Konstantin Fotinov
Encyclopedia
Konstantin Georgiev Fotinov (c. 1790 – 29 November 1858) was a Bulgaria
n writer, translator and enlightener of the Bulgarian National Revival
period. The publisher of the first Bulgarian-language magazine
, he is regarded as the founder of the Bulgarian press.
Fotinov was born in the town of Samokov
around 1790 to the family of a small-time merchant from Plovdiv
. He studied at a local monastical school before continuing his education in Plovdiv in Thrace
and in Kydonies
in Anatolia
; he was tutored by the Greek
humanist Theophilos Kairis
. He worked on a translation of the Bible into Bulgarian
for the BFBS, but they did not approve it. From 1828 on, Fotinov worked as a teacher and man of letters. He founded a private mixed Hellenic-Bulgarian school in İzmir
(Smyrna
) and employed the Bell-Lancaster method
. The school's programme included Bulgarian, Greek and French
classes. It had around 200 pupils from all around the Bulgarian lands.
Fotinov was the editor and publisher of the first Bulgarian magazine, Lyuboslovie ("philology
", "love of words"), which he issued in Smyrna from 1844 to 1846. The magazine was richly illustrated and included articles on history
, geography
, religion
, morale
, enlightenment
, medicine
, hygiene
, language
, etc. Fotinov also published a Greek grammar book (1838) and a Bulgarian phrasebook (1845) and translated a geographic book from Greek to Bulgarian (1843). It was Fotinov that first addressed the issue of female education
in the Bulgarian press.
From 1852 on, Fotinov worked on a Bulgarian translation of the Bible
. He managed to translate the Old Testament
: the Book of Psalms was published in Smyrna in 1855 and the Book of Genesis was issued in Istanbul
(Tsarigrad) in 1857.
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 writer, translator and enlightener 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...
period. The publisher of the first Bulgarian-language magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, he is regarded as the founder of the Bulgarian press.
Fotinov was born in the town of Samokov
Samokov
Samokov is a town in Sofia Province in the southwest of Bulgaria. It is situated in a kettle between the mountains Rila and Vitosha, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia...
around 1790 to the family of a small-time merchant from 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...
. He studied at a local monastical school before continuing his education in Plovdiv in Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and in Kydonies
Ayvalik
Ayvalık is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a district of the Balıkesir Province.It was alternatively called by the town's formerly indigenous Greek population, although the use of the name Ayvalık was widespread for centuries among both the Turks and the Greeks...
in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
; he was tutored by the Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
humanist Theophilos Kairis
Theophilos Kairis
Theophilos Kairis was a Greek priest and revolutionary. He was born in Andros, Cyclades, Ottoman Greece, as a son of a distinguished family....
. He worked on a translation of the Bible into Bulgarian
Bible translations into Bulgarian
Bible translations into modern Bulgarian date from the 1820s and were largely organised by Protestant missionaries. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church initially prefering the continued use of Old Church Slavonic....
for the BFBS, but they did not approve it. From 1828 on, Fotinov worked as a teacher and man of letters. He founded a private mixed Hellenic-Bulgarian school in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
(Smyrna
Smyrna
Smyrna was an ancient city located at a central and strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Thanks to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prominence. The ancient city is located at two sites within modern İzmir, Turkey...
) and employed the Bell-Lancaster method
Bell-Lancaster method
The Monitorial System was an education method that became popular on a global scale during the early 19th century. This method was also known as "mutual instruction" or the "Bell-Lancaster method" after the British educators Dr Andrew Bell and Joseph Lancaster who both independently developed it...
. The school's programme included Bulgarian, Greek and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
classes. It had around 200 pupils from all around the Bulgarian lands.
Fotinov was the editor and publisher of the first Bulgarian magazine, Lyuboslovie ("philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
", "love of words"), which he issued in Smyrna from 1844 to 1846. The magazine was richly illustrated and included articles on history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
, enlightenment
Enlightenment (concept)
Enlightenment broadly means wisdom or understanding enabling clarity of perception. However, the English word covers two concepts which can be quite distinct: religious and spiritual enlightenment and secular or intellectual enlightenment...
, medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, etc. Fotinov also published a Greek grammar book (1838) and a Bulgarian phrasebook (1845) and translated a geographic book from Greek to Bulgarian (1843). It was Fotinov that first addressed the issue of female education
Female education
Female education is a catch-all term for a complex of issues and debates surrounding education for females. It includes areas of gender equality and access to education, and its connection to the alleviation of poverty...
in the Bulgarian press.
From 1852 on, Fotinov worked on a Bulgarian translation of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He managed to translate the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
: the Book of Psalms was published in Smyrna in 1855 and the Book of Genesis was issued in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(Tsarigrad) in 1857.