Urok

ази седмица в eTimes стартира нова рубрика – профил на изявен маркетинг професионалист. Тя има за цел да представи на аудиторията маркетинг професионалисти, постигнали съществени успехи в сферата на онлайн рекламата, комуникациите и маркетинга, както и да запознае читателите с практиките на компании в България, в маркетинг микса на които интернет заема значително място. Първият гост в рубрикатае г-жа Светлана Проданова (на снимката) – Маркетинг мениджър на Beiersdorf България. Beiersdorf е компания със 120 г. история и притежател на NIVEA – марка № 1 в света в обл

Bulgarian Sports

The Bulgarian society has always been connected to sport. There are historical facts that there were competitions held in the Bulgarian lands back in the Middle ages. Bulgarians were strong horse riders, athletes and wrestlers.
A number of Bulgarian athletes have won fame for our country during the years. A large part of them set standards in sports such as weightlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, sports gymnastics, volleyball, athletics, martial arts, boxing, wrestling, sport shooting and many more.

• Wrestling - Bulgarian wrestlers are regular competitors in all competitions – Olympic games, European and World championships. Bulgarians have won 16 Olympic gold medals and more than 600 medals from European and World championships. There are 93 wrestling clubs in Bulgaria and that sport is very popular here. Our most famous wrestlers from recent years are:


Armen Nazarian


Stanka Zlateva









Serafim Bliznakov,Iavor Ianakiev, Kiril Terziev and others.


•Volleyball – Volleyball is the most successful Bulgarian team sport. In the last 10 years The Bulgarian national volleyball team is part of every big volleyball competition on the planet – something more, our team is usually one of the medalists. We won matches against every other top team , but we still haven’t won a big competition. Volleyball receives huge interest in Bulgaria. A lot of people watch it live and many more watch volleyball on TV. Our most famous players are Matei Kaziyski ,Plamen Konstantinov, Andrei Jekov, Evgeni Ivanov and many more. Our top players also play for the best vollryball clubs in the World.



•Rhythmic gymnastics/Art gymnastics - Art gymnastics is one of the most popular sports engaging Bulgarian girls and women. More than half a century tradition is the fundament Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics stepped on, to build its notorious position world widely. Bulgarian “golden girls” have won hundreds of medals during the years. Here are the best of them :
1969, 1971, 1973 Maria Gigova - Medals: 13 (9 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
1981 Anelia Ralenkova - Medals: 22 (12 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze)
1983, 1985 Diliana Georguieva - Medals: 12 (9 gold, 3 bronze)
1987 - Bianka Panova - Medals: 21 (15 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)
1993, 1994, 1995 Maria Petrova - Medals: 28 (13 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronze)
1980 Iliana Raeva - Medals: 19 (5 gold, 8 silver, 6 bronze)
1982 Anelia Ralenkova - Medals: 22 (12 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze)
1984 Anelia Ralenkova - Medals: 22 (12 gold, 5 silver, 5 bronze)
1986 Lili Ignatova - Medals: 33 (19 gold, 12 silver, 2 bronze)
1986 Bianka Panova - Medals: 21 (15 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)
1988 Adriana Dounavska - Medals: 15 (7 gold, 6 silver, 2 bronze)
1988 Elizabeth Koleva - Medals: 5 ( 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
1990 Yulia Baytcheva - Medals: 13 (2 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze)
2001 Simona Peytcheva - Medals: 5 (3 gold, 2 silver)



• Sports gymnastics - Gymnastics is Bulgaria's first Olympic sport. The first Bulgarian gymnast, who took part in the Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, is Charles Shampoff. Velik Kapsazov is the first to win an Olympic medal – bronze (rings), and Stoyan Delchev is the first Olympic champion of Bulgarian gymnastics. In Moscow 1980 he wins gold on the rings and bronze in the all-round competition.
A famous Bulgarian gymnast from recent years is Jordan Jovchev.

He has won many medals for our country from Olympic games and world championships.









•Weightlifting – Bulgaria was always famous with its weightlifters . Before 2003 Bulgarian weightlifters won medals on almost every big weightlifting and set many world records on championships including the Olympic games, but after 2003 Almost all Bulgarians are caught using prohibited substances and banned from entering any competitions for many years.

•Sports Shooting – we don’t have many sporting shooters ,but Bulgaria’s most famous competitor is Maria Grozdeva, winner of numerous European and world titles, and Olympic champion in the women's sport pistol. Holder of an Olympic and European record in the air pistol.


