History
THE REVIVAL
Term that comes to describe the historic period of the time (18th - 19th century) from one side and the cultural and artistic uplift that brought to existence the real Bulgarian art from another, and of course all these events that led to the creation and development of organized resistance movement for national liberation.
Bulgaria’s incessant struggle for independence continued through the entire time of foreign oppression.
In 1762 a monk by the name of Paisiy Hilendarsky wrote and published small booklet called “Istoria Slavyanobolgarskaya” (Slavonic-Bulgarian History), which is evidence for the awakening of national self-awareness in Bulgarian people and which is considered the first work of the National Revival. This is a period marked by radical changes in all spheres of the public, economic, political and cultural life, which lasted more than a century. Changes in the cultural-spiritual sphere took two directions: the new Bulgarian movement for enlightenment and the struggle for independent church. These changes occurred at the same time with the first attempts of Bulgarians to organize national upheavals against the oppressors with their final goal being throwing off the shackles of foreign domination and declaring the independence of the newly formed Bulgarian state.
The peak of the Bulgarian National Movement of Liberation, organized by the secret Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee, is the April Uprising, which broke off on 20 of April 1876. The rebellion was suppressed with extreme cruelty (about 30 000 Bulgarians were butchered) but finally got Europe’s attention on Bulgarian people’s grim fate. In the month of August 1876 Victor Hugo himself gives airs to his grief in an article in “Le Rappel” newspaper:
“A whole nation is massacred. (…) When will the martyrdom of that small but fearless nation come to an end? It is high time for the civilized world to pang on the table and say: Enough!”
The merciless suppression of the rebellion and the response to the brutalities in Europe were the reason for the calling of the Constantinople Conference, where for the first time international recognition was made to the right of Bulgarians to have an independent state within its ethnical boundaries, outlined by the struggle for independent church, sanctioned by all Great Powers. Thus the April Uprising, although being a military failure, led to the biggest yet political success of the Bulgarian nation. The refusal of the Ottoman government to execute the resolutions of the Constantinople Conference led to the declaration of the Russo-Turkish war (1877-1878) where Bulgarian volunteers joined Russian and Romanian forces to expel the aggressor. After series of epical battles Russia won the war which ultimately resulted in the liberation of Bulgaria.
Term that comes to describe the historic period of the time (18th - 19th century) from one side and the cultural and artistic uplift that brought to existence the real Bulgarian art from another, and of course all these events that led to the creation and development of organized resistance movement for national liberation.
Bulgaria’s incessant struggle for independence continued through the entire time of foreign oppression.
In 1762 a monk by the name of Paisiy Hilendarsky wrote and published small booklet called “Istoria Slavyanobolgarskaya” (Slavonic-Bulgarian History), which is evidence for the awakening of national self-awareness in Bulgarian people and which is considered the first work of the National Revival. This is a period marked by radical changes in all spheres of the public, economic, political and cultural life, which lasted more than a century. Changes in the cultural-spiritual sphere took two directions: the new Bulgarian movement for enlightenment and the struggle for independent church. These changes occurred at the same time with the first attempts of Bulgarians to organize national upheavals against the oppressors with their final goal being throwing off the shackles of foreign domination and declaring the independence of the newly formed Bulgarian state.
The peak of the Bulgarian National Movement of Liberation, organized by the secret Bulgarian Central Revolutionary Committee, is the April Uprising, which broke off on 20 of April 1876. The rebellion was suppressed with extreme cruelty (about 30 000 Bulgarians were butchered) but finally got Europe’s attention on Bulgarian people’s grim fate. In the month of August 1876 Victor Hugo himself gives airs to his grief in an article in “Le Rappel” newspaper:
“A whole nation is massacred. (…) When will the martyrdom of that small but fearless nation come to an end? It is high time for the civilized world to pang on the table and say: Enough!”
The merciless suppression of the rebellion and the response to the brutalities in Europe were the reason for the calling of the Constantinople Conference, where for the first time international recognition was made to the right of Bulgarians to have an independent state within its ethnical boundaries, outlined by the struggle for independent church, sanctioned by all Great Powers. Thus the April Uprising, although being a military failure, led to the biggest yet political success of the Bulgarian nation. The refusal of the Ottoman government to execute the resolutions of the Constantinople Conference led to the declaration of the Russo-Turkish war (1877-1878) where Bulgarian volunteers joined Russian and Romanian forces to expel the aggressor. After series of epical battles Russia won the war which ultimately resulted in the liberation of Bulgaria.
