Plovdiv’s famous citizens’ contribution to the world’s history and art

The city of the seven hills has made a very positive contribution to the world’s history and art. There are not only people born in Plovdiv, but also a lot of Bulgarians lived here for a period of time and also helped the city to flourish.

Having asked my parents whether they know a famous person connected to Plovdiv, the first one they thought of was Ivan Vazov.

Ivan Vazov was born in 1850 in Sopot (a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria). He is a famous Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often named “The Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature”. Vazov worked as Education and People Enlightenment Minister as well. What connects him to Plovdiv are the years he spent here – from 1866 to 1868 and from 1880 to 1886. During this period of time he lived in Plovdiv, studied and created some of his notable works. His masterpiece is the novel “Under the Yoke” which depicts the Ottoman rule in Bulgaria. I highly recommend this book if you are really interested in learning about Bulgaria’s history, tradition and people’s personalities.

Source: http://www.bulgariasega.com

Time flies! The next famous person for today’s article is Tsanko Lavrenov – born 1896 in Plovdiv. He is one of the most prominent Bulgarian artists of the 20^th century.

A sculpture of Tsanko Lavrenov in his hometown

Lavrenov is influenced by the Symbolism and the Secession and is most famous for the cityscapes of Plovdiv. The National High School of Arts in Plovdiv is named after him.

A cityscape of Old Plovdiv

Source: http://www.bezramka.bg

The third person in this article (but not on third place) is called Panayot Pipkov. He is a famous Bulgarian composer, born in 1871 in Plovdiv. He lived and taught in Lovech and Sofia. Panayot is the author of well-known Bulgarian songs.

This is one of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siy-KP2zHLQ