Tanyo Kirqkov is another very famous Bulgarian shooter. He has won many prizes and he has won two Olympic gold medals from Seul,1988 and from Sydney,2000.

•Athletics – Bulgaria hasn’t got huge traditions in Athletics ,but there are some disciplines like high jump and triple jump where Bulgarians won Olympic gold. Our most successful athlete is Stefka Kostadinova . She has won many high jump titles but her biggest success was at the Olympic games in Atlanta,1996.She won the gold and set up a new world record, which hasn’t been beaten yet.
Tereza Marinova won the triple jump Olympic gold in Sydney,2000.

Ancient Bulgaria

Ancient Bulgaria

The Mist of the Ages
(2137 BC. – 668 AD.)
Prologue
The Bulgarians – people who had everything wished; they believed that the world is open to them; and they never doubted in their victory; that is the nation that took wonders of the world.

To begin with there isn’t another nation which doesn’t know its history. Bulgaria is the oldest European country which has not changed its name over the centuries. Almost all countries have changed their names. There are many assumptions that the Bulgarians had had not only one but twelve countries. Also it is supposed that the Great Chinese wall was built to protect the Chinese from the Bulgarian attacks.
Bulgaria was known in a lot of places but the other nations couldn’t pronounce the (∂) sound so they simply changed the name in a suitable for them way.
A lot of rivers, valleys, hills, seas, lakes and mountains were named after Bulgaria and they still can be found on the world maps.
The Bulgarian motto is” The Union makes the Power”. It comes from the great Bulgarian khan (similar to king) Kubrat who explained it to his five sons. And one of them set up Bulgaria in 681A.D.

The First Bulgarian Empire
In 632A.D. the Bulgars, originally from Central Asia, formed under the leadership of Khan Kubrat an independent state that became known as Great Bulgaria. Pressure from the Khazars led to the subjugation of Great Bulgaria in the second half of the 7th century. That’s why Kubrat’s successor, Khan Asparuh moved with some of the people to the course of the river Ongal. After a while he made a peace treaty with Byzantium in 681A.D. and established the First Bulgarian Empire with a capital city Pliska.


Ruins of Pliska, capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 680 to 890A.D.

In 864 Bulgaria under Boris I accepted Christianity. Bulgaria became a major European power in the ninth and the tenth centuries.

The Bulgarian Empire in 893 in dark green, with its territorial gains up to 927 in light green.

The Byzantines then began campaigns to conquer Bulgaria. In 971 they seized the capital Preslav and captured Emperor Boris II. The Byzantines destroyed the Bulgarian state in 1018 after their victory at Kleidion.
Bulgarian nobles ruled the province in the name of the Byzantine Empire until two of the liberators started a rebellion in 1185 which led to the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Empire. By the end of the 14th century, factional divisions between Bulgarian boyars had gravely weakened the cohesion of the Second Bulgarian Empire. And this lead to the split into three small kingdoms. In the period 1365–1370, the Ottomans conquered most Bulgarian towns and fortresses south of the Balkan Mountains. In 1393, the Ottomans captured Tarnovo, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, after a three-month siege because of the traitor who had opened a secret gate to the fortress. In 1396, the Vidin Tsardom(Kingdom) fell after the defeat and with this, the Ottomans finally subjugated and occupied Bulgaria.
In the period of the ottoman rule many manuscripts with the Bulgarian history were lost.
In 1876 the April uprising broke out: the largest and best-organized Bulgarian rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately ,it was brutally repressed. And that attracted the attention to Russia to seek a solution by force. In the Russian-Turkish War, 1877-1878, the Russian soldiers together with a Romanian expeditionary force and volunteer Bulgarian troops defeated the Ottoman armies. The Treaty of San Stefano (3 March 1878), set up an autonomous Bulgarian principality.

Bulgarians overrun a Turkish position at bayonet-point during the First Balkan War of 1912–1913.

However, Bulgaria did not become a people's republic until 1946. Bulgaria took part in many wars in the nineteenth century, including WW1 and WW2.
Todor Zhivkov dominated the country from 1956 to 1989, becoming one of the most established Eastern leaders.
Opposition forced Zhivkov and his right-hand to give up the power on 10 November 1989. After that the government was taken by Petar Mladenov. And it is considered the beginning of the democracy.

