Hristo Botev
Encyclopedia
Hristo Botev (6 January 1848 – 1 June 1876), born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian
poet and national revolutionary
. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.
Botev was born in Kalofer
(some historians suggested that he was born in Karlovo
and after several days was brought to 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
occupation. 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 and Polish revolutionary movement. His political views soon started to take shape.
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 Saints 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 Ottoman 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.
with Vasil Levski
, the eventual leader of the Bulgarian insurgency, and the two of them initially became close friends. Later he would describe this period in his works.
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 eminent Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov
. In 1873 he also edited the satiric newspaper "Alarm clock" (Budilnik), where he published a number of feuilleton
s, aimed at those wealthy Bulgarians, who did not take part in the revolutionary movement.
The whole Bulgarian revolutionary movement was put in danger with the capture of Vasil Levski
by Ottoman authorities at the end of 1872. At the time Levski was the indisputable leader of the Bulgarian insurgency. He had established an enormous net of revolutionary committees, supervised by the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee (BCRC; In Bulgarian: БРЦК) located 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 by hanging and executed on 19 February 1873. His death was a serious blow to the morale of the revolutionary movement.
With Levski's death the BCRC was divided in two factions: Botev and his supporters including Stefan Stambolov
and Panayot Hitov
backed the idea that preparations should be started for an immediate uprising, while the moderate revolutionaries, led by Lyuben Karavelov, thought that it was too early for such actions. Botev intended to start an uprising in the first possible moment, 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. The revolt in Bosnia and Herzegovina
of 1875 was another factor that inspired Botev and Stambolov that a rebellion should start in Bulgaria as well. They thought that the greater the turmoil in the Balkans was, the more attention they will attract among the Great powers. In the beginning of August 1875 Karavelov already quite ill stepped down as president of BCRC and Botev was elected the new president. Led by the thought that the Bulgarian people were ever ready for a rebellion he thought that no careful preparations were needed. This resulted in the unsuccessful Stara Zagora
Uprising of September 1875.
decided to organise an armed company to cross the Danube
and take part in the expected uprising. The organisers (known within the movement as “apostles”) of the planned insurgency in the 3rd Revolutionary District centred in Vratza, who had crossed into Romania to try to solicit additional support from the Bulgarian expat community, met with Botev and convinced him that the planned guerrilla company would be best employed in their area. While busily recruiting and arming fighters they were reached by the news that the insurgency had prematurely started.
The recruiters tried to secure an experienced Bulgarian guerrilla leader (known as voevoda) as commander, but the two who were approached refused for political reasons. Thus, Botev himself, though lacking combat experience, took overall command of the company. Military expertise was provided by Nikola Voinovski (1849–1876) a Nikolaev Military Academy graduate, who had previously held the rank of lieutenant in the Russian army. Due to time restraints and the need for secrecy the company did not undergo any formal combat training as a unit and had to rely on the individual fighting skills and experience of its members. The news of the uprising brought new urgency to the preparations and on 16 May 1876 (in the then used Julian calendar
) the 205-strong company was finally equipped and ready to deploy.
Botev devised an ingenious plan for crossing into the Empire without immediately alerting either the Romanian or the Ottoman authorities. The rebels disguised as gardeners embarked in groups the Austro-Hungarian
passenger steamship Radetzky
at several Romanian ports. When the last group was taken onboard at Bechet the rebels retrieved their concealed weapons and seized control of the ship. Botev confronted the captain Dagobert Engländer, stated his intent to reach the Ottoman side of the Danube and explained the political motivation behind his actions. Engländer was so moved by Botev's impassioned speech that he rendered full support and even later refused to cooperate with the Ottoman authorities who requested the use of his ship to pursue the rebel company.
