Ivan Minchov Vazov ( bg, Иван Минчов Вазов; – 22 September 1921) was a

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

and playwright, often referred to as "the

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

of Bulgarian literature". He was born in

Sopot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest ci ...

, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria (then part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

). The works of Ivan Vazov reveal two historical epochs - the Bulgarian Renaissance and the Post-Liberation (from Ottoman Empire rule) epoch. Ivan Vazov holds the highest honorary title of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Academician. He acted as Education and People Enlightenment Minister from September 7, 1897, until January 30, 1899, representing the People's Party.

Biography and major works

The exact date of Vazov's birth is disputed. His parents, Saba and Mincho Vazov, both had a lot of influence on the young poet. After Ivan finished primary school in Sopot, Mincho sent him to

Kalofer Kalofer ( ) is a town in central Bulgaria, located on the banks of the Tundzha between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south. Kalofer is part of Plovdiv Province and the Karlovo municipality. It is best known as th ...

, appointing him assistant teacher. Having done his final exams in Kalofer, the young teacher returned to Sopot to help in his father's grocery. The following year his father sent him to Plovdiv to

Naiden Gerov Nayden Gerov ( bg, Найден Геров), born Nayden Gerov Hadzhidobrevich ( bg, Найден Геров Хаджидобревич) February 23, 1823, Koprivshtitsa – October 9, 1900, Plovdiv) was a Bulgarian linguist, folklorist, writer ...

's school. There Vazov made his first steps as a poet. He returned to Sopot only to leave for

Oltenița Oltenița () is a city in Călărași County, Muntenia, Romania, on the left bank of the river Argeș, where its waters flow into the Danube. Geography The city is located in the southwestern part of the county; it stands across the Danube fro ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

, as his father wanted him to become an apprentice and study trade at his uncle's. Ivan Vazov showed no interest in the trade profession whatsoever. Instead he was immersed in literature. Soon he fled from his uncle's place and went to Brăila where he lived with the Bulgarian exiled revolutionaries and met

Hristo Botev Hristo Botev ( bg, Христо Ботев, ), born Hristo Botyov Petkov (Христо Ботьов Петков; – ), was a Bulgarian revolutionary and poet. Botev is considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and nationa ...

, a Bulgarian revolutionary and poet. In 1874, he joined the struggle for his country's independence from the

. He returned to Sopot in 1875, where he became a member of the local revolutionary committee. After the failure of the

April Uprising The April Uprising ( bg, Априлско въстание, Aprilsko vastanie) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876. The regular Ottoman Army and irregular bashi-bazouk units brutally su ...

of 1876, he had to flee the country, going back to Galaţi, where most of the surviving revolutionaries were exiled. There he was appointed a secretary of the committee. Vazov was probably heavily influenced by Botev, who was the ideological leader of the Bulgarian revolutionary movement. He started writing his famous poems with Botev and some other Bulgarian emigrants in Romania. In 1876 he published his first work, '' Priaporetz and Gusla'', followed by " Bulgaria's Sorrows" in 1877. Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 as a result of the

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...

and Vazov wrote the famous ''

Epic of the Forgotten ''Epic of the Forgotten'' ( bg, Епопея на забравените; ''Epopeya na zabravenite'') is a cycle of 12 odes composed by Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov between 1881 and 1884. The poems deal with people and events connected with Bulgar ...

''. He became the editor of the political reviews ''Science'' and ''Dawn''. He was, however, forced into exile once again, this time to

Odesa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrati ...

, because of the persecution of the russophile political faction. Returning to Bulgaria with the help of his mother Saba Vazova, he started teaching. Vazov's next stay was in Svishtov, where he became a civil servant. Vazov house

He moved to

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

in 1889 where he started publishing the review ''Dennitsa''. Vazov's 1888 novel '' Under the Yoke'', which depicts the Ottoman oppression of Bulgaria, is the most famous piece of classic Bulgarian literature and has been translated into over 30 languages. Later in his life Vazov was a prominent and widely respected figure in the social and cultural life of newly independent Bulgaria. He died on September 22, 1921.

