Aleksandr Petrovich Burago () was an officer of the Russian Imperial army. Serving as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

under Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko, he commanded the force that liberated

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

from the Ottoman rule on 16 January 1878. Later on Burago became a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. He died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

at the age of 30, in 1883, on

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

, and was buried in the

Alexander Nevsky Lavra Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter I of Russia in 1710 at the eastern end of the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg, in the belief that this was the site of the Neva Battle in 1240 when Alexa ...

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. In recognition of his "excellence demonstrated in the battle ... whereupon, together with a squadron of

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

s, having crossed the

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( ), also known as Evros ( ) and Meriç ( ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,

river ... entered the city, still occupied by the Turkish division ... an almost 25 times greater in numbers enemy force", Burago was awarded the

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

of the 4th degree. Citizens of Plovdiv traditionally honour captain Burago annually on January 16, the anniversary of the liberation of the city.

Wreath A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape. In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...

s and floral tributes are brought to the monument to Burago in the Plovdiv City Garden. A street in Plovdiv was named after captain Burago. In November 2006, along with several other prominent personalities, Aleksandr Burago was, "for exceptional service in development of the city of Plovdiv" posthumously awarded the title of "Honorary citizen of Plovdiv", by decision of the local community council.

References

* * — Captain Burago street * — account of the liberation of Plovdiv * — citizens of Plovdiv at the traditional annual celebration commemorating the liberation, laying wreaths at the monument to captain Burago * — Citation for the St. George Order award * — Decision to award the title of honorary citizen of Plovdiv

External links

*(in Russian
People, animals, alcohol
— account of the liberation of Plovdiv by captain Burago's squadron and the historical origins of giving alcohol to military horses (refers to Burago by the given name "Konstantin" rather than Aleksandr). 1853 births 1883 deaths Imperial Russian Army officers 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Portugal Burials at Tikhvin Cemetery {{russia-mil-bio-stub

See also

References

External links