World famous Bulgarians

-Singers:

Boris Christoff

World famous Bulgarian bass Boris Christoff was a phenomenon in opera. Emblematic artist of the Russian opera classics, he was unbeaten in the role of Boris Godunov of the eponymous opera by Mussorgsky. Philip II in Don Carlos by Verdi is another memorable role of the Bulgarian royal bass. Performances were inimitable and his church Slavonic Chants - hardly a Bulgarian who does not know his "Mnogaya leta ”(To many years to come). In 1986 the Bulgarian Academy of Arts and Culture was opened in Rome - the great Bulgarian donated his home to the Bulgarian state to care for the development of young opera singers. And donated his home in Sofia, also in favor of art. The bass genius was born in 1914 in l Bulgaria and died in 1993 in Rome.


Valya Balkanska

Valya Balkanska is “the space voice of Bulgaria”. The voice of our most renowned folk singer was sent into space in 1977. The unparalleled performance of the song " Izlel Deliu rebel" sounds there for at least another 60 000 years. She was born in 1942 in the village of Arda, Smolyan. Her great Rhodope heart sings with the same love and joy in the home and neighborhood, and in the largest capitals in the world. "Let's let the stars of heaven”. The important thing is to have genuine people on earth ", said Valya at the Balkan ceremony for the second star in the Famous Walk of Fame.


Ghena Dimitrova

Great opera singer Ghena Dimitrova was born in the village of Beglezh, Pleven . Against her father’s will at the age of 20 Gena began studying singing at the Music Academy with Prof. Chr. Brambarov. Her incredible voice, a professor who says it is "a voice that is born once every one hundred years". Having conquered the world's opera stages, Gena was proclaimed queen of Verdi voices and was awarded the prize "Giacomo Puccini's brilliant interpretation of central characters in operas by Puccini, the" Golden Verdi”, an award previously given only to Italian opera singers ... She was the first foreign singer who received an invitation to open a triple of the season, "La Scala" - a huge honor, equivalent to an absolute recognition of her qualities.One of the greatest recognitions in her life are the words of the great Herbert von Karajan, who, hearing her for the first time, enthusiastically exclaimed: " I have lived to hear a voice that only gods deserve!"


Lili Ivanova

Prima of the Bulgarian pop music , Lili Ivanova has issued 32 albums (two Gold records are in Europe), over 10 000 live concerts and recorded over 500 songs.Her first famous song "Saturday Night" was released in 1963 .The same year her first album was issued in Romania - the first LP of the Bulgarian singer, issued abroad. In 1963, she took part in shows at Ambassador Hotel and the Constantin Tanase Music Hall Theatre in Bucharest. Her brilliant performance was broadcast live four times on the national television of Rumania. In her career, Lili Ivanova has performed live at more than 10 000 concerts both in Bulgaria and abroad.In 1988 she won the first prize in Paris , France.One of her biggest hits are "Camino", "You know my dream, I love you," It is our summer, "Warning", "Heavy Wedding", "My Mother," "Gambling", "Doomed Souls "Detelina" Cricket "," Wind, I swore you “….In 1997, the International Association of women nominated her as one of the most famous women of the twentieth century.On May 11, 2006 Lili Ivanova got a star on the Bulgarian Walk of Fame.She has performed at a lot of live concerts all over the world.


Raina Kabaivanska

Raina Kabaivanska is an opera singer, one of most important soprano voices in the second half of the twentieth century, Graduate of the Bulgarian State Conservatory in 1958 Kabaivanska was able to secure a specialization in Italy. One year later she debuted in the role of Zhorzheta and Puccini's "Pagliacci" on Leonkavalo in Fano.Later she won a competition for young artists at the school of La Scala. Kabaivanska's relationship with La Scala remains intense - "Falstaff", "Turandot" to Busoni, "Sister Angelica", "Don Carlos", "Mephistopheles", "Rientsi. She also approves on the American opera scene - singing in New York, Chicago, Washington, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas.With hard work and concentration Kabaivanska polished all the roles that brought her international fame.Luciano Pavarotti says about her: "the past is Tosca of Maria Callas. Tosca of our time is Raina Kabaivanska.“

-Footballers:


Valeri Bojinov

Valeri Bojinov is a Bulgarian football striker. Currently he is a player on the Italian club Parma, rented from Manchester City, and previously played for Italian "Fiorentina", "Lecce and Juventus. He has 19 matches for the national football team of Bulgaria, in which he noted three goals. Bojinov recently held the record for transfer and sale of Bulgarian athletes after his passage from Lecce to Fiorentina on January 31 2005, for the sum of 13 million euros. He debuted for the national team at the European Championships in Portugal in 2004 against Italy. His first goal for 'A' team he scored on August 11th 2004 against Ireland.
Valeri Bojinov still holds the record for the youngest foreign player playing in Serie A- just having turned 15-years he entered as a substitute for the team of "treatments" in Juventus team lost. In 2006, played for Juventus after exchange with Adrian Mutu, who was taken from Fiorentina. His debut for "Juventus is for the Coppa Italia against Napoli. In 2007, passes in Manchester City for 4.1 million pounds.