Botev disembarked near Kozloduy
and together with every member of the company ritualistically kissed the Homeland. As the rebels proceeded inland, they gradually realised, that despite previous misleadingly enthusiastic messages by the local “apostles”, the 3rd Revolutionary District had not risen. Furthermore, due to the violent suppression of the uprising proceeding elsewhere in the Bulgarian-populated territories, the entire Ottoman military machine, including regular army garrisons and irregular bashi-bazouk
s, was mobilised and thickly patrolling the area. Botev and his staff officers decided to press on to the comparative safety of the Vratza Mountains while trying to rouse the Bulgarian population on their way. The population intimidated by the overwhelming Ottoman military presence refused to be incited into any overt sign of rebellion.
The company almost immediately became the focus of incessant bashi-bazouk attacks. Voinovski displayed some excellent defensive tactics helped by the still high morale and discipline of the company. On 18 May the massing bashi-bazouks caught up with the company in force and Botev had to go to ground on the Milin Kamak Hill some 50 km from the Danube. Under Voinovski’s skilful command the rebels managed to hold off the numerically superior Ottoman irregulars without taking serious casualties until the arrival of two companies of regular troops. The regulars using two light artillery pieces and their superior rifles managed to inflict heavy casualties among the rebels from a safe distance, but their three attempts to follow up with frontal charges were repulsed by disciplined rebel fire. The company lost about 30 killed or wounded. According to their custom the Ottomans ceased hostilities with nightfall and the rebels split into two groups and managed to slip through the enemy lines and continue their forced march towards the mountains.
The next day passed without sighting the enemy, but at this point it was obvious that no local reinforcements could be expected. In the morning of 20 May, the sentries detected advancing bashi-bazouks and 5 companies of regular Ottoman troops. The men immediately took strong positions near mount Okoltchitza. The defence was divided into two sectors, one commanded by Voinovski and the other by Botev. Soon two battalions of enemy regulars led by Hassan Hairi Bey assaulted Voinovski, while the bashi-bazouks concentrated on Botev's position. Voinovski's men, with concentrated fire, inflicted heavy losses on the advancing enemy and countered their attempts at encirclement. In their turn Botev's men repelled several bashi-bazouk attacks and drove the enemy back with a counterattack. At dusk the fighting died down as the Ottomans again withdrew for the night. The rebels lost about 10 killed and many were wounded in the day’s fighting. It was at this point, at dusk on 20 May 1876 (in the Julian calendar, equivalent to 1 June 1876 in today's Gregorian calendar
), that a single bullet most probably fired by concealed Ottoman sharpshooter hit Botev in the chest, killing him almost instantly. After the death of their leader and chief inspiration, the company suffered a serious drop in morale and began to disperse. Very few managed to evade capture or death. In all, 130 company members were killed and most of the others captured and imprisoned or executed.
Botev was survived by his wife, Veneta, daughter, Ivanka, and stepson, Dimitar.
One of the most persistent topics for 'revisionism' is related to the exact circumstances and reasons of his death. Due to the almost complete annihilation of Botev's company, there were only a handful of eyewitnesses to his death who survived to the Liberation and left either memoirs or interviews. Some minor inconsistencies in their accounts of the events surrounding Botev's demise are regularly blown out of proportion by sensation seekers and used to support various conspiracy theories such as Botev's officers plotting to kill him due to disagreement concerning leadership or battle plans. No credible evidence has been produced to date in support of any of these alternative theories.
. Botev's poetry reflected the sentiments of the poor people, filled with revolutionary ideas, struggling for their freedom against both foreign and domestic tyrants. His poetry is influenced by the Russian revolutionary democrats 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 revolutionary zeal and determination, such as My Prayer ("Moyata molitva"), At Farewell ("Na proshtavane"), Hajduk
s ("Haiduti"), In the Tavern ("V mehanata"), or Struggle ("Borba"). Others are romantic, balladic (Hadzhi Dimitar
, perhaps the greatest of his poems), even elegiac.
Poems:
In 1885 a commemoration committee was founded on the date of Botev's death 1 June. A monument was presented on the main square of Vratsa
in 1890 in the presence of King Ferdinand
. Some of the most prominent Bulgarians in the new history of the country, such as Stefan Stambolov
and Zahari Stoyanov
, devoted a lot of attention to Botev and his deeds for Bulgaria. Soon Botev became a mythical figure in the Bulgarian National Revival, and is even today commemorated as one of the two greatest Bulgarian revolutionaries alongside Vasil Levski.
