Oborishte
Encyclopedia
Oborishte is a village located in the Panagyurishte municipality
, Pazardzhik Province
, western Bulgaria
. It is relatively big and has 1,307 inhabitants. Its old name until 1950 was Mechka, which in Bulgarian language means bear
.
. The surrounding country is hilly, covered with forests of oak
, beech
and fir
in which mushrooms are particularly abundant in the late summer and autumn. There are several micro dams located to the south and southwest of the village as well as a large dam to the north in which the refuse waters of Asarel Medet
are accumulated. The road between Panagyurishte
and Vakarel
passes through the village. Settlements nearby include the town of Panagyurishte at 9 km to the east and the villages of Poibrene
at 9 km to the west and Muhovo
at 17 km to the south. The main occupation of the population is agriculture. Barley
, rye
and plum
s are among the most common crops to be raised in the surrounding areas. The villagers grow flowers, orchards and vegetables in their gardens. Livestock is by far dominated by goat
s, pig
s and hen
s. Many locals work in the large copper plant Asarel.
at 3 km to the east where in April 1876 was held the Grand National Assembly. The decision for the April Uprising
was made there. The deputy from Mechka was Dimitar Pavlov. However, there was a traitor among the deputies and the uprising broke out prematurely and was crushed by the Ottoman
authorities. Many of the surrounding villages and Panagyurishte were burned to the ground.
Vasil Levski
had allegedly hidden. There is also a large elementary school. On the central square rises the Town hall and the local Chitalishte
(a kind of library) which is among the oldest in the region.
The traditional custom Kukeri
is performed annually on the main square and is called by the locals Dzhumal (Джумал).
on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Oborishte.
Panagyurishte municipality
Panagyurishte Municipality is located in the Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. It is one of the 11 municipalities in the province. Its territory is 598,5 km² being fourth in the province after the municipalities of Velingrad, Batak and Pazardzhik. The relief is mountainous and semi-mountainous...
, Pazardzhik Province
Pazardzhik Province
Pazardzhik Province is a province in Southern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the town of Pazardzhik. It embraces a territory of 4,456.9 km² that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population of 290,614 inhabitants, as of December 2009.-History:The...
, western 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...
. It is relatively big and has 1,307 inhabitants. Its old name until 1950 was Mechka, which in Bulgarian language means bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
.
Geography
The village is situated in the mountain of Sredna GoraSredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
. The surrounding country is hilly, covered with forests of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
in which mushrooms are particularly abundant in the late summer and autumn. There are several micro dams located to the south and southwest of the village as well as a large dam to the north in which the refuse waters of Asarel Medet
Asarel Medet
Asarel Medet is an enormous copper extracting and processing factory located at 11 km to the northwest of the town of Panagyurishte in the Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria. It consists of two main factories: Medet which operates from 1964 and Asarel which began operation in 1989...
are accumulated. The road between Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
and Vakarel
Vakarel
Vakarel is a village, away from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.Population: 1984 people. It is situated in the Ihtiman part of Sredna Gora mountains. The village is important transport knot for the railway Sofia - Plovdiv. Near Vakarel is the Trakiya motorway. Vakarel is 822 meters above sea...
passes through the village. Settlements nearby include the town of Panagyurishte at 9 km to the east and the villages of Poibrene
Poibrene
Poibrene is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality, western Bulgaria. It is located west of the town and has 850 inhabitants. The large dam Topolnitsa is 1 km west of the village. Several monuments there commemorate participants in the April Uprising...
at 9 km to the west and Muhovo
Muhovo
Muhovo is a village in the Sofia Province, western Bulgaria with a population of 138. It is situated in the municipality of Ihtiman.- Geography :...
at 17 km to the south. The main occupation of the population is agriculture. Barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
and plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
s are among the most common crops to be raised in the surrounding areas. The villagers grow flowers, orchards and vegetables in their gardens. Livestock is by far dominated by goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s and hen
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s. Many locals work in the large copper plant Asarel.
History
The modern name of the village comes from the locality of the same nameOborishte locality
The Oborishte locality is a historical place situated at 7 km to the north-west of the town of Panagyurishte, Bulgaria. It is located in the Sredna Gora mountains. In the spring of 1876 the First Great National Assembly took place there...
at 3 km to the east where in April 1876 was held the Grand National Assembly. The decision for the April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
was made there. The deputy from Mechka was Dimitar Pavlov. However, there was a traitor among the deputies and the uprising broke out prematurely and was crushed by 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...
authorities. Many of the surrounding villages and Panagyurishte were burned to the ground.
Culture
The main landmark is the 19th century church and its renewed bell-tower in which the national heroFolk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
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...
had allegedly hidden. There is also a large elementary school. On the central square rises the Town hall and the local Chitalishte
Chitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
(a kind of library) which is among the oldest in the region.
Traditions
Every year there are celebrations held on 1 and 2 May at the Oborishte locality to commemorate the First Grand National Assembly. The event is attended by people from all over the region but mainly from Panagyurishte. There is a small monument erected on the meadow where the assembly was held with the names of all deputies but the name of the traitor was erased.The traditional custom Kukeri
Kukeri
Kukeri is a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with a costumed man performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals and large bells attached to the belt...
is performed annually on the main square and is called by the locals Dzhumal (Джумал).
Honour
Oborishte RidgeOborishte Ridge
Oborishte Ridge has an elevation of 340 m in the southwest extremity of Breznik Heights, Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Extending 1.7 km along the southeast coast of Yankee Harbour and 950 m wide. Ice-free surface area...
on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The 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...
, Antarctica is named after Oborishte.