Georgi Asparuhov

Georgi Asparuhov - Gundy, the legend of Bulgarian football fens of all times, was born in 1943 in Sofia. A superb player and sportsman on the pitch Gundy attracts the audience like a magnet. He is the first Bulgarian football player, who received an offer to play in a professional team overseas. All meetings of our national team remain glorious history of Bulgarian football, which participated in the "miracle" Gundy. The unforgettable Gundy dies in a car crash - when he was only 28 years old.


Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who played for Pirin (Blagoevgrad), CSKA (Sofia), Bayer Leverkusen. With the German team he signed a contract for 4.5 years and the amount of transfer was 4.5 million DEM. In May 2006, passed in the English team Tottenham Hotspur for 16 million euros. His father and his grandfather are former players,his younger brother named Assen, is also a footballer, currently playing in Pirin( Blagoevgrad).On July 29, 2006 Dimitar Berbatov has 31 goals in 49 appearances for the Bulgarian national football team, which ranks him third place in the ranking of the best scorers in the national team of all time. Before him are only Hristo Bonev (47 goals) and Hristo Stoichkov (35 goals). He was declared a footballer № 1 in Bulgaria for 2002, 2004 and 2005.At the moment Berbatov is playing for one of the most famous and powerful teams in the world-Manchester United.


Yordan Lechkov

Yordan Lechkov is a famous Bulgarian footballer. At the age of 18 he debited professional football. In 1992, he was dressed in the shirt of Hamburger Shportferayn (German team )and became the first Bulgarian used in the Bundesliga.In 1994 at the World Cup in the United States, he was one of the "golden boys" of Bulgaria.Lechkov has also played for the French soccer team Olympique Marseille and Besiktas ,Turkey.In 1998 he ended the football career and devoted to the development of business in his hometown of Sliven, Bulgaria.In 2003 he was elected as its mayor.


Martin Petrov

Martin Petrov is a Bulgarian football player , born in Vratsa in 1979 with a sharp, powerful stroke with the left leg. In 1999, he was purchased in Servet(Geneva), the champion of Switzerland in 1999, and became winner of the national cup in 2001, In 2001 he was bought by the German team Wolfsburg. Designated Footballer № 1 in Bulgaria in 2006. In the summer of 2007, he moved to Manchester City for the amount of 4.7 million pounds.



Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo Stoichkov is a Bulgarian football player and coach, one of the most famous people in the world.During The World Cup in 1994 in the United States he won the prize for goalmaster, scoring six goals.In the same year he won the prestigious award Golden Ball.In the national team of Bulgaria has 83 matches and 37 goals.Among his individual awards are: No. 1 player in Bulgaria - 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, "Golden Shoe" - top scorer in Europe - 1990. "Silver Ball" of France Football - 1992, Golden onz "to" Onz World Cup - 1992, Golden Ball France Football in 1994, sports the number 1 on the Balkans - in 1994, No. 1 athlete of Bulgaria - 1994 and many others.In the period 2004-2008, Hristo Stoichkov was coaching The National football team of Bulgaria.

-Gymnasts and athletics:

Albena Denkova and Maxim Stavisky














Bulgarian “ lady of ice” and her partner Maxim Stavisky combine two important qualities – strong-mindedness and unusual talent .They overcame all difficulties on the road to the world-wide fame .In 2006 in Calgari Albena and Maxim won the gold medal and became world champions .This was the first gold medal for Bulgaria in figure skating. Bulgarian figure skaters grabbed the gold medal for the second time in their career in Tokyo , Japan in 2007.Bulgaria's sweethearts have been planning to get married someday but they said there was never enough time off from skating and practice to do that. World Ice Skating Champions 2006 Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski got finally married in end of December 2006 in a small Bulgarian mountain village.


