Krastyo Asenov
Encyclopedia
Krastyo Hadzhipetrov Asenov, nicknamed Mechkata (the Bear), Ogneniot daskal (the Fiery Teacher) and Cherkeza (the Circassian), was a Bulgaria
n revolutionary figure active in the region of Macedonia
, one of the voyvodas of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) for the Enidzhe Vardar region. He took part in the liberation struggles of the Bulgarians at the beginning of the 20th Century .
. He was a nephew of the legendary Bulgarian voyvoda Hadzhi Dimitar
and a brother of the IMARO revolutionary Yordan Asenov
. He graduated from the Bulgarian Men's High School of Varna
and later from the Sofia University
. Afterwards Asenov worked as a Bulgarian Exarchate
teacher in Macedonia.
Under the influence of Gotse Delchev
, he joined the IMARO and the struggle for the liberation of Macedonia and Odrin from the Turkish
yoke. When he was a teacher in the village of Leshko
, Asenov met Yane Sandanski
. He was one of the organizers and took an active role in the Miss Stone Affair
. In 1902, his sister, Doctor Sabka Asenova, preserved a part of the ransom collected from the Miss Stone Affair. Asenov's cousins, Dimitar Asenov and Ivan Asenov were freedom fighters in the revolutionary band of the voyvoda Toma Davidov. During 1902, Asenov's revolutionary activity was concentrated on the right coast of the Struma River
.
During the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
he was a voyvoda of the Kilkis
cheta and fought against the Ottomans in the area of the Paiak Mountain.
In the village of Kornishor, there was a merger between the Kilkis band of Krastyo Asenov, and the Enizhe-Vardar bands of Apostol Petkov
and Ivan Karasuliyata. Here the flag of the uprising was sanctified before 250 freedom fighters .
On June 6, he fought a battle against Turkish soldiers near the Ardzhan Lake, in which Milan Delchev was killed. On June 16, Asenov fought a battle near the village of Postol
.
Despite the rumour amongst his fellows, that it would be a bad sign, on July 25, when the Uprising was still ongoing, he married Ana Maleshevska, the daughter of the voyvoda Nikola Maleshevski, in the village of Kornishor (today known as Kromni), in the Enidzhe-Vardar region. However, he was killed only several days after the wedding by his superstitious comrades, dissatisfied with his decision to marry. Later, they were sentenced to death by the IMARO revolutionary-court.
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 figure active in the region of Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, one of the voyvodas of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) for the Enidzhe Vardar region. He took part in the liberation struggles of the Bulgarians at the beginning of the 20th Century .
Biography
Krastyo Asenov was born in 1877 in SlivenSliven
Sliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
. He was a nephew of the legendary Bulgarian voyvoda 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:...
and a brother of the IMARO revolutionary Yordan Asenov
Yordan Asenov
Yordan Hadzhipetrov Asenov was a Bulgarian revolutionary, a worker of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization .Yordan Asenov was born in 1869 in Sliven, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He was a nephew of the legendary revolutionary figure, the voyvoda Hadzhi Dimitar, and an...
. He graduated from the Bulgarian Men's High School of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
and later from the Sofia University
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
. Afterwards Asenov worked as a Bulgarian Exarchate
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953....
teacher in Macedonia.
Under the influence of Gotse Delchev
Gotse Delchev
Georgi Nikolov Delchev was an important revolutionary figure in Ottoman-ruled Macedonia and Thrace at the turn of the 20th century...
, he joined the IMARO and the struggle for the liberation of Macedonia and Odrin from the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
yoke. When he was a teacher in the village of Leshko
Leshko
Leshko is a mountainous village in the municipality of Blagoevgrad, in Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria. It is situated in the foothills of Vlahina mountain.-References:...
, Asenov met Yane Sandanski
Yane Sandanski
Yane Ivanov Sandanski or Jane Ivanov Sandanski, was a revolutionary, one of the leaders of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization in the Serres region and head of the extreme leftist wing of the organization...
. He was one of the organizers and took an active role in the Miss Stone Affair
Miss Stone Affair
The Miss Stone Affair was the kidnapping of American Protestant missionary Ellen Maria Stone and her pregnant friend Katerina Stefanova–Tsilka by an IMORO detachment led by the voivoda Yane Sandanski and the sub-voivodas Hristo Chernopeev and Krǎstyo Asenov on 21 August 1901. The two women were...
. In 1902, his sister, Doctor Sabka Asenova, preserved a part of the ransom collected from the Miss Stone Affair. Asenov's cousins, Dimitar Asenov and Ivan Asenov were freedom fighters in the revolutionary band of the voyvoda Toma Davidov. During 1902, Asenov's revolutionary activity was concentrated on the right coast of the Struma River
Struma River
The Struma or Strymónas is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymōn . Its catchment area is 10,800 km²...
.
During the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising or simply the Ilinden Uprising of August 1903 |Macedonia]] affected most of the central and southwestern parts of the Monastir Vilayet receiving the support mainly of the local Bulgarian peasants and to some extent of the Aromanian population of the region...
he was a voyvoda of the Kilkis
Kilkis
Kilkis is an industrial city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2001 there were 17,430 people living in the city proper, 24,812 people living in the municipal unit, and 56,336 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional unit of Kilkis.-Name:Kilkis is located in a...
cheta and fought against the Ottomans in the area of the Paiak Mountain.
In the village of Kornishor, there was a merger between the Kilkis band of Krastyo Asenov, and the Enizhe-Vardar bands of Apostol Petkov
Apostol Petkov
Apostol Petkov or the Sun of Enije Vardar was a Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the leaders of the revolutionary movement in Aegean Macedonia...
and Ivan Karasuliyata. Here the flag of the uprising was sanctified before 250 freedom fighters .
On June 6, he fought a battle against Turkish soldiers near the Ardzhan Lake, in which Milan Delchev was killed. On June 16, Asenov fought a battle near the village of Postol
Postol
Postol may refer to:*Pella , Postol in Slavic languages*Theodore Postol , scientist...
.
Despite the rumour amongst his fellows, that it would be a bad sign, on July 25, when the Uprising was still ongoing, he married Ana Maleshevska, the daughter of the voyvoda Nikola Maleshevski, in the village of Kornishor (today known as Kromni), in the Enidzhe-Vardar region. However, he was killed only several days after the wedding by his superstitious comrades, dissatisfied with his decision to marry. Later, they were sentenced to death by the IMARO revolutionary-court.