Ivan Naumov
Encyclopedia
Ivan Naumov, nicknamed Alyabaka or Alyabako, was a Bulgaria
n revolutionary and freedom fighter, a member of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO).
, Veles
region, in a poor Bulgarian family. Because of the lack of finances, he was not able to study and went to work in Thessaloniki
. There he learnt about the ideas of the revolutionary organization IMARO and in 1900 he was invited to join the organization by Mihail Apostolov Popeto
. He worked as a grocer in Drama
and Kavala
.
Stoyan Avramov described Ivan Naumov as follows:
In 1902 he killed a Turk and escaped to Sofia
. The same year, he returned as a freedom fighter in the regions of Odrin
and Pashmakli. From the beginning of 1903, he was an organizational leader in the region of Krushevo. During the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
, he headed one of the sections that participated in the burning of the police station in Krushevo.
After the uprising, he went back to Bulgaria
. In 1904, he was arrested in Sofia, together with Mamin Kolyu
, after the unsuccessful attempt to murder the Turkish
consul. They were arrested for six months because of this action in which the consul’s bodyguard was wounded. Afterwards, he entered Macedonia
again as a leader of a revolutionary band. When certain disagreements happened in the IMARO, he was among the supporters of Boris Sarafov
. As a leader of a revolutionary band, he toured the regions of Veles
, Prilep
, Kičevo
and Porečje, but because of his conflict with Stefan Dimitrov
, who was a leader of a revolutionary band operating in the Veles region, he was ordered not to return there. Ivan Naumov had battles not only with the Turkish military, but also with the Serbia
n armed propaganda. In 1904, his and Bobi Stoychev’s band were destroyed by the Turkish military, when 16 of his 20 freedom fighters were killed. The same year, a skirmish between his band and Stefan Dimitrov’s band occurred, but fortunately they agreed on the misunderstandings without causing casualties.
In 1905, Ivan Naumov's band expelled Dimitar Chupovski
from Macedonia, because he conducted anti-Bulgarian propaganda.
In the summer of 1907, Alyabaka entered Macedonia as a leader of one of the largest revolutionary bands, which had 60 freedom fighters, mostly soldiers of the Bulgarian army. Konstantin Kyurkchiev was among its members. This band participated in the Battle of Nozhot (the Knife) and Popadiski Chukari together with the bands of Tane Nikolov
, Mihail Chakov, Hristo Tsvetkov, that came from Bulgaria, as well as with the regional bands of Gyore Spirkov and Mircho Naydov, from Prilep, and the village bands of Sekula Oraovdolski and Velko Popadiyski.
The same year in August, while he returned from the congress of the IMARO’s Bitola
revolutionary region, held at the Prostranska Mountain, at which he was elected inspector of the bands, Alyabaka witnessed the kidnapping of a girl from the village of Belica
by Arnauts
. He went to save the girl and the ordinary skirmish with the bandits soon turned into a battle with the Turkish military
, which came in the meantime. Ivan Naumov was killed in this battle and the inhabitants of Belica
buried him beneath the altar of the local church.
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 revolutionary and freedom fighter, a member of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO).
Biography
Ivan Naumov was born in the village of OraovecVeles municipality
Veles is a municipality in central Republic of Macedonia. Veles is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Veles Municipality is part of the Vardar Statistical Region.-Geography:...
, Veles
Veles (city)
Veles is a city in the center of the Republic of Macedonia on the Vardar river. The city of Veles is the seat of Veles Municipality.-Name:The city's name was Vylosa in Ancient Greek and before the Balkan Wars, it was a township with the name Köprülü in the Üsküp sandjak, Ottoman empire for 600...
region, in a poor Bulgarian family. Because of the lack of finances, he was not able to study and went to work in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. There he learnt about the ideas of the revolutionary organization IMARO and in 1900 he was invited to join the organization by Mihail Apostolov Popeto
Mihail Apostolov
Mihail Raynov Apostolov, known also as Mihal Postolov or Popeto, was an officer in the Bulgarian army and a worker of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization .-Early years:...
. He worked as a grocer in Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
and Kavala
Kavala
Kavala , is the second largest city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala peripheral unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos...
.
Stoyan Avramov described Ivan Naumov as follows:
In 1902 he killed a Turk and escaped to 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...
. The same year, he returned as a freedom fighter in the regions of Odrin
East Thrace
East Thrace or Eastern Thrace , also known as Turkish Thrace, is the part of the modern republic of Turkey that is geographically part of Europe, all in the eastern part of the historical region of Thrace; most of Turkey is in Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor. Turkish Thrace is also called...
and Pashmakli. From the beginning of 1903, he was an organizational leader in the region of Krushevo. During the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising
The Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising or simply the Ilinden Uprising of August 1903 |Macedonia]] affected most of the central and southwestern parts of the Monastir Vilayet receiving the support mainly of the local Bulgarian peasants and to some extent of the Aromanian population of the region...