Anelia Ralenkova

Anelia Ralenkova is one of the gymnasts of Bulgaria with the most awards. She won the incredible 10 gold medals at World and European championships. She is a gymnast with unique style , intelligent and original routines, dramatic and exciting performances. She is said to be “the actress in rhythmic gymnastics”. Since 1991 Anelia Ralenkova lives and works in the United States.


Jordan Jovtchev

Jordan Jovtchev is one of the most successful Bulgarian gymnasts.In his career he has won four Olympic medals - one silver and three bronze. Twice he was double world champion on rings of land and the world championships in Ghent and Anaheim in 2001 and 2003 ,a double world runner in Debrecen in 2002 . At the Olympic Games in Athens he won the silver medal.Jordan Jovtchev is defined as the best athlete in the Balkans in 2003.



Stefka Kostadinova

Stefka Kostadinova is a Bulgarian prima athletics.Kostadinova has seven gold medals at world championships and was European champion in the hall and outdoors.In 1996 she became Olympic champion in Atlanta, USA.In 1998 she won the silver medal of the Games in Seoul..On August 30, 1987 Stefka Kostadinova set up the world record in high jump - 209 cm, which is still not broken.Ten years later, formally renounces her sporting career.In 2002 she was elected Vice-Chairman of the State Agency for Youth and Sports. Since November 11, 2005 is the chairman of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.

-Artists:


Vladimir Dimitrov-The Master

Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master is the most famous Bulgarian artist. For him, Chavdar Mutafov ,a critic, writes: "... Vladimir Dimitrov - the Master carries in himself the soul of our former masters of the whole past and secure the future of a whole”. Fate has given the most prominent Bulgarian painter thousand vicissitudes of life.. He died in poverty, though his talent is incomparable, and that almost every picture painted by him turned into an event.



Christo Javacheff

Christo Javacheff - known worldwide as Christo - is a Bulgarian artist, one of the greatest avant-garde of our time.He comes from an old family from Razgrad , Bulgaria.His grandfather was an academician Annan Javacheff who discovered the ruins of the ancient Roman city Abritos. His brother is the famous actor Hanany Javacheff.From 1953 Christo studied at the Art Academy in Sofia, but he emigrated in 1957 and was deprived of Bulgarian citizenship.He is the creator of artistic packaging technique. He has packaged Mon Nyof bridge in Paris, the Reichstag in Berlin and others.His projects are The Umbrellas in Japan ,the wrapped trees in Japan , the Gates in Central Park , New Yorkand others. Working together with his wife, Jeanne-Claude.

-Tennis-players:

Magdalena Maleeva

Magdalena Maleeva is the youngest of the tennis trio Maleevi sisters and the youngest champion for women in Bulgaria.She was born in 1975 in Sofia. She began her professional career in 1989 and ended it in 2005.For sixteen years in the elite world of professional tennis, Maggie has 439 wins in official matches, 10 singles titles and 5 - pairs.In 1995 she defeated the established names in tennis such as Gabriela Sabatini, Mary Pierce, Natasha Zvereva, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario..In 1996 Magdalena Maleeva became number four in the world rankings.

Sesil Karatantcheva

Sesil Radoslavova Karatantcheva is a Bulgarian tennis player, born in 1989, in Sofia. Her father and coach is Radoslav Karatantchev. She began playing tennis at 5 years and in 2008 competed for Bulgaria, then took Kazakh citizenship and competed for Kazakhstan.In 2001 Sesil beat Alisa Kleybanova and won the Orange Bowl (12). For half a year she was training at the famous tennis school of Nick Bollettieri.In 2005 she was involved with "Black Sea Elite" in the European Club Championships in Rennes, France, where the team became European champion in the composition of Virginia Trifonova, Cecil Karatancheva, Maria Penkova and Tsvetana Pironkova.In the same year Sesil was named one of the most prosperous tennis players in the world because in 2004, she won Roland Garros for the girls, and in for a period of two years (2004-2005) moved up from position 526 to 35 in the rankings of the Women's Tennis Association(WTA).

-Wrestlers:


Dan Koloff

The champion in Freestyle Dan Koloff missed only two victories in the 1500 official matches in which he confronted opponents on five continents. Born in 1892 in Sevlievo. Poverty forced him to seek a better life in America. He started working as a stevedore, Dan impresses everyone with his unique power and was soon invited to the professional ring. In the period 1918 - 1925, he was the strongest fighter of the United States. Won matches in the sports arenas of the Americas, Europe, Japan, China, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Twice winner of the title "diamond zone",he was called "King Kong" and "King of wrestling” and was known for his charity. Bulgaria bought one of the first airliners with the donations of Dan Koloff.The genius fighter died from tuberculosis in his homeland in 1940.

