Figures of Plovdiv

Figures of Plovdiv

Hristo G. Danov (1828 -1911)

Hristo G. Danov (1828 -1911)

1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM

Teacher, man of letters, founder of the organised publishing in Bulgaria; member of the BG Literary Society (todays Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). In the period 1854-56, while a teacher at the Plovdiv parish (central) class school St.st.Cyril and Methodius, he published his first book Staroplaninche (i.e. coming from the Stara Planina mountain). Calendar of 1856 leap year.

In 1857, Hristo G. Danov founded in Plovdiv (together with the teacher Y.Truvchev and the book-binder N.Boyadzhijski, amd later in cooperation with Yoakim Gruev) United Bookbindery, which later grows into a bookshop and a publishing house. From 1862, it worked under the name of Hristo G. Danov and Co. Publishing House, with branches in the towns of rousse and Veles (1867), Sofia and Lom (1880). It mainly released textbooks and school materials, as well as the first wall maps. It also had some publishing of single works by Old Greek, Russian and West European classical writers - Euripid, Tourgenev, Mopassan, Joules Vernes.

In that period, Hristo G. danov published his own magazine called Letostruy, or Home Calendar (1869-76). Together with the trader Y.Kovachev, he established a Bulgarian printhouse in Vienna in 1874, which was later moved to Plovdiv in 1878, when on the initiative of the then Vice Governor of the city, Todor Bourmov, and with the financial support of the Provisional Russian Management, Danov started publishing the first common-Bulgarian newspaper Maritsa (1878-85). 

Hristo G. Danov was an active public figure. He was Mayor of Plovdiv (1896 - 1899), and one of his essencial initiatives was the forestation of the city hills of Bounardzhika and Sahat Tepe. He was buries in the yard of the St. Holy Mother Cahtedral Church in Suborna Street in the Old Town.

The Danov House Museum in the Old Town is located very close to that church. The house was built in the middle of the 19th century. Its stone foundations were built on solid rock, and it allows a unique view to the town. The Russian Knjaz Alexey Nickolaevich Tseretelev lived in this house for some time. His name was closely connected with some of the most dramatic moments of Bulgarian history - the April Uprising in 1876, the Russian-Turkish War in 1877-1878, and the organisation of the newly-liberated Bulgarian State. Today this beautiful house hosts a special exposition, dedicated to Bulgarian Book Publishing.

Georgi Vulkovich, Dr. (1833 - 1892)
Dr. Georgi Vulkovich - born in Edirne, 1833. Doctor, political figure and a diplomat. Member of Bulgarian Literary Society (later the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). He comes from the eminent Reviv...
Alexander Bogoridi, Knjaz (1822 - 1910)
Knjaz Alexander Bogoridi - man of law, statesman. Son of probably the most influential person after the Sultan in the Ottoman Empire - Knjaz Stefan Bogoridi (called Stefanaki Bey). Alexander B...
Karel Skorpil  (1859-1944)
Karel Skorpil (1859-1944)
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Czech by origin. Also known under the spelling of Schkorpil (pronounced Sh-korpil). Teacher, archaeologist; museum founder. Spent some time as a teacher of Maths...
Dusho Hadjidekov (around 1827 - 1878)
Eminent trader, public figure, donor; participant in the national liberation movement. He himself funded the construction of the old building of St Trinity School in Plovdiv, and later became its p...
Nedko Donchev Kableshkov (1867 - 1964)
Eminent man of law, journalist and public figure, Nedko Kableshkov is the pioneer of donating in Plovdiv. In 1949 he made a large donation of e...
Nikolay Galov (1943-1993)
Nikolay Galov (1943-1993)
1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Nikolai Galov, also popular by the nickname “The colleague Galov", was born on July 5, 1943 in Plovdiv.  He died on Jule 9, 1993, in that same city...
Lyuben Grois (1934 - 1982)
Lyuben Grois (1934 - 1982)
1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
“Labor is the high price of my freedom” - That thought belongs to the great Bulgarian theatre director, Lyuben Grois, and is taken from his two-volume book of “archives”, released 20 years...
Nikolay Haitov (1919 - 2002)
Nikolay Haitov (1919 - 2002)
1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Academician. One of the best Bulgarian writers. Born in the Rhodope Mountain village of Yavrovo. Author of many novels and short stories. Screenplay-writer of wonderful films (Koziat Rog, i.e. Goat...
Stefka Blagoeva (1938-2000)
Stefka Blagoeva (1938-2000)
1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Stefka Blagoeva was the founder and main conductor of the Plovdiv Boys’ Choir in 1975. During her conduct the Choir participated in a large number of music festivals all over Bulgaria and Europ...
Lucien Schevalas (1840 - 1921)
Lucien Schevalas (1840 - 1921)
1/1/2012 12:00:00 AM
Lucien Schevalas was born in Obonne, Switzerland. Swiss park designer, gardener of royalties. He graduated from the Forestry Institute in Paris. \r\nHe came to Bulgaria afte...