Anna Karima
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Anna Karima,
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
''Todora Velkova'' (in Bulgarian: Анна Тодорова Велкова) (1871–1949), was a Bulgarian writer, translator, editor, journalist, suffragist and women's rights activist. She was co-founder of the Bulgarian Women's Union, and served as its chairperson from 1901 to 1906.


Biography

Anna Karima was born in 1871 in
Berdyansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk (, ; , ) is a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Berdiansk Raion. The ...
, Ukraine. She was the daughter of wheat trader and revolutionary Todor Velkov ( :bg:Тодор Велков). She completed her secondary education in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
. In 1888, she married the socialist politician Yanko Sakazov, with whom she later separated. From this marriage, she had three children. She debuted and became known as a writer in 1891. From a young age, Karima devoted herself to writing and dramaturgy. She wrote short stories, narratives, and novels. Her first story, titled ''Obiknovenna istoria'' (in Bulgarian: Обикновена история, Ordinary Story), was published in 1891 in the magazine ''Den''. Between 1892 and 1895, she served as well as the editor-in-chief of the Bulgarian magazine ''Pochivka''. Her plays, including ''Podhlyznase'' (in Bulgarian: Подхлъзна се, She Stumbled), ''Zaguben zhivot'' (in Bulgarian: Загубен живот, A Lost Life), and ''Nad zida'' (in Bulgarian: Над зида, Above the Wall), are performed on the stage of the National Theatre in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, Bulgaria's premier theatrical institution. Another of her plays, titled ''V Balkanak'' (in Russian: В Балканах, In the Balkans), was written in Russian and staged in
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 1894, the family moved to
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, where she became active in social reform. She is involved in public activism, advocating for women's equality in society. In 1897, she founded the society ''Suznanie'' (Conscience) and started to campaign for women's education, one of which was to have the
University of Sofia Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" () is a public research university in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria. Founded on 1 October 1888, the edifice of the university was constructed between 1924 ...
open to women. In 1899, she edited the paper ''Zhenski glas'' (Female voice) with Julia Malinova, and in 1901, they co-founded the Bulgarian Women's Union with Karima as its first chairperson. The organization was an umbrella organization of the 27 local women's organisations that had been established in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
since 1878. It was founded as a reply to the limitations of women's education and access to university studies in the 1890s, with the goal for furthering women's intellectual development and participation, arranging national congresses and using ''Zhenski glas'' as its printed publication. In 1906, she left the Bulgarian Women's Union. She founded the rival women's organization '' Ravnopravie'' (Equal rights, 1908–1921) and toured the country lecturing on women's rights reform. In 1916, she opened the first commercial school for girls in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, located in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
. During the wars in the Balkan (1912–1918), she became involved in charitable activities. She played a key role in establishing a boarding school for orphans and an association for disabled individuals. In 1917, Karima became the editor of the newspaper ''Bulgarka'' (in Bulgarian: Българка), a women's press outlet. In 1918, she opened the first day care center for working mothers in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. She was exiled for political reasons from 1921 to 1928. After the bombing of the Sveta Nedelya Church in 1925, Karima emigrated first to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. On August 15, 1926, she wrote an Appeal for Peace – For
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
and sent it to all members of the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
in
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
. She maintained contact with the French communist
Henri Barbusse Henri Barbusse (; 17 May 1873 – 30 August 1935) was a French novelist, short story writer, journalist, poet and political activist. He began his literary career in the 1890s as a Symbolist poet and continued as a neo-Naturalist novelist; i ...
, providing him with documents for the writing of his anti-fascist book ''Les Bourreaux'' (The Executioners), which she later translated and edited. Excerpts from her speeches and writings were published in ''Communist Flag'' (in Bulgarian: Комунистическо знаме), the press organ of the
Bulgarian Communist Party The Bulgarian Communist Party ( Bulgarian: Българска комунистическа партия (БΚП), Romanised: ''Bŭlgarska komunisticheska partiya''; BKP) was the founding and ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria f ...
(BKP) abroad. Due to her activities, Karima was implicated under the State Protection Law (Zakon za zashtita na darzhavata, in Bulgarian: Закон за защита на държавата), enacted by the government of Professor
Aleksandar Tsankov Aleksandar Tsolov Tsankov (; 29 June 1879 – 27 July 1959) was a leading Bulgarian politician during the Interwar period, period between the two World Wars. Biography A professor of political economy at Sofia University from 1910 onwards,Phili ...
. This controversial law was designed to suppress political opponents and movements perceived as threats to the state. At the end of 1926, Karima departed for the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Upon her return to
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
in 1928, she published the book ''In Today's Russia'' (in Bulgarian: В днешна Русия, V dneshna Rousiya), where she shared her impressions of life in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. In 1930, Karima became the editor of the newspaper ''Povik'' (in Bulgarian: Повик, The Call). She died on March 6, 1949, in
Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...
, Bulgaria.


References

* Francisca de Haan, Krasimira Daskalova & Anna Loutfi
Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms in Central, Easterna and South Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th centuries
Central European University Press, 2006 * Blanca Rodriguez Ruiz & Ruth Rubio-Marín
The Struggle for Female Suffrage in Europe: Voting to Become Citizens
2012


External links

* https://map.herstoryproject.eu/sofia/ – Interactive map of Sofia, Bulgaria, illustrating the lives of Bulgarian women who have made significant contributions to society, including Anna Karima. {{DEFAULTSORT:Karima, Anna 1871 births 1949 deaths Bulgarian women's rights activists Bulgarian feminists Bulgarian suffragists 19th-century Bulgarian women 19th-century Bulgarian people