Pernik
Encyclopedia
Pernik is a city in 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...

 (around 30 km south-west of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...

) with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province
Pernik Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Ethnic groups:Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census:145 642 Bulgarians ,3 035 Roma  and 1155 others and unspecified .-Economy:...

 and lies on both banks 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...

 in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha
Vitosha
Vitosha is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the tourists symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous...

 and Golo Bardo mountains.

Originally the site of a Thracian
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...

 fortress founded in the 4th century BC, and later a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 settlement, Pernik became part of the Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...

 in the early 9th century as an important fortress. The name Pernik is thought to have originated from that of Slavic god
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....

 Perun
Perun
In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning. His other attributes were the fire, mountains, the oak, iris, eagle, firmament , horses and carts, weapons and war...

 with the Slavic placename suffix
Bulgarian placename etymology
Bulgarian placename etymology is characterized by the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the Balkans through the ages and the position of the country in the centre of the region...

 –nik (or –ik) added, and was first mentioned in the 9th century. The medieval town was a key Bulgarian stronghold during Bulgarian tsar Samuil
Samuil of Bulgaria
Samuel was the Emperor of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 980 to 997, he was a general under Roman I of Bulgaria, the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him, as Roman bestowed upon him the command of the army and the effective royal...

's wars against the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

 in the 11th century, when it was governed by the local noble Krakra of Pernik
Krakra of Pernik
Krakra of Pernik , also known as Krakra Voevoda or simply Krakra, was an 11th-century feudal lord in the First Bulgarian Empire whose domain encompassed 36 fortresses in what is today southwestern Bulgaria, with his capital at Pernik...

, withstanding Byzantine sieges a number of times.

From 1396 until 1878 the city was under 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...

 rule. In the 20th century Pernik developed rapidly as a centre for coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

 and heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...

. During the Communist rule of Bulgaria it was called Dimitrovo between 1949 and 1962 after Bulgarian Communist leader Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...

. The Surva International Festival of the Masquerade Games is held in the city every January. Pernik has two football teams, PFC Minyor Pernik and FC Metalurg.

History

Pernik is a successor of the medieval town of Krakra. In the 4th century the Thracians built a fortress there. There is a rich collection of archaeological findings that evidence the existence of a Thracian settlement in the late Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

. The richest collection of pottery in the Central Balkans dates from that time. It is kept in the Historical Museum.

A wonderful exhibition of relieves and sculptures is kept there, dedicated to the health-giving gods Asclepius
Asclepius
Asclepius is the God of Medicine and Healing in ancient Greek religion. Asclepius represents the healing aspect of the medical arts; his daughters are Hygieia , Iaso , Aceso , Aglæa/Ægle , and Panacea...

 and Hygieia
Hygieia
In Greek and Roman mythology, Hygieia , was a daughter of the god of medicine, Asclepius. She was the goddess/personification of health , cleanliness and sanitation. She also played an important part in her father's cult...

, held in reverence in this region because of the presence of mineral springs.

Bulgarians took advantage of the fortified spot and built one of the mightiest Bulgarian strongholds — Pernik. This name was first mentioned in the 9th century. It is associated with the Slavic god Perun. At the beginning of the 11th century the settlement was a fortress, impenetrable to the Byzantines. It was the seat of the legendary governor Krakra of Pernik, who played an important role in the time of the First Bulgarian Empire.

Today, the fortress is one of the greatest historical sites of the city. In the time of the Ottoman occupation Pernik lost its significance as a fortress because it was located deep in the interior of the Empire. Until after the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...

 Pernik was a small stockbreeding village, consisting of several scattered hamlets.

The beginning of Pernik's modern history is set in the 20th century with the development of the rich coal-beds of the region. According to some scientists, the existence of coal was already known in the 10th and 11th centuries. Before their industrial exploitation started, the local people dug it up with picks and shovels and transported coal with carts and wheelbarrows. Pernik's rapid development is associated with the large shipments of coal to the capital city, intended for household needs and for the railroad transport. Until then, coal for the railroads and the river and sea steamboats was delivered from as far as Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

As the first miners' quarters were built on the terraces of the Struma River, the beginning of the miners' settlement of Pernik was set, one kilometre to the east of the village of the same name. It is a town since 1929, and since 1958 — a regional centre. The coal output reached its apogee at that time. Pernik has been an energy centre of Bulgaria for a few decades.

Landmarks

  • Palace of Culture
  • History Museum
  • Mining Museum
  • Krakra's stronghold
  • Duhlata cave
  • Church of St John of Rila
    John of Rila
    Saint John of Rila was the first Bulgarian hermit. He was revered as a saint while he was still alive. The legend surrounding him tells of wild animals that freely came up to him and birds that landed in his hands. His followers founded many churches in his honor, including the famous Rila...


Famous natives

  • Georgi Dimitrov
    Georgi Dimitrov
    Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...

    , politician
  • Georgi Parvanov
    Georgi Parvanov
    Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov is a President of Bulgaria, whose second and last mandate expires on January 22, 2012; he was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential elections in November 2001 and he came into office on January 22, 2002...

    , president of Bulgaria
  • Velizar Dimitrov
    Velizar Dimitrov
    Velizar Dimitrov is a Bulgarian football player who, as of 2008 was playing for FC Metalurh Donetsk. He is a winger and his sharp dribling skills have made him an influential figure for PFC CSKA Sofia....

