Rakovski (town)
Encyclopedia
Rakovski is a town in southern Bulgaria
, in the historical region of Thrace
. It is located in the Plovdiv Province
. The town is also the centre of the Rakovski Municipality. Rakovski was founded in 1966 with the merging of three villages — General Nikolaevo, Sekirovo and Parchevich. The new town was named after the prominent Bulgarian
revolutionary Georgi Sava Rakovski
.
, and has an area of 5,50 km². Rakovski is located in a transitional continental climatic zone south of Stara Planina. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild, with snow remaining for about a month.
and the southern gas pipe passing through its territory.
List of villages in the municipality:
at 2 km to the southeast of the town.
The area was settled by Paulicians in the Middle Ages
, who served as frontier guards and heavily armed infantry in the battles between the Byzantine Empire
and Bulgaria between the 9th and the 14th century. Most of them fled to Nikopol
on the Danube
, the Second Bulgarian Empire
's last stronghold, after fierce fights with the Ottomans
in the end of the 14th century. There they accepted Roman Catholicism from Chiprovtsi
missionaries and gradually returned to their native places. The different confession did not, however, affect the local residents' patriotic feelings, as many took part in the Bulgarian National Revival
.
Information about the three villages (now neighborhoods) that formed the town of Rakovski in 1966 can be found in several Ottoman tax registers. General Nikolaevo is mentioned as Kalıçla sarı and Sarı Kalıçla in 1488 and 1576, Sekirovo is denoted as Baltacilar in 1576 and Parchevich is counted under the name Ali Fakıh.
es and being known as two of the largest Roman Catholic places of worship in this largely Eastern Orthodox part of the Balkans
. Rakovski is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv.
A nunnery and a monastery
are located in the town, the former being a Franciscan
one dedicated to the Sacred Heart
and the latter to Polish
martyr
Maximilian Kolbe
.
The Catholic Church of the 'Sacred Heart' in Rakovski is the second largest in the Balkans
after the cathedral of Zagreb
. It was built in 1928 after the Chirpan earthquake that left it in ruins.
in the Rakovski Municipality and two of them are in the town of Rakovski — chitalishte Saints Cyril and Methodius and Prosveta.
In 2003 the chitalishte Saint Cyril and Methodius was approved for receiving money for the project Chitalishta. With the help of this project an educational centre for disabled people was created in it. The chitalishte participates in a project of exchanging of library experience, financed by the American department. In 2006 it became a participant in a project of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
and the University of Bologna
named - Tourism School which is a part of the grand Cultural tourism and intercultural environment project. The chitalishte is a co-organiser in the preparation and organization of the festival Kukove.
. The festival is the biggest cultural event of this kind in the region. The participants are not only from Bulgaria but also from Greece
, Serbia
, Ireland
, Romania
and the Republic of Macedonia
.
The annual holiday of the wine - Vinaria-Trifon Zarezan is a tradition for the Rakovski Municipality. Another festival is held in the village of Belozem. It is called The festival of the White Stork
and takes place annually in the beginning of May. In 2005 Belozem was named A European village of the white stork by the Foundation of the European Natural Heritage.
The Municipality of Rakovski is also a member of the Foundation of the European Carnival Cities — FECC.
, Litex, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Botev Plovdiv, Naftex Burgas
and others have also participated. The local football club Rakovski has played in republican championships for children and youths in 2002 in Italy and Germany, in 2003 in Italy and Malta, in 2004, 2006, 2007 in Italy. The club has also been a host for teams from Germany and Japan. There are four other amateur football clubs in the Municipality that play in the tournaments of Plovdiv Province
.
There is a game-breeding enterprise near the village of Stryama called Chekeritsa. It has several bird species, deer, and hares. The enterprise has favorable conditions for ecotourism and photo-hunting.
The industrial zone is located in the land of Stryama village and spans 815 decares (81.5 hectares). The zone is situated 14 km from the center of the province, the city of Plovdiv
, and only 8 km from the Trakiya motorway
.
The first investor was British
company William Hughes Ltd., manufacturing springs
for the automotive industry. By the beginning of 2006, 14 additional companies had set up operations in the zone, including German
hypermarket chain operator Kaufland
and building components manufacturer Prefabbricati Cividini S.p.A. of Italy
.
