Sava Mutkurov
Encyclopedia
Sava Atanasov Mutkurov ( – ) was a Bulgaria
n officer (Major General
) and politician. One of only three recipients of the Order of Bravery
1st grade, he was among the chief architects of the Bulgarian unification
(1885) and, as an officer in the young Bulgarian Army, one of its defendants in the Serbo–Bulgarian War
(1885). He also served as one of the regent
s of the Principality of Bulgaria
after Prince Alexander of Battenberg
's abdication (1886–1887) and was Minister of War
in Stefan Stambolov
's government (1887–1891).
in the central Danubian Plain
(then part of the Ottoman Empire
, today in north central Bulgaria) in 1852. He studied for two years at the Military Medical Academy in the imperial capital Constantinople
(Istanbul
), but graduated instead from the Cadet Infantry School in the Russian
city of Odessa
in 1872. As a soldier in the Imperial Russian Army
, Mutkurov participated in the Serbo–Turkish War of 1876 along with other Bulgarian volunteers
. He was also involved in the Russo–Turkish War of 1877–1878 which brought about the Liberation of Bulgaria
. During that war, he was the commander of a company
in the 54th Minsk
Infantry Regiment of the Russian Army.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria and the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria
and Eastern Rumelia
in 1878, Mutkurov settled in Eastern Rumelia, where he joined the provincial police or militia
. He served first with the 1st Plovdiv
Battalion and thereafter with the general staff. As an eminent man of arms in Eastern Rumelia, Mutkurov was one of the main leaders of the Bulgarian unification
on 6 September 1885, the bloodless revolution that united the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. Mutkurov joined the Bulgarian Secret Revolutionary Central Committee which stood behind the unification. At the time a captain, along with Dimitar Rizov
he was envoyed to the Bulgarian monarch Prince Alexander of Battenberg. The two were received by the prince in Shumen
, where they notified him of the forthcoming events and requested his approval. The prince did not wish to be publicly involved in an anti-Ottoman revolution, and is unclear whether he at all believed a revolution was likely to break out in Eastern Rumelia so soon. During the revolution, Mutkurov commanded some of the troops that surrounded the residence of the provincial governor Gavril Krastevich
and demanded his resignation.
. Mutkurov was one of the commanders of the Bulgarian Army in the Serbo–Bulgarian War of 1885 caused by the Kingdom of Serbia
's disapproval of the Bulgarian unification. In the conflict, a Bulgarian victory that defended the revolution, Mutkurov headed the troops fighting at Tsaribrod
on 13 November and was also in charge of the central and right wing forces during the Pirot
Offensive on 14 and 15 November. After the war Mutkurov was appointed chief of the Plovdiv garrison and commanded the 5th Infantry Brigade.
Sava Mutkurov also played an important part in the turbulent events of 1886. In the wake of a pro-Russian coup d'état
aiming to dethrone Prince Alexander, Mutkurov and Stefan Stambolov
organized a counter-coup which was widely supported by the population. Mutkurov was appointed by Stambolov as the commander-in-chief of the troops loyal to Prince Alexander, and soldiers from his Plovdiv garrison were transferred to the capital Sofia
to arrest or drive out the plotters. The events nevertheless led to Prince Alexander's abdication
on 7 September 1886 under Russian pressure. Until the election of another Bulgarian monarch, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe–Coburg and Gotha
, on 14 August 1887, Mutkurov was one of the three regents of Bulgaria, along with Stambolov and Petko Karavelov
(soon replaced by Georgi Zhivkov). He was also part of the delegation that welcomed the new prince as he arrived in Svishtov
to assume the throne.
. He was not, however, favoured by Prince Ferdinand. The monarch's desire was to replace him with his own confidant, Mutkurov's enemy Hristo Popov, as Minister of War. Mutkurov served in the government until 16 February 1891, when he withdrew due to deteriorating health and was promoted to Major General. He died of a heart attack on 15 March on a visit to Naples
, Kingdom of Italy
, and was interred at the Church of the Holy Saviour in Sofia.
Despite his active involvement in practically all major events in Bulgarian history during his lifetime, Mutkurov has been described as "very reserved and taciturn" even though he was also "honest and firm". Writer Simeon Radev
regards Mutkurov as a "phlegmatic person" and his contemporary and accomplice in the unification Zahari Stoyanov
would go as far as to say that "by the time Mutkurov opened his mouth, the market would close up". Together with the other two long-serving regents of 1886–1887, Stambolov and Zhivkov, Mutkurov was one of only three persons to receive the Order of Bravery
1st grade, the oldest and highest Bulgarian military decoration
.
