Bulgarian Poets: Hristo Botev (Христо Ботев)

From Wikipedia:

Hristo Botev (Bulgarian: Христо Ботев, also transliterated as Hristo Botyov) (January 6, 1848 – June 2, 1876), was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.

Botev was born in Karlovo. His father, Botyo Petkov (1815–1869), was a teacher and one of the most significant figures of the late period of the Bulgarian National Revival towards the end of the Ottoman rule. In 1863, after completing his elementary education in Kalofer, Botev was sent by his father to a high school in Odessa. While there, he was deeply impressed by the work of the liberal Russian poets of the day.

In May 1876, Hristo Botev came to the April Uprising rebels' rescue with a detachment of Bulgarian political emigrees resident in Romania, ending with the unit's rout (and Botev's death at the age of 28).

One of Botev's best known poems is Hadzhi Dimitar (Хаджи Димитър), written to honor Dimitar Nikolov Asenov (10 May 1840 – 18 July 1868), better known as Hadzhi Dimitar (Хаджи Димитър) was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivods and revolutionary workers for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. The most famous couplet from the poem probably is (in Bulgarian):

Настане вечер – месец изгрее,
звезди обсипят сводът небесен;
гора зашуми, вятър повее, –
Балканът пее хайдушка песен!

Hadzhi Dimitar (Хаджи Димитър). Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.


The city of Botevgrad in Bulgaria is named after Hristo Botev.


The monument of Hristo Botev in Botevgrad, Bulgaria.


A monument depicting the scene from Hadji Dimitar with the three fairies tendering the wounded rebel's wounds.

References

HristoBotev.com (in Bulgarian).

Videos (in Bulgarian)

Христо Ботев - "Великите българи" 1 of 3.
Христо Ботев - "Великите българи" 2 of 3.
Христо Ботев - "Великите българи" 3 of 3.
Хаджи Димитър.
Жив е той , жив е! / Jiv e toi, jiv e!
2 Юни, Ден на Христо Ботев.

Related reading

http://www.nationalgeographic.bg/?cid=101&article=4829

Strannopriemnicata.wordpress.com ("virtual museum").
Image source: Hristo Botev, Bulgarian revolutionary and poet, Wikipedia, public domain.

Hristo Botev in Bulgaria: The Bradt Travel Guide By Annie Kay:




Hristo Botev in Bulgaria By Richard Watkins, Christopher Deliso: