Aleko Konstantinov
Encyclopedia
Aleko Konstantinov (1 January 1863 - 23 May 1897) was a Bulgaria
n writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction.
Born to an affluent trader in the Danube River town of Svishtov
, he attended the Faculty of Law of the University of Odessa
, graduating in 1885. He worked as a jurist in Sofia
before embarking on a writing career. His first novel (in fact, a collection of relatively independent short stories), Bay Ganyo ("Uncle Ganyo"), describes the travels through Western Europe of an itinerant peddler of rose oil
and rugs. Though impertinent and clumsy, the nevertheless ingenious Bay Ganyo has been seen as a mirror for a modernizing Bulgaria. At the beginning of the novel Bay Ganyo is seen mainly as trading rose oil while at the end he is portrayed as a political man. His prototype is the Karlovo
tradesman Ganyo Somov.
Konstantinov, a cosmopolitan traveler, was the first Bulgarian to write about his visits to Western Europe and America. His visits to the World Exhibitions in Paris
in 1889, Prague
in 1891 and Chicago in 1893 provided Bulgarian readers, who had recently gained independence from nearly 500 years of Turkish Ottoman
oppression, with a portrait of the developed world. To Chicago and Back
(where Bay Ganyo appears once again, but only as a third plan person), his travel notes from his American trip, spurred a lasting interest in Chicago, which today boasts the largest concentration of Bulgarian immigrants in the United States. Nowadays there's a bust of the writer in the University of Chicago
's Regenstein Library
.
Hе was assassinated in 1897 near Radilovo
while traveling to Peshtera
, most likely by mistake with the intended target being his friend (a local politician), with whom he had changed places in their coach shortly before the fatal shot. However, there exists also a version that his essays, exposing the hidden insidious intentions of the rulers of his day, led to his assassination.
Aleko Konstantinov initiated the tourist movement in Bulgaria. This is why two of Vitosha
's hotels are named after him - "Aleko" and "Shtastlivetsa" ("The Lucky Man", the nickname he gave to himself in one of his short stories).
Konstantinov is portrayed on the obverse
of the Bulgarian 100 levs
banknote, issued in 2003.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction.
Born to an affluent trader in the Danube River town of Svishtov
Svishtov
Svishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romanian town of Zimnicea. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality...
, he attended the Faculty of Law of the University of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, graduating in 1885. He worked as a jurist in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
before embarking on a writing career. His first novel (in fact, a collection of relatively independent short stories), Bay Ganyo ("Uncle Ganyo"), describes the travels through Western Europe of an itinerant peddler of rose oil
Rose oil
Rose oil, meaning either rose otto or rose absolute, is the essential oil extracted from the petals of various types of rose...
and rugs. Though impertinent and clumsy, the nevertheless ingenious Bay Ganyo has been seen as a mirror for a modernizing Bulgaria. At the beginning of the novel Bay Ganyo is seen mainly as trading rose oil while at the end he is portrayed as a political man. His prototype is the Karlovo
Karlovo
Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
tradesman Ganyo Somov.
Konstantinov, a cosmopolitan traveler, was the first Bulgarian to write about his visits to Western Europe and America. His visits to the World Exhibitions in Paris
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from 6 May to 31 October 1889.It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event traditionally considered as the symbol for the beginning of the French Revolution...
in 1889, Prague
General Land Centennial Exhibition (1891)
The General Land Centennial Exhibition was a World's fair held in 1891 in Prague, then in the Austria–Hungarian Empire.Many buildings were erected for this exposition, including the Průmyslový palace .-Summary:...
in 1891 and Chicago in 1893 provided Bulgarian readers, who had recently gained independence from nearly 500 years of Turkish Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
oppression, with a portrait of the developed world. To Chicago and Back
To Chicago and Back
To Chicago & Back [ISBN 954-9308-24-3] is a book written by Bulgarian writer Aleko Konstantinov in 1894, describing his journey from Bulgaria to the United States...
(where Bay Ganyo appears once again, but only as a third plan person), his travel notes from his American trip, spurred a lasting interest in Chicago, which today boasts the largest concentration of Bulgarian immigrants in the United States. Nowadays there's a bust of the writer in the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
's Regenstein Library
Regenstein Library
The Joseph Regenstein Library is the main library of the University of Chicago, named after industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Regenstein. Holding over 7.9 million volumes, it is one of the largest repositories of books in the world, and is noted for its brutalist architecture.-History:The...
.
Hе was assassinated in 1897 near Radilovo
Radilovo
Radilovo is a village in the municipality of Peshtera, Pazardzhik Province in western Bulgaria. It has a population of 1537.Radilovo is situated at the foothills of the Rhodope mountains, at 14 km to the south of Pazardzhik, on the main road from Pazardzhik to Batak via Peshtera...
while traveling to Peshtera
Peshtera
Peshtera is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality...
, most likely by mistake with the intended target being his friend (a local politician), with whom he had changed places in their coach shortly before the fatal shot. However, there exists also a version that his essays, exposing the hidden insidious intentions of the rulers of his day, led to his assassination.
Aleko Konstantinov initiated the tourist movement in Bulgaria. This is why two of Vitosha
Vitosha
Vitosha is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the tourists symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous...
's hotels are named after him - "Aleko" and "Shtastlivetsa" ("The Lucky Man", the nickname he gave to himself in one of his short stories).
Konstantinov is portrayed on the obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Bulgarian 100 levs
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
banknote, issued in 2003.
Further reading
- Gavrail PanchevGavrail PanchevGavrail Panchev is a Bulgarian author. In 1982 Gavrail Panchev acquired diploma for bachelor of "Bulgarian philology" in Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski". In the period 1983 - 1991 he has been consecutively teacher and assistant director in High school "Father Paisiy" in Stamboliyski town...
: Aleko Konstantinov - Biografia 1 - Gavrail Panchev: Aleko Konstantinov - Biografia 2
- Gavrail Panchev: Ubiistvoto Na Aleko Konstantinov. Literaturen forum 1997; ISBN 954-8121-85-9
In English
- Bai Ganyo: incredible tales of a modern Bulgarian, various translators, University of Wisconsin Press (2010) ISBN 0-299-23694-3