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 the historical region of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
. It is located in the Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
. The town is also the centre of the Rakovski Municipality. Rakovski was founded in 1966 with the merging of three villages — General Nikolaevo, Sekirovo and Parchevich. The new town was named after the prominent Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
revolutionary Georgi Sava Rakovski
Georgi Sava Rakovski
Georgi Stoykov Rakovski , known also Georgi Sava Rakovski , born Sabi Stoykov Popovich , was a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary and writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival and resistance against Ottoman rule.- Early life:Born in Kotel to a wealthy and patriotic...
.
Geography and Climate
The town is located in the western part of the Upper Thracian Lowland, at 25 km to the northeast of Bulgaria's second largest city PlovdivPlovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, and has an area of 5,50 km². Rakovski is located in a transitional continental climatic zone south of Stara Planina. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are mild, with snow remaining for about a month.
Municipality
The municipality of Rakovski consists of the town of the same name and six villages. It covers a territory of 264 km² which is 4,4% of the total area of the Plovdiv Province. The population of the municipality is 29,039 of which 16,291 live in the town. It has an important transport location with the Trakiya motorwayTrakiya motorway
The Trakia motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
and the southern gas pipe passing through its territory.
List of villages in the municipality:
|
|
History
Traces of human population in the area date back since the Chalcolithic. There are remains of an ancient settlement and a Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
at 2 km to the southeast of the town.
The area was settled by Paulicians in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, who served as frontier guards and heavily armed infantry in the battles between the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
and Bulgaria between the 9th and the 14th century. Most of them fled to Nikopol
Nikopol, Bulgaria
Nikopol is a town in northern Bulgaria, the administrative center of Nikopol municipality, part of Pleven Province, on the right bank of the Danube river, 4 km downstream from the mouth of the Osam river. It spreads at the foot of steep chalk cliffs along the Danube and up a narrow valley...
on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
's last stronghold, after fierce fights with the Ottomans
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...
in the end of the 14th century. There they accepted Roman Catholicism from Chiprovtsi
Chiprovtsi
Chiprovtsi is a small town and municipality in northwestern Bulgaria, administratively part of Montana Province. It lies on the shores of the river Ogosta in the western Balkan Mountains, very close to the Bulgarian-Serbian border...
missionaries and gradually returned to their native places. The different confession did not, however, affect the local residents' patriotic feelings, as many took part in the Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
.
Information about the three villages (now neighborhoods) that formed the town of Rakovski in 1966 can be found in several Ottoman tax registers. General Nikolaevo is mentioned as Kalıçla sarı and Sarı Kalıçla in 1488 and 1576, Sekirovo is denoted as Baltacilar in 1576 and Parchevich is counted under the name Ali Fakıh.
Religion
Rakovski is by far the largest predominantly Roman Catholic town in Bulgaria, with the vast majority of the population professing Roman Catholicism. There are Roman Catholic churches in all three neighborhoods, those in General Nikolaevo (built 1929) and Sekirovo serving as parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es and being known as two of the largest Roman Catholic places of worship in this largely Eastern Orthodox part of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. Rakovski is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia and Plovdiv.
A nunnery and a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
are located in the town, the former being a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
one dedicated to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
and the latter to Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
Maximilian Kolbe
Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe OFM Conv was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German concentration camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.He was canonized on 10 October 1982 by Pope John Paul II, and...
.
The Catholic Church of the 'Sacred Heart' in Rakovski is the second largest in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
after the cathedral of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. It was built in 1928 after the Chirpan earthquake that left it in ruins.
Culture
There are eight chitalishtaChitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
in the Rakovski Municipality and two of them are in the town of Rakovski — chitalishte Saints Cyril and Methodius and Prosveta.