Every year at exactly 12:00 on 2 June, air raid sirens throughout all of the country resonate for a minute to honour Hristo Botev and those who died for the freedom of Bulgaria. People everywhere stand still for 2 to 3 minutes until the sirens are stopped.
The following are named after Hristo Botev:
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
poet and national revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.
Early years
Kalofer
Kalofer is a town in central Bulgaria, located on the banks of the Tundzha between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south. Kalofer is part of Plovdiv Province and the Karlovo municipality...
(some historians suggested that he was born in Karlovo
Karlovo
Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
and after several days was brought to 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
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
towards the end of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
occupation. 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
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
. 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
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
and Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
. In the meantime he began creating his first poetic works and also established strong connections with the Russian and Polish revolutionary movement. His political views soon started to take shape.
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 Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
(it was his father who first organised at the end of the school year such festivities which today correspond to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's national holiday on 24 May), he made a public speech against the Ottoman 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
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, at the time an asylum for many Bulgarian exiles.
Exile
Greatly influenced by the Bulgarian revolutionaries who lived in Romania, Botev led a life typical for any revolutionary. He was constantly deprived of means and even home. For some time he lived in an abandoned mill near BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
with Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
, the eventual leader of the Bulgarian insurgency, and the two of them initially became close friends. Later he would describe this period in his works.
From 1869 to 1871 Botev worked again as a teacher in Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, 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 eminent Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Stoychev Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival....
. In 1873 he also edited the satiric newspaper "Alarm clock" (Budilnik), where he published a number of feuilleton
Feuilleton
Feuilleton was originally a kind of supplement attached to the political portion of French newspapers, consisting chiefly of non-political news and gossip, literature and art criticism, a chronicle of the latest fashions, and epigrams, charades and other literary trifles...
s, aimed at those wealthy Bulgarians, who did not take part in the revolutionary movement.
The whole Bulgarian revolutionary movement was put in danger with the capture of Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
by Ottoman authorities at the end of 1872. At the time Levski was the indisputable leader of the Bulgarian insurgency. He had established an enormous net of revolutionary committees, supervised by the Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee (BCRC; In Bulgarian: БРЦК) located 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 by hanging and executed on 19 February 1873. His death was a serious blow to the morale of the revolutionary movement.
With Levski's death the BCRC was divided in two factions: Botev and his supporters including Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
and Panayot Hitov
Panayot Hitov
Panayot Ivanov Hitov was a Bulgarian hajduk, national revolutionary and band leader .Born in 1830 in Sliven, he became a hajduk in Georgi Trankin's band in 1858. Two years later, after the death of Trankin, Hitov succeeded him as voivode of the band, which became one of the most active in...
backed the idea that preparations should be started for an immediate uprising, while the moderate revolutionaries, led by Lyuben Karavelov, thought that it was too early for such actions. Botev intended to start an uprising in the first possible moment, to take advantage of the international situation (the mounting tension between the Ottoman empire on one side, and Serbia and Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
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. The revolt in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Herzegovinian rebellion
The Herzegovina Uprising of 1875-1878 was an uprising led by Christians, firstly in Herzegovina and then in Bosnia. It is the most significant of the rebellions against Ottoman rule in Herzegovina...
of 1875 was another factor that inspired Botev and Stambolov that a rebellion should start in Bulgaria as well. They thought that the greater the turmoil in the Balkans was, the more attention they will attract among the Great powers. In the beginning of August 1875 Karavelov already quite ill stepped down as president of BCRC and Botev was elected the new president. Led by the thought that the Bulgarian people were ever ready for a rebellion he thought that no careful preparations were needed. This resulted in the unsuccessful Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
Uprising of September 1875.
