Information AboutHristo Botev |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HRISTO BOTEV | |
| bulgarian revolutionaries | |
| botev, hristo | |
| bulgarian poets | |
| 1848 births | |
| botev | |
| 1876 deaths | |
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Hristo Botev (n Poet and Revolutionary . He was born in Kalofer on January 6 , 1848 . EARLY LIFE Botev`s 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 yoke, and he influenced greatly the young Hristo. After finishing his elementary education in his hometown, in 1863 Hristo Botev was sent by his father to Odessa, where he began his high-school studies. There, for the very first time in his life, Botev took a first-hand look at the work of the liberal Russian poets and writers and was deeply impressed. In 1865 he left high-school and worked in the next 2 years as a teacher in Odessa and in the Bessarabia region (where lived, and still live, many ethnic Bulgarians). In the meantime he began creating his first poetic works and also established strong connections with the Russian revolutionary movement. During that period some of his most important personal features became visible - a strong character, unbreakable will, perseverance, gift of speech and, above all, patriotism. In the beginning of 1867 Botev returned to Kalofer, where he temporarily replaced his father, sick at that time, as a teacher. In May, during the festivities devoted to the great Slavic enlighteners Cyrill and Methodius , he made a brave public speech against the Turkish authorities and their wealthy Bulgarian collaborators, and was urged to leave Kalofer. He decided to return to Russia, but the lack of means prevented him from doing so and he chose Romania instead, which was an important center of the Bulgarian revolutionary emigration. ROMANIAN EXILE Greatly influenced by the Bulgarian revolutionaries who lived in Romania, Botev led a life typical for any champion of freedom. He was constantly deprived of means and even home. Remarkable moment in this period of his life was his close friendship with the great Apostle of Bulgarian freedom Vassil Levski . Both of them lived in an abandoned mill near Bucharest in undescribable poverty and destitution. However, their fighting spirit proved to be stronger than that. Later, Botev would made a vivid, full of humor description of that situation. From 1869 to 1871 Botev 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, Botev started working for the "Liberty" (''Svoboda'') newspaper, edited by the famous Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov . Their collaboration was prolific and had not only a great influence over the emigrants, but gave also courage to the Bulgarian people to rise against their Ottoman oppressors. 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 struggle for freedom, but preferred to preserve their fortune. STRUGGLE FOR NATIONAL FREEDOM The struggle for freedom was extremely difficult. At the end of 1872 the Ottoman police captured Vassil Levski, who was at that time the undisputable leader of the Bulgarian insurgency. He established an enormous net of revolutionary committees, supervized by the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee (BCRC) in Romania, which had the task of preparing the Bulgarian people 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 Botev 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. Botev 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 Botev published his poetic works in a book called "Songs and poems", together with another Bulgarian revolutionary poet (and future politician and statesman) Stefan Stambolov . Botev`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, Botev 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 APRIL UPRISING The uprising started in April 1876 . The poorly armed rebels fought with great bravery and selflessness against the regular Ottoman troops and their para-military units, known as the bashi-bozouks. The uprising was suppressed with extreme cruelty. Over 30 000 men, women and children were slaughtered, thousands were sent to exile in Asia Minor, many more left their homes. The tragedy ignited the public opinion all over the world. Botev watched the faithful 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, Botev devised a plan for the safe crossing of the Danube , without informing the Romanian authorities about it. On May 16th 1876, disguised as agrarian workers, the members of the detachment boarded the Austro-Hungarian steamer Radetzky and after a special signal seized control of it. After that Botev presented the political motives of his act before the captain of the steamer, Dagobert Englãnder, and the passengers. The civilized manners of the Bulgarian revolutionary made a great impression to all the people that were present aboard the ship. ''Radetzky'' reached the Bulgarian coast near Kozlodui . Botev and his comrades bid captain Englãnder and his passengers farewell and disembarked on Bulgarian soil. The moment was full of dramatism, for the news of the suppressed uprising had already reached all Europe and the people aboard the ''Radetzky'' had no illusions about what awaited Botev and his comrades in their blood-spattered homeland. 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 enemy, but Botev and Nikola Voinovski organised their comrades in time, took defensive positions and started repulsing the repeated enemy 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 Botev. Soon 2 battalions of enemy regulars, led by Hassan Hairy bey, assaulted the positions of Voinovski, while the bashi-bozouks turned their attention to Botev`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 Botev`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 Botev 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 of June new style . The sudden death of Botev 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, Botev 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. His memory shall never be forgotten. 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. THE HANGING OF VASIL LEVSKI (IN BULGARIAN) Обесването на Васил Левски О, майко моя, родино мила, защо тъй жално, тъй милно плачеш? Гарване, и ти, птицо проклета, на чий гроб там тъй грозно грачеш ? Ох, зная, зная, ти плачеш, майко, затуй, че ти си черна робиня, затуй, че твоят свещен глас, майко, е глас без помощ, глас във пустиня. Плачи! Там близо край град София стърчи, аз видях, черно бесило, и твой един син, Българийо, виси на него със страшна сила. Гарванът грачи грозно, зловещо, псета и вълци вият в полята, старци се молят богу горещо, жените плачат, пищят децата. Зимата пее свойта зла песен, вихрове гонят тръни в полето, и студ, и мраз, и плач без надежда навяват на теб скръб на сърцето. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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