-Chess-players:


Veselin Topalov

Vesselin Topalov is the Bulgarian grandmaster, world champion in chess for the period 2005-2006time - he has won the world chess championship after the tournament in Saint Louis, Brazil, in 2005.Born on March 15, 1975 in Rousse. His father introduced him to chess at the age of eight years. When he was only fourteen years old he won the world title in three categories for adults. In January 2006, Veselin Topalov was among the few chess players to cross ELO 2800 (2801) and ranked second in the top 100, just after Gary Kasparov.The highest rate of personal ELO for Topalov in the top 100 ranking of FIDE was2813 (July 2006).Winner of many international super, Topalov has won over all known grandmasters in the world.

-Inventors:

John Atanasov

John Atanasov - the father of the computer was proud of his Bulgarian origin. The genius inventor was born on October 4, 1903 in Hamilton. His father, Ivan Atanasoff, left an orphan after the April uprising, emigrated to the United States. There he became an electrical engineer and married Iva Lucena, mother of John, a mathematics teacher. His idea to create the perfect computing machine led to the discovery of the computer. John Atanasov was awarded the highest prize of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for Pioneer Research, discovery and construction of the first digital computer ...", which is the basis of all modern computers.

-Biathlonists:


Ekaterina Dafovska

Ekaterina Dafovska is the most successful Bulgarian biathlonists. In her career she has won an Olympic title, a European title and two bronze medals at world championships and a bronze medal at the European Championships.Ekaterina won the first and so far only Olympic title for Bulgaria in 1998 in the course 15 kilometers individually. In the poll for best athlete in the Balkans in 1998 Ekaterina Dafovska ranks first.

-Saints:



Ivan Rilski (John of Rila)

John of Rila is revered as a patron saint of the Bulgarian people.All the other Orthodox honour him too.Centuries ago, his cult reached Siberia.St. John of Rila is the first Bulgarian hermit and discoverer of the most majestic monastery - The Rila Monastery – in Bulgaria. With God's blessing the hermit performed miracles: he exempted from evil spirits, cured diseases and disabilities.His fame spread throughout the country and only reached the capital. Using one of his trips to Sofia, king Peter I walked about 120-kilometer distance from the mountain to see the pious man.John, however returned the king’s gold sent to him by Peter.This further increased his fame .The relics of Saint John of Rila are stored in the Rila Monastery.

-Revolutionaries:

Vasil Levski

Vasil Levski - the Apostle of Freedom, was born in Karlovo in 1837. Organizer of the Bulgarian national revolution, creator of the Internal Revolutionary Organization, he was deeply convinced of the strength of the Bulgarians to gain their independence by themselves. True to the belief "If I win, I will win for all people, if I lose, I will lose only myself," he devoted his life to fight for pure and sacred republic ". Captured by the Turks, Levski was sentenced to death as the greatest enemy of the Ottoman Empire and was hanged in 1873 in the then outskirts of Sofia. He is considered the greatest personality of those hard times for our country.

Hristo Botev

Hristo Botev was a genius poet, revolutionary, ecstatic figure of the Bulgarian national movement.Participated actively in the Bulgarian Revolutionary Committee (BRCC) and the Bulgarian Revolutionary Committee (BRK).He led 200 people during the April uprising, and on May 17, 1876 came down the ship Radetzki near Kozloduy.After heavy fighting died at the foot of Mount House, Vratsa.In his short life Botev gave much strength and energy to journalistic activity.He issued a lot of newspapers.Hristo Botev is the author of immortal verses.