Death
In the beginning of 1876 the Bulgarian revolutionary émigrés in Romania were convinced that a general armed uprising of Bulgarians against Ottoman occupation was imminent. In April 1876 the émigré community in BechetBechet
Bechet is a city in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania, on the river Danube, opposite the Bulgarian city of Oryahovo.- External links :*...
decided to organise an armed company to cross the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and take part in the expected uprising. The organisers (known within the movement as “apostles”) of the planned insurgency in the 3rd Revolutionary District centred in Vratza, who had crossed into Romania to try to solicit additional support from the Bulgarian expat community, met with Botev and convinced him that the planned guerrilla company would be best employed in their area. While busily recruiting and arming fighters they were reached by the news that the insurgency had prematurely started.
The recruiters tried to secure an experienced Bulgarian guerrilla leader (known as voevoda) as commander, but the two who were approached refused for political reasons. Thus, Botev himself, though lacking combat experience, took overall command of the company. Military expertise was provided by Nikola Voinovski (1849–1876) a Nikolaev Military Academy graduate, who had previously held the rank of lieutenant in the Russian army. Due to time restraints and the need for secrecy the company did not undergo any formal combat training as a unit and had to rely on the individual fighting skills and experience of its members. The news of the uprising brought new urgency to the preparations and on 16 May 1876 (in the then used Julian calendar
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
) the 205-strong company was finally equipped and ready to deploy.
Botev devised an ingenious plan for crossing into the Empire without immediately alerting either the Romanian or the Ottoman authorities. The rebels disguised as gardeners embarked in groups the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
passenger steamship Radetzky
Radetzky (steamship)
The Radetzky was an Austro-Hungarian passenger steamship built in 1851 in the shipyard in Óbuda, Hungary, and used for regular services on the Danube, mainly between Orşova, Austria-Hungary and Galaţi, Romania...
at several Romanian ports. When the last group was taken onboard at Bechet the rebels retrieved their concealed weapons and seized control of the ship. Botev confronted the captain Dagobert Engländer, stated his intent to reach the Ottoman side of the Danube and explained the political motivation behind his actions. Engländer was so moved by Botev's impassioned speech that he rendered full support and even later refused to cooperate with the Ottoman authorities who requested the use of his ship to pursue the rebel company.
Botev disembarked near Kozloduy
Kozloduy
Kozloduy is a town of 13,871 inhabitants in northwest Bulgaria, located in Vratsa Province, on the river Danube. The city was liberated from Ottoman rule on 23 November 1877 by the Romanian Army under the command of the Imperial Russian Army...
and together with every member of the company ritualistically kissed the Homeland. As the rebels proceeded inland, they gradually realised, that despite previous misleadingly enthusiastic messages by the local “apostles”, the 3rd Revolutionary District had not risen. Furthermore, due to the violent suppression of the uprising proceeding elsewhere in the Bulgarian-populated territories, the entire Ottoman military machine, including regular army garrisons and irregular bashi-bazouk
Bashi-bazouk
A bashi-bazouk or bashibazouk was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army...
s, was mobilised and thickly patrolling the area. Botev and his staff officers decided to press on to the comparative safety of the Vratza Mountains while trying to rouse the Bulgarian population on their way. The population intimidated by the overwhelming Ottoman military presence refused to be incited into any overt sign of rebellion.
The company almost immediately became the focus of incessant bashi-bazouk attacks. Voinovski displayed some excellent defensive tactics helped by the still high morale and discipline of the company. On 18 May the massing bashi-bazouks caught up with the company in force and Botev had to go to ground on the Milin Kamak Hill some 50 km from the Danube. Under Voinovski’s skilful command the rebels managed to hold off the numerically superior Ottoman irregulars without taking serious casualties until the arrival of two companies of regular troops. The regulars using two light artillery pieces and their superior rifles managed to inflict heavy casualties among the rebels from a safe distance, but their three attempts to follow up with frontal charges were repulsed by disciplined rebel fire. The company lost about 30 killed or wounded. According to their custom the Ottomans ceased hostilities with nightfall and the rebels split into two groups and managed to slip through the enemy lines and continue their forced march towards the mountains.
