Chavdar was a 16th-century semi-legendary Bulgaria

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 hajduk

Hajduk

Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....

 voivode, a leader of a band of outlaws and a protector of the people against 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...

 injustice. Hajduks would usually take to the woods and wage guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...

 on the ruling Turks. One of the greatest hajduk figures in Bulgarian folklore and epic tales, Chavdar was immortalised by national poet Hristo Botev

Hristo Botev

Hristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...

. One of Botev's masterpieces, Hajduks, is about Chavdar, as are a large number of folk songs. A Bulgarian coach company

Chavdar (company)

Chavdar is a trademark and name of a Bulgarian coachbuilding company in Botevgrad. Founded by Racho Dzhambov, the company that would later become "Chavdar" produced around 200 buses between 1927 and 1947; on chassis' from Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz, and Dodge. In 1948 the state took...

 carries the name of this character. Chavdar was born in south Macedonia

Macedonia (region)

Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...

 and headed a band of 300 people. He was initially active in the Štip

Štip

Štip is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2002 census, the Štip municipality alone had a population of about 47,796...

 and Kozjak regions, but subsequently moved to the region of 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...

. According to the legend, he was captured by the pasha

Pasha

Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...

 of Sofia by trickery, but rescued by his nephew and standard-bearer

Standard-bearer

A standard-bearer is a person who bears an emblem called an ensign or standard, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used as a formal, visual symbol of a state, prince, military unit, etc.This can either be an occasional duty, often seen as an honour , or a...

 Lalush Voyvoda who devastated the pasha's estates. It is thought that Chavdar may have been one of the hajduks who assaulted Sofia in February 1595.

Chavdar Peninsula

Chavdar Peninsula

Chavdar Peninsula is a 10-km wide peninsula projecting 13 km in northwest direction from Graham Land on the Antarctic Peninsula in Antarctica. Bounded by Curtiss Bay to the northeast, Hughes Bay to the southwest and Gerlache Strait to the northwest...

 in Graham Land

Graham Land

Graham Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the British Antarctic Place-names Committee and the US Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, in...

 on the Antarctic Peninsula

Antarctic Peninsula

The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....

, Antarctica is named after Chavdar.

External links

• Chavdar Voyvoda and Standard-bearer Lalush by Nikolay Haytov
  Nikolay Haytov
  Nikolay Haytov was a Bulgarian fiction writer, playwright, patriot and publicist known for his publications and research regarding the life of Bulgarian revolutioner Vasil Levski....
  
  
• Chavdar (Voyvoda) Between Folkore and History by Todor Mollov