Konstantin Antonov
Encyclopedia
Konstantin Antonov Ivanov, nicknamed Sechenkata, and also known under the name Valcho Antonov, was a Bulgaria
n revolutionary, a member of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee, the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and the Bulgarian Communist Party
.
in 1879. His father was a local revolutionary worker. He studied in the Plovdiv
Gymnasium, where he was influenced by the representative of the Geneve group, Dimo Nikolov, to accept the socialist ideas. He went to Lyubimets
with Nikolov to get acquainted with the conditions in the Odrin
Vilayet. There he met Pavel Genadiev, who attracted him to the revolutionary cause. Genadiev managed to appoint Ivanov teacher in Aharkyoy, Odrin region. He became a member of the Odrin regional revolutionary committee of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and founded committees in Aharkyoy and the neighbouring villages – Kemal
, Dogandzha, Kaikkyoy, Haskyoy, Fikel, Vazgash, Hadzhikyoy and others. However, Konstantin Antonov was forced to escape to Odrin and later to Bulgaria because of betrayal which happened in the village of Kemal.
From February 1901 to 1902, he was a leader of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC) border point in Chepelare
, where he was supported by the local teacher Tota Doncheva. There he started using the name Valcho, in memory of the previous leader of the border point, Valcho Sarafov, who was a cousin of Boris Sarafov
. In Chepelare, Antonov applied unscrupulous methods of terror as a result of which a few members of the organization got killed, and many other members suffered from betrayal. The revolutionary cause was in general seriously shaken. According to Hristo Karamandzhukov:
On the Plovdiv Congress of the Odrin revolutionary region in 1902, he was chosen a traveling member of the Odrin regional revolutionary committee and he was appointed leader of the West Thrace revolutionary region. The same year in August, he created a revolutionary band in Haskovo
, in which were included Tane Nikolov
, Dimitar Zapryanov, Stefan Cholakov, Dyado Petar and others, and entered Thrace with this band. In 1904, he went to Odessa
where established close relations with the local socialists.
In 1904 he married Tota Doncheva and in the beginning of 1905 he went with her to Skopje
, where they formed a socialist group under the mask of their tailoring activity. However, they were revealed to the authorities and expelled outside the borders of the Ottoman Empire
.
During the Balkan Wars
, he was a volunteer of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
and served in the revolutionary band of Nikola Zhekoolu, and later in the Third company of the Third Thessalonica Battalion . During 1924-1925, he joined the Military organization of the Bulgarian Communist Party
in the region of Stara Zagora
. In 1928 he was among the founders of the Workers' Party in Stara Zagora. He died in 1932 after he was beaten by the police .
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...
n revolutionary, a member of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee, the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
.
Biography
Konstantin Ivanov was born in Stara ZagoraStara 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...
in 1879. His father was a local revolutionary worker. He studied in the Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
Gymnasium, where he was influenced by the representative of the Geneve group, Dimo Nikolov, to accept the socialist ideas. He went to Lyubimets
Lyubimets
Lyubimets is a small town in Haskovo Province, southern-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Lyubimets Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 7,670 inhabitants....
with Nikolov to get acquainted with the conditions in the Odrin
East Thrace
East Thrace or Eastern Thrace , also known as Turkish Thrace, is the part of the modern republic of Turkey that is geographically part of Europe, all in the eastern part of the historical region of Thrace; most of Turkey is in Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor. Turkish Thrace is also called...
Vilayet. There he met Pavel Genadiev, who attracted him to the revolutionary cause. Genadiev managed to appoint Ivanov teacher in Aharkyoy, Odrin region. He became a member of the Odrin regional revolutionary committee of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and founded committees in Aharkyoy and the neighbouring villages – Kemal
Kemal
Kemal may refer to:People* Kemal , a common Turkish name** Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey** Yaşar Kemal, Turkish writerPlaces* Kemalpaşa, Izmir Province, Turkey* Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa Province, TurkeySee also...
, Dogandzha, Kaikkyoy, Haskyoy, Fikel, Vazgash, Hadzhikyoy and others. However, Konstantin Antonov was forced to escape to Odrin and later to Bulgaria because of betrayal which happened in the village of Kemal.
From February 1901 to 1902, he was a leader of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee (SMAC) border point in Chepelare
Chepelare
Chepelare is a town and ski resort in Smolyan Province in Southern Bulgaria. It is situated in the central part of the Rhodopes, on the banks of Chepelare River. Chepelare is a popular winter resort with one of the longest ski runs in Southeastern Europe. It is located near Pamporovo, one of the...
, where he was supported by the local teacher Tota Doncheva. There he started using the name Valcho, in memory of the previous leader of the border point, Valcho Sarafov, who was a cousin of Boris Sarafov
Boris Sarafov
Boris Petrov Sarafov was a revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, one of the leaders of Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee and Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization...
. In Chepelare, Antonov applied unscrupulous methods of terror as a result of which a few members of the organization got killed, and many other members suffered from betrayal. The revolutionary cause was in general seriously shaken. According to Hristo Karamandzhukov:
On the Plovdiv Congress of the Odrin revolutionary region in 1902, he was chosen a traveling member of the Odrin regional revolutionary committee and he was appointed leader of the West Thrace revolutionary region. The same year in August, he created a revolutionary band in Haskovo
Haskovo
Haskovo , is a city, an administrative centre of the homonymous Haskovo Province in southern Bulgaria, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. As of February 2011, it has a population of 74,843 inhabitants....
, in which were included Tane Nikolov
Tane Nikolov
Tane Nikolov was a Bulgarian revolutionary and member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia, Thrace and Pomoravlje...
, Dimitar Zapryanov, Stefan Cholakov, Dyado Petar and others, and entered Thrace with this band. In 1904, he went to 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,...
where established close relations with the local socialists.
In 1904 he married Tota Doncheva and in the beginning of 1905 he went with her to Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, where they formed a socialist group under the mask of their tailoring activity. However, they were revealed to the authorities and expelled outside the borders of the Ottoman Empire
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...
.
During the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, he was a volunteer of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 and consisted of Bulgarian volunteers from Macedonia and Thrace, regions still under Ottoman rule, and thus not subject to Bulgarian military...
and served in the revolutionary band of Nikola Zhekoolu, and later in the Third company of the Third Thessalonica Battalion . During 1924-1925, he joined the Military organization of the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
in the region of 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...
. In 1928 he was among the founders of the Workers' Party in Stara Zagora. He died in 1932 after he was beaten by the police .