, he headed one of the sections that participated in the burning of the police station in Krushevo.
After the uprising, he went back to 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...
. In 1904, he was arrested in Sofia, together with Mamin Kolyu
Mamin Kolyu
Nikola Koev Nikolov , known as Mamin Kolyu was a Bulgarian revolutionary of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Revolutionary Organization who fought for the liberation of Macedonia and Thrace from Ottoman rule.Mamin Kolyu was born on 20 March 1880 in Haskovo as...
, after the unsuccessful attempt to murder the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
consul. They were arrested for six months because of this action in which the consul’s bodyguard was wounded. Afterwards, he entered 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...
again as a leader of a revolutionary band. When certain disagreements happened in the IMARO, he was among the supporters of Boris Sarafov
Boris Sarafov
Boris Petrov Sarafov was a revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, one of the leaders of Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee and Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization...
. As a leader of a revolutionary band, he toured the regions of Veles
Veles (city)
Veles is a city in the center of the Republic of Macedonia on the Vardar river. The city of Veles is the seat of Veles Municipality.-Name:The city's name was Vylosa in Ancient Greek and before the Balkan Wars, it was a township with the name Köprülü in the Üsküp sandjak, Ottoman empire for 600...
, Prilep
Prilep
Prilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
, Kičevo
Kicevo
Kičevo is a city in the western part of the Republic of Macedonia, located in a valley in the south-eastern slopes of Mount Bistra, between the cities of Ohrid and Gostivar. The capital Skopje is 112 km away. The city of Kičevo is the seat of Kičevo Municipality.-Population:The municipality...
and Porečje, but because of his conflict with Stefan Dimitrov
Stefan Dimitrov
Stefan Dimitrov was a basso opera singer. Born in the Black Sea town of Burgas, Bulgaria, he was of Greek origin. He won four international singing competitions at the very beginning of his career: those in Toulouse, the "Erkel" in Budapest, the "s’Hertogenbosch" in the Netherlands, and the...
, who was a leader of a revolutionary band operating in the Veles region, he was ordered not to return there. Ivan Naumov had battles not only with the Turkish military, but also with the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n armed propaganda. In 1904, his and Bobi Stoychev’s band were destroyed by the Turkish military, when 16 of his 20 freedom fighters were killed. The same year, a skirmish between his band and Stefan Dimitrov’s band occurred, but fortunately they agreed on the misunderstandings without causing casualties.
In 1905, Ivan Naumov's band expelled Dimitar Chupovski
Dimitrija Cupovski
Dimitrija Čupovski was a Macedonian textbook writer and lexicographer.-Early years:...
from Macedonia, because he conducted anti-Bulgarian propaganda.
In the summer of 1907, Alyabaka entered Macedonia as a leader of one of the largest revolutionary bands, which had 60 freedom fighters, mostly soldiers of the Bulgarian army. Konstantin Kyurkchiev was among its members. This band participated in the Battle of Nozhot (the Knife) and Popadiski Chukari together with the bands of Tane Nikolov
Tane Nikolov
Tane Nikolov was a Bulgarian revolutionary and member of the revolutionary movement in Macedonia, Thrace and Pomoravlje...
, Mihail Chakov, Hristo Tsvetkov, that came from Bulgaria, as well as with the regional bands of Gyore Spirkov and Mircho Naydov, from Prilep, and the village bands of Sekula Oraovdolski and Velko Popadiyski.
The same year in August, while he returned from the congress of the IMARO’s Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
revolutionary region, held at the Prostranska Mountain, at which he was elected inspector of the bands, Alyabaka witnessed the kidnapping of a girl from the village of Belica
Drugovo municipality
Drugovo is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Drugovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Drugovo Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
by Arnauts
Arnauts
Arnaut is the Turkish word for the people of Albania. Arnauts in modern Turkey are people of Albanian descent...
. He went to save the girl and the ordinary skirmish with the bandits soon turned into a battle with the Turkish military
Military of the Ottoman Empire
The history of military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years between 1300 and 1453 , the classical period covers the years between 1451 and 1606 , the reformation period covers the years between 1606 and 1826 ,...
, which came in the meantime. Ivan Naumov was killed in this battle and the inhabitants of Belica
Drugovo municipality
Drugovo is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. Drugovo is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Drugovo Municipality is part of the Southwestern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
buried him beneath the altar of the local church.
External links
- Песен за Иван Алябака
- Аврамов, Стефан. "Революционни борби въ Азот (Велешко) и Поречието", Материали за историята на македонското освободително движение, книга X, Македонски Научен Институт, София 1929
- Стефан Аврамов за Иван Наумов-Алябака, Илюстрация Илинден, г. I, бр. 3, с. 10
- „Илюстрация Илинден“, година III, брой 3