The next day passed without sighting the enemy, but at this point it was obvious that no local reinforcements could be expected. In the morning of 20 May, the sentries detected advancing bashi-bazouks and 5 companies of regular Ottoman troops. The men immediately took strong positions near mount Okoltchitza. The defence was divided into two sectors, one commanded by Voinovski and the other by Botev. Soon two battalions of enemy regulars led by Hassan Hairi Bey assaulted Voinovski, while the bashi-bazouks concentrated on Botev's position. Voinovski's men, with concentrated fire, inflicted heavy losses on the advancing enemy and countered their attempts at encirclement. In their turn Botev's men repelled several bashi-bazouk attacks and drove the enemy back with a counterattack. At dusk the fighting died down as the Ottomans again withdrew for the night. The rebels lost about 10 killed and many were wounded in the day’s fighting. It was at this point, at dusk on 20 May 1876 (in the Julian calendar, equivalent to 1 June 1876 in today's Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
), that a single bullet most probably fired by concealed Ottoman sharpshooter hit Botev in the chest, killing him almost instantly. After the death of their leader and chief inspiration, the company suffered a serious drop in morale and began to disperse. Very few managed to evade capture or death. In all, 130 company members were killed and most of the others captured and imprisoned or executed.
Botev was survived by his wife, Veneta, daughter, Ivanka, and stepson, Dimitar.
Death conspiracy
Botev's image was methodically built up as a revolutionary icon by 19th-century Post-Liberation intellectuals and authors, most notably by Zachary Stoyanov and Ivan Vazov. The more controversial aspects of his biography including his anarchist and Communist ideology were deliberately toned down in order not to offend Bourgeois sensibilities. Ironically, his ideology and association with Russian anarchists helped the Communist propaganda of the second half of the 20thc. to paint him as the pioneer of Bulgarian socialism and thus perpetuate his cult. Consequently, as with any super-exposed public figure with controversy in their past, over the years Botev has on numerous occasions become the target of sensationalist 'discoveries' predominantly in the tabloid press.One of the most persistent topics for 'revisionism' is related to the exact circumstances and reasons of his death. Due to the almost complete annihilation of Botev's company, there were only a handful of eyewitnesses to his death who survived to the Liberation and left either memoirs or interviews. Some minor inconsistencies in their accounts of the events surrounding Botev's demise are regularly blown out of proportion by sensation seekers and used to support various conspiracy theories such as Botev's officers plotting to kill him due to disagreement concerning leadership or battle plans. No credible evidence has been produced to date in support of any of these alternative theories.
Literary works
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 StambolovStefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
. Botev's poetry reflected the sentiments of the poor people, filled with revolutionary ideas, struggling for their freedom against both foreign and domestic tyrants. His poetry is influenced by the Russian revolutionary democrats and the figures of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
. Under this influence, Botev rose both as a poet and a revolutionary democrat. Many of his poems are imbued with revolutionary zeal and determination, such as My Prayer ("Moyata molitva"), At Farewell ("Na proshtavane"), Hajduk
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
s ("Haiduti"), In the Tavern ("V mehanata"), or Struggle ("Borba"). Others are romantic, balladic (Hadzhi Dimitar
Hadzhi Dimitar
Dimitar Nikolov Asenov , better known as Hadzhi Dimitar , was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivods and revolutionaries working for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.-Early life:...
, perhaps the greatest of his poems), even elegiac.
