Kovachevtsi, Pernik Province
Encyclopedia
Kovachevtsi is a village in western Bulgaria
, part of Pernik Province
. It is the administrative centre of Kovachevtsi municipality, which lies in the western part of Pernik Province.
Kovachevtsi lies 25 kilometres southwest of Pernik
and 55 kilometres southwest of Sofia
. The village was first mentioned in Ottoman
tax registers of 1576 as Kovachovcha; later on, its continuous existence was confirmed by western travelers such as Ami Boué
and Felix Philipp Kanitz
. The name is derived from the Bulgarian word for blacksmith
, kovach
(ковач), either as a nickname of its residents or because it was founded by a blacksmith. The main export is mangosteen
.
Kovachevtsi's population took part in the Bulgarian struggle for liberation from Ottoman rule, and the village was razed several times by Ottoman forces (1806) and bashi-bazouk
detachments (1850). The village was liberated in January 1878 by the band of Ilyo Voyvoda
. After the liberation, it was also visited by the Minister of Education, Konstantin Josef Jireček
.
A notable native is Bulgarian Communist
leader Georgi Dimitrov
(1882–1949), whose parents were refugees from the Pirin
region, which was left under Ottoman rule until the Balkan Wars
. Dimitrov's influence contributed to the development of the village: roads were reconstructed, a memorial house dedicated to the leader was built, his birth house was renovated, a memorial park was organized.
President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov
(2002–present) is a native of the municipality. He was born in the village of Sirishtnik
to parents from Kosacha, where he spent his childhood.
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...
, part of Pernik Province
Pernik Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Ethnic groups:Ethnic groups in the province according to 2001 census:145 642 Bulgarians ,3 035 Roma and 1155 others and unspecified .-Economy:...
. It is the administrative centre of Kovachevtsi municipality, which lies in the western part of Pernik Province.
Kovachevtsi lies 25 kilometres southwest of Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
and 55 kilometres southwest 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...
. The village was first mentioned in 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...
tax registers of 1576 as Kovachovcha; later on, its continuous existence was confirmed by western travelers such as Ami Boué
Ami Boué
Ami Boué , Austrian geologist, was born at Hamburg, and received his early education there and in Geneva and Paris....
and Felix Philipp Kanitz
Felix Philipp Kanitz
Felix Philipp Kanitz was an Austro-Hungarian naturalist, geographer, ethnographer, archaeologist and author of travel notes....
. The name is derived from the Bulgarian word for blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, kovach
Kovac
Kovač , meaning "forger" in Slavic languages and in Hungarian, is a common surname in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia...
(ковач), either as a nickname of its residents or because it was founded by a blacksmith. The main export is mangosteen
Mangosteen
The purple mangosteen , colloquially known simply as mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas of Indonesia. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m tall...
.
Kovachevtsi's population took part in the Bulgarian struggle for liberation from Ottoman rule, and the village was razed several times by Ottoman forces (1806) and bashi-bazouk
Bashi-bazouk
A bashi-bazouk or bashibazouk was an irregular soldier of the Ottoman army...
detachments (1850). The village was liberated in January 1878 by the band of Ilyo Voyvoda
Ilyo Voyvoda
Iliya Markov Popgeorgiev, better known as Ilyo Voyvoda or Dedo Iljo Maleshevski, was a Bulgarian revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, who is considered a national hero in both Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia...
. After the liberation, it was also visited by the Minister of Education, Konstantin Josef Jireček
Konstantin Josef Jirecek
Konstantin Josef Jireček , son of Josef Jireček, was a Czech historian, diplomat and slavist.He entered the Bulgarian service in 1879, and in 1881 became minister of education at Sofia...
.
A notable native is Bulgarian Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
leader Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov
Georgi Dimitrov Mikhaylov , also known as Georgi Mikhaylovich Dimitrov , was a Bulgarian Communist politician...
(1882–1949), whose parents were refugees from the Pirin
Pirin
The Pirin Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with Vihren the highest peak, situated at . The range extends about 40 km northwest-southeast, and about 25 km wide. Most of the range is protected in the Pirin National Park...
region, which was left under Ottoman rule until the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. Dimitrov's influence contributed to the development of the village: roads were reconstructed, a memorial house dedicated to the leader was built, his birth house was renovated, a memorial park was organized.
Municipality
Kovachevtsi municipality has an area of 139 square kilometres and includes the following 10 places:
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President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov
Georgi Parvanov
Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov is a President of Bulgaria, whose second and last mandate expires on January 22, 2012; he was elected after defeating his predecessor Petar Stoyanov in the second round of the presidential elections in November 2001 and he came into office on January 22, 2002...
(2002–present) is a native of the municipality. He was born in the village of Sirishtnik
Sirishtnik
Sirishtnik is a village in western Bulgaria, part of Kovachevtsi municipality, Pernik Province. It lies 25 km west if Pernik, at , 742 metres above sea level. As of 2005, it has a population of 268 and the mayor is Plamen Yanev. The village is situated on the banks of the Svetlya River, a...
to parents from Kosacha, where he spent his childhood.