    , football player
  • Zdravka Evtimova
    Zdravka Evtimova
    Zdravka Evtimova is a contemporary Bulgarian writer. She has four short story collections and four novels published in Bulgarian. Her short stories have appeared in many international literary journals. Some of her short story collections were translated into other languages...

    , writer
  • Romel Ivanov, athlete, national champion 1500m., 800m.
  • Valentin Khristov
    Valentin Khristov
    Valentin Khristov is an Olympic weightlifter for Bulgaria.- References :...

    , athlete, weightlifting 1980 Olympics silver medallist

Education

The first Bulgarian private
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...

 technical university was established in 2010 in Pernik. The university was founded in close cooperation with nationally-established industry partners. The European Polytechnical University offers Bachelor, Masters and PhD degrees in architecture, engineering and entrepreneurship among others. The university is aiming internationally and offers all courses bilingually in Bulgarian and English languages.

Commerce


Sport

The town is home to the Minyor Pernik football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 team, who play in the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group
Bulgarian A Professional Football Group
The Bulgarian A Professional Football Group commonly known as A PFG is the top division of the Bulgarian football league system. The league is sponsored by Victoria FATA Insurance and therefore is officially known as Victoria A Football Group since 2011...

, as of 2008-09 season.

Municipality

Pernik is the seat of the eponymous Pernik municipality (part of Pernik Province
Pernik Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Ethnic groups:Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census:145 642 Bulgarians ,3 035 Roma  and 1155 others and unspecified .-Economy:...

), which includes the following 24 places (towns in bold):
  • Batanovtsi
    Batanovtsi
    Batanovtsi is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Pernik Province and is close to the towns of Radomir and Pernik. The town's name was first attested in a 1564 Bulgarian text: ВИШЄ СЄЛА БАТЄНОВЦИ БЛИЗЬ РЄЦЄ СТРОУМЄ, and several other sources from the 1560s. It is derived from the personal...

  • Bogdanovdol
  • Bosnek
  • Cherna Gora
  • Chuypetlovo
    Chuypetlovo
    Chuypetlovo is a village in the Pernik municipality of Pernik Province, western Bulgaria. Its population is 57 as of January 2007.Chuypetlovo is the only settlement in the interior of Vitosha Mountain, situated at elevation 1,225 m near the head of Struma River valley...

  • Divotino
  • Dragichevo
  • Golemo Buchino
  • Kladnitsa
  • Kralev Dol
  • Leskovets
  • Lyulin
  • Meshtitsa
  • Pernik
  • Planinitsa
  • Raduy
  • Rasnik
  • Rudartsi
  • Selishten Dol
  • Studena
  • Viskyar
  • Vitanovtsi
  • Yardzhilovtsi
    Yardzhilovtsi
    Yardzhilovtsi is the biggest village in the municipality of Pernik, it is situated on the Pernik - Trun road and 40 km. east of the Serbian border...

  • Zidartsi

  • Town twinning

    Pernik is twinned with:
    Ovar
    Ovar
    Ovar Municipality is a municipality in Aveiro District, Baixo Vouga Subregion in Portugal. It has a total area of 147.4 km² and a total population of 56,296 inhabitants, and 42,582 electors . The city of Ovar itself has a population of 16,849....

    , Portugal Elektrostal
    Elektrostal
    Elektrostal , known as Zatishye until 1938, is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located east of Moscow. Population: 135,000 ; 123,000 ; 97,000 ; 43,000 . Town status was granted to it in 1938.-Industry:...

    , Russia Pardubice
    Pardubice
    Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...

    , Czech Republic Luhansk
    Luhansk
    Luhansk also known as Lugansk is a city in southeastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Luhansk Oblast . The city itself is also designated as its own separate municipality within the oblast...

    , Ukraine Balashikha
    Balashikha
    Balashikha is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Pekhorka River east of Moscow. It is known for its unique river and waterway system. The Pekhorka River system covers an area of from north to south and from east to west, and many small lakes and ponds were created by damming to...

    , Russia Kavadarci
    Kavadarci
    Kavadarci is a town located in the Tikveš region of the Republic of Macedonia. Situated in the heart of Macedonia’s wine country, it is home to the largest winery in south-eastern Europe, named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is the seat of Kavadarci Municipality...

    , Republic of Macedonia Lublin
    Lublin
    Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...

    , Poland Rožaje
    Rožaje
    Rožaje , is a town in northeastern Montenegro. It has a population of 9,121 Rožaje is the centre of the municipality, which has a population of 22,693. The municipality is located in the geographical region of Sandžak.-History:The history of Rožaje goes back to 1571 and 1585 when it was first...

    , Montenegro Nilüfer district of Bursa, Turkey Orsha
    Orsha
    Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...

    , Belarus Orosei
    Orosei
    Orosei is a comune in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 140 km northeast of Cagliari and about 30 km east of Nuoro...

     municipality, Province of Nuoro
    Province of Nuoro
    The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...

    , Italy Caen
    Caen
    Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....

    , France

    Honour

    Pernik Peninsula
    Pernik Peninsula
    Pernik Peninsula is the ice-covered peninsula projecting 40 km in northwest direction from Loubet Coast on the west side of Antarctic Peninsula...

     in Graham Land
    Graham Land
    Graham Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the British Antarctic Place-names Committee and the US Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, in...

    , Antarctica is named after the city of Pernik.

    External links

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