Hristo Botev (6 January, 1848-1 June, 1876) was a poet and revolutionary from Bulgaria. To this day his poetry is considered to be a first-rate example of the Bulgarian National Revival.
Fun Facts about Hristo Botev:
1. Hristo Botyov Petkov in Kalofer, Bulgaria, to Botyo Petkov and Ivanka Boteva. Botyo Petkov worked as a teacher in Odessa and is also considered to be an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival. His birthplace, however, is disputed by historians.
2. Young Mr. Botev attended school in Kalofer, and high school in Odessa. After finishing his studies, he spent two years as a teacher in Odessa like his father.
3. He attended the gymnasium (college) in the Russian Empire but was absent from classes, usually spending the time in the library, and treated his teachers with arrogance. On his third year his scholarship was revokad, and he was sent back homme.
4. Unbeknownst to his family, he lived in Romania where he met the future leader of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee, Vasil Levski. They lived in an abandoned mill near Bucharest.
5. While making a living as a teacher in Bessarabia, he edited the movement’s paper. Due to his involvement, he spent a few months in a Russian jail.
6. In 1875, Hristo Botev published his first book Songs and Poems together with Stefan Stambolov, a future politician.
7. As time passed, Mr. Botev’s star within the revolutionary community grew as his poetry reflected their ideals
8. Hristo Botev wasn’t just a poet, but also a leader in the rebel movement to liberate Bulgaria.
9. At dusk on May 20, 1876, while batteling Ottoman forces, he was hit in the chest with a single bullet and died almost immediately.
10. Every year on June 2 (the new Gregorian calendar’s date of death is 1 June) Hristo Botev death is commemorated in Bulgaria, where he is considered a national hero.
Zohar – Man of la Book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
Sources:
Hristo Botev | Wikipedia
WHO WAS HRISTO BOTEV? | VAGABOND
