for the region of Vratza. The first news of the situation was dispiriting — the uprising was almost over everywhere, there were bashi-bozouks all over the region, no help was to be expected, so the detachment advanced to the Vratza mountains. In the morning of May 18th the detachment was surrounded by the Ottoman troops, but Botiov and Nikola Voinovski organised their comrades in time, took defensive positions and started repulsing the repeated Ottoman attacks. Both sides suffered heavy losses. The detachment, in particular, lost about 30 killed and wounded, among them the standard-bearer. When the night fell, the rebels, divided in several groups, broke through the enemy lines and continued their movement towards the mountains.

The next day passed without any signs of the enemy, but it became clear, that the detachment could not expect any help from other Bulgarian revolutionaries. In the morning of May 20th, the sentries of the detachment detected advancing bashi-bozouks and 5 battalions of regular Turkish troops. The men took immediately strong positions near mount Okoltchitza. The defense was divided in 2 sectors, commanded by Voinovski and Botiov. Soon 2 battalions of enemy regulars, led by Hassan Hairy bey, assaulted the positions of Voinovski, while the bashi-bozouks turned their attention to Botiov`s position. Voinovski's men, with concentrated fire, inflicted heavy losses on the advancing enemy and countered its attempts to encircle them. In their turn Botiov's men repelled several bashi-bozouk attacks and drove the enemy back with a furious counterattack. The fight died of its own and the Turks retreated to their camp. The detachment lost about 10 killed, the enemy — about 30. Many were wounded on both sides.

As the evening was approaching, Hristo Botiov decided to survey the enemy lines from a distance and right at that moment he was hit in the chest by a bullet. It was the 20th of May [1st of June new calendar]. The sudden death of Botiov doomed the detachment and in the following days it was routed. Only 15 men, led by Voinovski, reached the mountains, where they fell like heroes in furious fighting.

All his life, Botiov inspired his followers and comrades with his passion for liberty and rights and finally his turn had come to fulfill his oath and die for them. The inscription chiselled on the granite rock by which he was killed reads: "Your prophecy has come true — you live on!"

Nowadays, the air raid sirens throughout all Bulgaria are being switched on for a few minutes on every June 2, at exactly 12 o'clock. Bulgarians stand up to honour the ones who have fought and died for their country.

Ivan Vazov (Bulgarian: Иван Вазов) (June 27, 1850 - September 22, 1921) was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright. He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria.

The exact date of Vazov's birth is disputed, as he himself was unaware of his precise date of birth. His mother, Suba, was a neighbour of his father, Mintcho Vazov, and both had a lot of influence on the young poet.

After finishing primary school in Sopot, Mintcho sent his son to Kalofer, appointing him assistant teacher. Having done his final exams in Kalofer, the young teacher returned to Sopot to help in his father's grocery. The next year his father sent him to Plovdiv to Naiden Gerov's school. There Vazov made his first steps as a poet.

He returned to Sopot and was sent to Olteniţa in Romania to study trade despite his lack of interest in it. He was immersed in his poetic world. Soon he left Olteniţa and went to Brăila where he met Hristo Botev, a Bulgarian revolutionary and poet. From Brăila he went to Galaţi to his uncle. There he met Botev again.

In 1874 he joined the struggle for his country's independence from the Ottoman Empire. He returned to Sopot in 1875 where he became a member of the local revolutionary committee. After the failure of the April Uprising of 1876, he had to flee the country, going back to Galaţi, where most of the surviving revolutionaries were exiled. There he was appointed a secretary of the committee.

Vazov was probably heavily influenced by Hristo Botev, who was the ideological leader of the Bulgarian revolutionary movement. He started writing his famous poems with Botev and some other Bulgarian emigrants in Romania. In 1876 he published his first work, Priaporetz and Gusla, followed by "Bulgaria's Sorrows" in 1877.

Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 as a result of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878 and Vazov wrote the famous Epic of the Forgotten. He became the editor of the political reviews "Science" and "Dawn." He was, however, forced into exile once again, this time to Odessa, because of the persecution of the russophile political faction. Returning to Bulgaria with the help of his father, he started teaching. Vazov's next stay was in Svishtov, where he became a civil servant.

Vazov's 1893 novel Under the Yoke, which depicts the Ottoman oppression of Bulgaria, is the most famous piece of classic Bulgarian literature and has been translated into over 30 languages.

Later in his life Vazov was a prominent and widely respected figure in the social and cultural life of newly independent Bulgaria.

Other famous works by Vazov are the novels New Country (1894), Under Our Heaven (1900), The Empress of Kazalar (1902), Songs of Macedonia (1914), It Will Not Perish (1920) and the plays Vagabonds (1894), Borislav (1909) and Ivaylo (1911).