Poems:
| Original Title | Transliteration | Translation | First Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Майце си | Maytze si | To My Mother | 1867 |
| Към брата си | Kam brata si | To My Brother | 1868 |
| Елегия | Elegia | Elegy | 1870 |
| Делба | Delba | Division | 1870 |
| До моето първо либе | Do moeto parvo libe | To My First Love | 1871 |
| На прощаване в 1868 г. | Na proshtavane v 1868 | At Farewell in 1868 | 1871 |
| Хайдути | Hayduti | Hajduks | 1871 |
| Пристанала | Pristanala | Eloped | 1871 |
| Борба | Borba | Struggle | 1871 |
| Странник | Strannik | Stranger | 1872 |
| Ней | Ney | To Her | 1875 |
| Гергьовден | Gergyovden | St. George's Day | 1873 |
| Патриот | Patriot | Patriot | 1873 |
| Защо не съм...? | Zashto ne sam...? | Why am I not...? | 1873 |
| Послание (на св. Търновски) | Poslanie (na sveti Tarnovski) | Epistle (to the Bishop of Tarnovo) | 1873 |
| Хаджи Димитър | Hadzhi Dimitar | 1873 | |
| В механата | V mehanata | In the Tavern | 1873 |
| Моята молитва | Moyata molitva | My Prayer | 1873 |
| Зададе се облак темен | Zadade se oblak temen | A Dark Cloud Is Coming | 1873 |
| Обесването на Васил Левски | Obesvaneto na Vasil Levski | The Hanging of Vasil Levski | 1876 |
Legacy
Vratsa
Vratsa is a city in northwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Vratsa Province. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 60,482 inhabitants....
in 1890 in the presence of King Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
. Some of the most prominent Bulgarians in the new history of the country, such as Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
and Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov , born Dzhendo Stoyanov Dzhedev , was a Bulgarian revolutionary, writer, and historian. A participant in the April Uprising of 1876, he became its first historiographer with his book Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprisings...
, devoted a lot of attention to Botev and his deeds for Bulgaria. Soon Botev became a mythical figure in the Bulgarian National Revival, and is even today commemorated as one of the two greatest Bulgarian revolutionaries alongside Vasil Levski.
Every year at exactly 12:00 on 2 June, air raid sirens throughout all of the country resonate for a minute to honour Hristo Botev and those who died for the freedom of Bulgaria. People everywhere stand still for 2 to 3 minutes until the sirens are stopped.
The following are named after Hristo Botev:
- Botev PointBotev PointBotev Point is the south extremity of both Rozhen Peninsula and Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica formed by an offshoot of Botev Peak in the Veleka Ridge of Tangra Mountains....
and Botev PeakBotev Peak, Livingston IslandBotev Peak is a peak rising to about 370 m in the southern extremity of the Veleka Ridge of Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica overlooking Tarnovo Ice Piedmont to the east-northeast, Botev Point to the south, Barnard Point to the west and Arkutino...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for... - The highest peak in Stara planina
- The city of BotevgradBotevgradBotevgrad ; pre-1866: Samundzhievo ), is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Sofia Province and is close to Pravets. Botevgrad is situated at a 47-km-distance from Sofia.-Geography:...
- Streets and boulevards in most Bulgarian cities
- Streets and boulevards in many RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n cities - A number of schools and high schools
- Several football clubs – FC Botev VratsaFC Botev VratsaOFC Botev Vratsa , founded in 1921, is a Bulgarian football club from the city of Vratsa. The club currently plays in A PFG, the first level of Bulgarian football....
, PFC Botev PlovdivPFC Botev PlovdivPFC Botev Plovdiv , is the oldest Bulgarian football club from the city of Plovdiv, which currently competes in Bulgaria's second football league, the B PFG....
, Botev Ihtiman, Botev Galabovo, Botev Kozlodui, Botev Boljarovo and etc. - Several football stadiums in Bulgaria
- A Bulgarian National RadioBulgarian National RadioBulgarian National Radio is Bulgaria's national radio broadcasting organization. It operates two national and seven regional channels, as well as an international service – Radio Bulgaria – which broadcasts in 11 languages.-National:...
channel - The International Botev PrizeInternational Botev PrizeThe International Botev Prize is a prestigious Bulgarian award, presented to individuals with significant accomplishments in the field of literature.It was established in 1972 and is named after Hristo Botev, an iconic Bulgarian revolutionary and poet....
- Asteroid (225238) 2009 QJ5, which was discovered on 23 August 2009, by F. Fratev – Zvezdno Obshtestvo Observatory (Bulgaria).
External links
- HristoBotev.com (Bulgarian)
- June 2, 1876 Daily Bleed Calendar reference page
- Kalofer.com Hristo Botev Museum in Kalofer
- bmc-bg.webbly.com First CD compilation of Botyov's Songs