Wonders of Bulgaria

Belogradchik Rocks

The Belogradchik Rocks are a group of bizarrely shaped sandstone, limestone and conglomerate rock formations located on the western slopes of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) near the town of Belogradchik in northwest Bulgaria. The rocks vary in color from primarily red to gray to yellow; some of the rocks reach up to 200 m in height. These rocks have fantastic shapes.Another interesting fact is that every singel person from Bulgaria knows at least one ancient legend about them.They are often named for people or objects .Most majestic cliffssurround Belogradchik: Madonna, Rider, Monks, Student, Lion, Bear, Adam and Eve, the Castle. . The names of each piece rock are the result of people's imagination. About 4 km from Lepenitza cities around the cave is another great rock band, where the most impressive piece is a dinosaur. The Belogradchik Rocks have been declared a Natural Landmark by the Bulgarian government and are a major tourist attraction in the region. Here every stone has a history and legend, full of suffering and heroism, to explain the incredible stone beauty.Centuries ago, the rocks have a nunnery.Early each morning monastery bells called for prayer to God doomed nuns.The youngest among them, Bithynia neophyte, could not hide their beauty under his cassock.Rumors about her beauty Vita is spread everywhere throughout the Roman Empire.Peter's one where people had the right to visit the monasteries, the fate met by roman Antonio Vita.They love their long hiding from the nuns.But after a year the fruit of their love is revealed to light.Kids crying announced cells of the monastery.Vita was revealed and faced the strict law of the monks.They decided to curse and expel it from the monastery with her child.At this time, from the hill Antonio on his white horse, beseeching the nuns to leave Vita.And the miracle happened.Suddenly a storm rocks apologize, thunder, the earth shook.The monastery ruins and everything in stone - Rider, Monks and Bithynia, who turned in a Madonna with child in her arms.


7 Rila Lakes

The 7 Rila lakes are one of the most interest views in Bulgaria. They are situated in the highest mountain on The Balkan peninsula – The Rila Mountaian, rising one above the other with a displacement of 440m at the Northern slope of Damka in the Northwestern part of the mountain. The Lakes have glacial origin and they are part of “The One Hundred National Tourist Sightseeing Spots” and they are among the most visited places in Bulgaria. They are connected with each other by small brooklets that turn into waterfalls at some places. Officially they have been numbered from up to down: The Tear-drop, The Eye, The Kidney, The Twin, The Trefoil, The Fish and The Bottom. The water from the lakes swells from one into the other and it is where The River Djerman originates form.

Ledenika Cave



Ledenika is a cave in the Northwestern parts of the Balkan Mountains, 16km away from the Bulgarian town of Vratsa.The cave was famous during the time of The Ottoman yoke.Shepherds used to keep yoghurt there.In summer and spring the cave is very beautiful. The first hall (the lowest part of the cave) is “The Antechamber”.There is a huge ice colone with diameter of nearly 21m.There is a set of wine-which is from ice bottles and glasses on the floor, below the high dome. Marvellous blue-white waterfalls shine at some places.The ice stalactites are like swords-short or longer, up to 4m.And everything shines like a diamond. A low corridor connects “the Antechamber” with “the Little hall”-almost a circle hall, which leads to “The Concert hall”. The way to it is through the Passage of Sinners. Only those whose heart is pure can pass through it. According to the specialist`s oppinion it has divine acustics.There is another hall, called “The Refrigerator”. People used to keep seeds in it in the past.Everything here is majestic and unique – the Crocodile, the Giant’s head, the Falcon, Santa Claus, the Witch’s house etc.In 1961 there were the first visitors, and in 1962 it became a landmark .The subterranean kingdom of “Ledenika” is so beautiful that it`s impossible to be described , it must be seen.



Krushuna Waterfall's

The Krushuna Falls is a waterfall in northern Bulgaria, near the village of Krushuna, Letnitsa Municipality.The waterfall is situated 34 km away from the town of Lovech. Krushuna Falls is famous with its picturesqueness.It is formed by numerous karst terraces. There is a pathway that leads away to the cave from which springs the waterfall. There are also two smaller waterfalls , and one of them is called ' Malka Maara '. A few more caves are located nearby - Urushka Maara, Gornik and Devetashka. The waterfall can be reached very easily - from the village's square you have to turn right and find a parking place.You will get to the waterfall by walking along a well-shaped path.There are bridges allowing the tourists to enjoy the natural beauty. Along the waterfall an Eco path is built ,which gives the opportunity to see the entire waterfall system. In 13th - 14th centuries, the Kroshuna Monastery was located here and was occupied by monks Hesychasts. That is proved by the remain rock niches and cells.

Rilla Monastery



Perperikon-sacred and ancient city



The sacred rocky town of Perperikon. Magnificent rocky formations on the hills near the village of Gorna Krepost, Kardzali, had captured the interest of many adventurers through the years.Today it is known to be a pre-historical village dating somewhere in the neolith.The region is very rich of gold , silver and copper ore and along with the fertile lands in the valley formed by the gold-bearing river Perperek it has been populated since thousands of millennia.