Shivachevo
Encyclopedia
Shivachevo is a small town in the Sliven Province
located on the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains
in central eastern Bulgaria
.
and Nikiforos Foka.
From the distant past the inhabitants of Shivachevo were famous for their patriotic spirit. They aided the volunteer detachments (called "haidushki chet") who fought against the Turkish rule during the 19th century. After the Crimean War
(1853–1856) and the new Turkish laws that followed it, a committee was established in Shivachevo in 1857 for building a church which was finished in 1859 and was given the name of St. Dimitar. The town celebration is held on October 26 every year on St. Dimitar's Day.
The year 1860 is connected with the opening of the first school in Shivachevo on the grounds of the church. After the liberation of Bulgaria from Turkish rule in 1892, a new school building was constructed. The first female teacher, Tina Kirkova, was appointed in the same year. At a town meeting on August 22, 1909, the name of the village was changed from Terzobas (from the Turkish word for "tailor") to Eastern Shivachevo, "Shivach" (Шивач) stemming from the Bulgarian word for “tailor”. In 1934, the name was changed to Greater Shivachevo. In 1976, the village became,simply, Shivachevo. In 1984, the village officially became a town.
, 35 km west of the city of Sliven
(pop. 147,000), and 140 km west of the port city of Bourgas and the Black Sea
. Nearby towns and villages include Nova Zagora
, Kazanlak
, Sborishte, Banya, and the administrative center of the municipality, Tvarditsa
.
The area surrounding the town is well-known as the heart of the wine-growing region in Bulgaria. Vini Sliven, a winery operating out of Sliven, owns a production facility in Shivachevo, 220 hectares of vines in the area, and produces a well-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon named after the town, "Chateau Shivatchevo". Peaches, cherries, plums, and figs are also cultivated in the region.
make-up the largest ethnic group in the town, followed by Roma. There is no official estimate as to the percentage of Bulgarians to Roma.
Sliven Province
Sliven Province is a province in southeastern Bulgaria, named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Sliven. It embraces a territory of 3,544.1 km² that is divided into 4 municipalities, with a total population, as of December 2009, of 204,887...
located on the southern slopes of the Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains
The Balkan mountain range is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The Balkan range runs 560 km from the Vrashka Chuka Peak on the border between Bulgaria and eastern Serbia eastward through central Bulgaria to Cape Emine on the Black Sea...
in central eastern 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...
.
History
The area around the present town of Shivachevo has been inhabited since ancient times. Numerous archeological artifacts have been found in the area. Thracian earthenware used during funeral ceremonies and containing burnt bones and wheat were found in the yard of the present-day school. Other discoveries include a Thracian bronze helmet, Roman coins, and Byzantine coins with the faces of the emperors Justinian IJustinian I
Justinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
and Nikiforos Foka.
From the distant past the inhabitants of Shivachevo were famous for their patriotic spirit. They aided the volunteer detachments (called "haidushki chet") who fought against the Turkish rule during the 19th century. After the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
(1853–1856) and the new Turkish laws that followed it, a committee was established in Shivachevo in 1857 for building a church which was finished in 1859 and was given the name of St. Dimitar. The town celebration is held on October 26 every year on St. Dimitar's Day.
The year 1860 is connected with the opening of the first school in Shivachevo on the grounds of the church. After the liberation of Bulgaria from Turkish rule in 1892, a new school building was constructed. The first female teacher, Tina Kirkova, was appointed in the same year. At a town meeting on August 22, 1909, the name of the village was changed from Terzobas (from the Turkish word for "tailor") to Eastern Shivachevo, "Shivach" (Шивач) stemming from the Bulgarian word for “tailor”. In 1934, the name was changed to Greater Shivachevo. In 1976, the village became,simply, Shivachevo. In 1984, the village officially became a town.
Geography and climate
Shivachevo is located 260 km east of SofiaSofia
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...
, 35 km west of the city of Sliven
Sliven
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....
(pop. 147,000), and 140 km west of the port city of Bourgas and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. Nearby towns and villages include Nova Zagora
Nova Zagora
Nova Zagora is a town located in the southeastern plains of Bulgaria in Sliven Province. It is the administrative centre of Nova Zagora Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 23,625 inhabitants , while the entire municipality has a population of 45,111. The first traces...
, Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
, Sborishte, Banya, and the administrative center of the municipality, Tvarditsa
Tvarditsa
Tvarditsa is a town in Sliven Province, Southeastern Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Tvarditsa Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 5,669 inhabitants....
.
The area surrounding the town is well-known as the heart of the wine-growing region in Bulgaria. Vini Sliven, a winery operating out of Sliven, owns a production facility in Shivachevo, 220 hectares of vines in the area, and produces a well-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon named after the town, "Chateau Shivatchevo". Peaches, cherries, plums, and figs are also cultivated in the region.
Demographics
As of 2006, the population was 3,968. BulgariansBulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
make-up the largest ethnic group in the town, followed by Roma. There is no official estimate as to the percentage of Bulgarians to Roma.