Other famous works

Some of the other famous works by Vazov include the novels ''New Country'' (1894), ''Under Our Heaven'' (1900), ''The Empress of Kazalar'' (1902), ''

Songs of Macedonia A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

'' (1914), ''

It Will Not Perish It or IT may refer to: * It (pronoun), in English * Information technology Arts and media Film and television * It (1927 film), ''It'' (1927 film), a film starring Clara Bow * ''It! The Terror from Beyond Space'', a 1958 science fiction film * I ...

'' (1920) and the plays ''Vagabonds'' (1894), '' A Newspaperman?'' (1900), ''Borislav'' (1909) and ''Ivaylo'' (1911). Vazov also wrote the first Bulgarian

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

story '' The Last Day of XX Century'' (1899), the first Bulgarian

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

poem '' In the Kingdom of the Fairies'' (1884) and some other fantasy poetry. Ivan Vazov's Grave

Historical site

Vazov's home in Sofia has been turned into a museum, containing a restoration of his residence with period furnishings, as well as Vazov's taxidermically preserved dog. Although the museum is ostensibly open Tuesday through Saturday, it is in practice not always staffed, so visitors are advised to call in advance. The museum is located at the corner of Ivan Vazov Street and Georgi S. Rakovski Street in Sofia. Another gem of a museum is his large home in Berkovista. It is filled with poetry combined with old photographs of the area and the revolution, blown up to poster size. The second floor has two large meeting rooms, one for men, the other for women. Platform couches doubled as beds.

Honours

The Bulgarian

Ivan Vazov National Theatre The Ivan Vazov National Theatre ( bg, Народен театър „Иван Вазов“, ') is Bulgaria's national theatre, as well as the oldest and most authoritative theatre in the country and one of the important landmarks of Sofia, the ...

in Sofia is named after him, the "Ivan Vazov" neighborhood in

, as is the Ivan Vazov National Library ( bg, Народна библиотека "Иван Вазов") in Plovdiv. A park near St. Sofia Church in Sofia features the city's best-known monument to Vazov. Vazovova Street in Bratislava,

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

, and

Vazov Point Vazov Point is a point on the coast of Bransfield Strait forming the northeast side of the entrance to Brunow Bay on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. This landmark is surmounted by Vazov Rock. Location The point is ...

and

Vazov Rock Vazov Rock is a rocky peak of elevation of in the south extremity of Peshev Ridge in Tangra Mountains, eastern Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. This feature extends in a southeast to northwest direction, and surmou ...

Livingston Island Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of Antarctic islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It was the first land discovered south of 60 ...

in the

South Shetland Islands The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the nearest point of the South Orkney Islands. By the Antarctic Treaty of 1 ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

are also named after him. In 1917, he was nominated for the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in literature.

Notes

References

* * * * * Ташев, Ташо. Министрите на България 1879–1999. София, АИ „Проф. Марин Дринов“ / Изд. на МО, 1999. / ISBN 978-954-509-191- 9. с. 74–75. * Карчев, Петър. През прозореца на едно полустолетие (1900-1950), София, 2004, стр. 274. * Михаил Арнаудов. „Македония като българска земя“. (беседа, държана в Битоля на 4 юли 1941 г.) * Бачева, Ирина и др. Кратък летопис. // vazovmuseum.com. Къща музей "Иван Вазов" - Сопот, 2013. Посетен на 2013-03-18. * Аврамов, Румен. Комуналният капитализъм: Т.II. София, Фондация Българска наука и култура / Център за либерални стратегии, 2007. . с. 22. * The Nomination Database for the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1901–1950. // Nobelprize.org. * SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica: Vazov Point. * Нацева, Розалина, Любен Иванов, Инес Лазарова, Петя Кръстева. Каталог на българските банкноти. Българска народна банка. С., 2004. , с. 107

External links

* * *
Vazov, I. Under the Yoke. A Romance of Bulgarian Liberty. With an Introduction by E. Gosse. A New and Revised Edition. London, 1912Ivan Vazov – The revolutionary poet
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vazov, Ivan 1850 births 1921 deaths People from Sopot, Plovdiv Province People's Party (Bulgaria) politicians 19th-century Bulgarian poets Bulgarian male poets Bulgarian novelists Male novelists Bulgarian writers Bulgarian dramatists and playwrights Male dramatists and playwrights Bulgarian people of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) 19th-century Bulgarian people Members of the National Assembly (Bulgaria) Members of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 19th-century Bulgarian novelists 20th-century Bulgarian novelists