In 2003 the chitalishte Saint Cyril and Methodius was approved for receiving money for the project Chitalishta. With the help of this project an educational centre for disabled people was created in it. The chitalishte participates in a project of exchanging of library experience, financed by the American department. In 2006 it became a participant in a project of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
and the University of Bologna
University of Bologna
The Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna is the oldest continually operating university in the world, the word 'universitas' being first used by this institution at its foundation. The true date of its founding is uncertain, but believed by most accounts to have been 1088...
named - Tourism School which is a part of the grand Cultural tourism and intercultural environment project. The chitalishte is a co-organiser in the preparation and organization of the festival Kukove.
Traditions
Rakovski hosts the annual international festival called Kukove. The performers wear masks and dress as KukeriKukeri
Kukeri is a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with a costumed man performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals and large bells attached to the belt...
. The festival is the biggest cultural event of this kind in the region. The participants are not only from Bulgaria but also from Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, 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...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
The annual holiday of the wine - Vinaria-Trifon Zarezan is a tradition for the Rakovski Municipality. Another festival is held in the village of Belozem. It is called The festival of the White Stork
White Stork
The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan...
and takes place annually in the beginning of May. In 2005 Belozem was named A European village of the white stork by the Foundation of the European Natural Heritage.
The Municipality of Rakovski is also a member of the Foundation of the European Carnival Cities — FECC.
Sport
For the first time in 2002 the town of Rakovski hosted The International Football Tournament for Children - United by Football. The organizers of this event were the Municipality of Rakovski, The Professional Football League, the Eparchy of Sacred Heart, the Eparchy of Saint Archangel Mihail, and the monastery Saint Maximilian Kolbe. The teams of many European countries have participated in this tournament so far, for example Poland, Croatia, Italy, Spain, England, Malta, Germany, Romania. The Bulgarian teams of LevskiLevski
Levski can refer to:*Vasil Levski, the pseudonym of Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, a national hero of Bulgaria.Various toponyms and organization named after him:*Levski, Pleven Province, a town in the Pleven Province of northern Bulgaria....
, Litex, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Botev Plovdiv, Naftex Burgas
PFC Naftex Burgas
PFC Naftex Burgas is a former football club from Burgas, Bulgaria.-History:The club was created in 1962 by a group of workers, laying the foundations of the future Petroleum Refinery Neftochim, which had not yet been named. The team startеd in A regional group under the name of Stroitel. The...
and others have also participated. The local football club Rakovski has played in republican championships for children and youths in 2002 in Italy and Germany, in 2003 in Italy and Malta, in 2004, 2006, 2007 in Italy. The club has also been a host for teams from Germany and Japan. There are four other amateur football clubs in the Municipality that play in the tournaments of Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
.
Economy
Industry is of a significant importance for the economy of Rakovski Municipality. The main industries include chemicals production, textiles, and food and beverage processing.Agriculture
Rakovski Municipality has traditions of developed and highly productive agriculture. The mild climate and the fertile soil are the main reasons for growing wheat, sunflower, maize, different vegetables, and fruits.There is a game-breeding enterprise near the village of Stryama called Chekeritsa. It has several bird species, deer, and hares. The enterprise has favorable conditions for ecotourism and photo-hunting.
Rakovski Industrial Zone
The Rakovski Industrial Zone was the first of its kind in Bulgaria. In operation since July 2004, the zone attracts investors with competitive incentives for doing business and opportunities for immediate start of production. The land that is given to the investors is with a changed statute and is licensed and ready for industrial construction.The industrial zone is located in the land of Stryama village and spans 815 decares (81.5 hectares). The zone is situated 14 km from the center of the province, the city of Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, and only 8 km from the Trakiya motorway
Trakiya motorway
The Trakia motorway or Thrace motorway, designated A1, is a motorway currently in construction in Bulgaria. It is planned to connect the capital of Sofia with Burgas on the Black Sea through Plovdiv and with Kalotina on the Serbian border. The motorway is named after the historical region of...
.
The first investor was British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company William Hughes Ltd., manufacturing springs
Spring (device)
A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...
for the automotive industry. By the beginning of 2006, 14 additional companies had set up operations in the zone, including German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
hypermarket chain operator Kaufland
Kaufland
Kaufland is a German hypermarket chain part of the same group as Lidl and Handelshof. It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a leader in what was formerly East Germany...
and building components manufacturer Prefabbricati Cividini S.p.A. of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.