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 officer (Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
) and politician. One of only three recipients of the Order of Bravery
Order of Bravery
The Order of Bravery is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the most esteemed Bulgarian order and the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and forth highest in the Republic of Bulgaria...
1st grade, he was among the chief architects of the Bulgarian unification
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...
(1885) and, as an officer in the young Bulgarian Army, one of its defendants in the Serbo–Bulgarian War
Serbo-Bulgarian War
The Serbo-Bulgarian War was a war between Serbia and Bulgaria that erupted on 14 November 1885 and lasted until 28 November the same year. Final peace was signed on 19 February 1886 in Bucharest...
(1885). He also served as one of the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
s of the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
after Prince Alexander of Battenberg
Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria
Alexander Joseph, Prince of Bulgaria GCB , known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigning from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886.-Early life:...
's abdication (1886–1887) and was Minister of War
Ministry of Defence (Bulgaria)
The Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with regulating the Military of Bulgaria.Since August 2005 , Minister of Defence was Veselin Bliznakov of the National Movement Simeon II, with Deputy Ministers Ivan Ivanov, Radoslav Bozadzhiev, Simeon Nikolov, Sonya Yankulova and Spas...
in Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
's government (1887–1891).
Early years and Bulgarian unification
Sava Mutkurov was born in the city of TarnovoVeliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
in the central Danubian Plain
Danubian Plain (Bulgaria)
The Danubian Plain constitutes the northern part of Bulgaria, situated north of the Balkan Mountains and south of the Danube. Its western border is the Timok River and to the east it borders the Black Sea. The plain has an area of . It is about long and wide.The relief of the Danubian Plain is...
(then part of the Ottoman Empire
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...
, today in north central Bulgaria) in 1852. He studied for two years at the Military Medical Academy in the imperial capital Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
), but graduated instead from the Cadet Infantry School in the Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
city 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,...
in 1872. As a soldier in the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, Mutkurov participated in the Serbo–Turkish War of 1876 along with other Bulgarian volunteers
Opalchentsi
Opalchentsi were Bulgarian voluntary army units, who took part in the Serbo-Turkish War of 1876 and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The people in these units were called opalchenets-pobornik meaning "volunteer combatant"....
. He was also involved in the Russo–Turkish War of 1877–1878 which brought about the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
. During that war, he was the commander of a company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
in the 54th Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
Infantry Regiment of the Russian Army.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria and the establishment of the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
and Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
in 1878, Mutkurov settled in Eastern Rumelia, where he joined the provincial police or militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
. He served first with the 1st 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...
Battalion and thereafter with the general staff. As an eminent man of arms in Eastern Rumelia, Mutkurov was one of the main leaders of the Bulgarian unification
Bulgarian unification
The Unification of Bulgaria was the act of unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the then-Ottoman province of Eastern Rumelia in the autumn of 1885. It was co-ordinated by the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee...
on 6 September 1885, the bloodless revolution that united the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. Mutkurov joined the Bulgarian Secret Revolutionary Central Committee which stood behind the unification. At the time a captain, along with Dimitar Rizov
Dimitar Rizov
Dimitar Hristov Rizov or Rizoff is Bulgarian revolutionary, publicist, politician, journalist and diplomat.- Life :Rizov was born in 1862 in Bitola, Macedonia . At first he studied in his native town and then he continued study in Plovdiv. In 1881 he opened a book store in Bitola, and a year later...
he was envoyed to the Bulgarian monarch Prince Alexander of Battenberg. The two were received by the prince in Shumen
Shumen
Shumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
, where they notified him of the forthcoming events and requested his approval. The prince did not wish to be publicly involved in an anti-Ottoman revolution, and is unclear whether he at all believed a revolution was likely to break out in Eastern Rumelia so soon. During the revolution, Mutkurov commanded some of the troops that surrounded the residence of the provincial governor Gavril Krastevich
Gavril Krastevich
Gavril Krastevich was a Bulgarian politician. He was born in Kotel in 1813. He was a general governor of Eastern Rumelia between 1884 and 1885 when it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Krastevich died in Istanbul on 16 November 1898....
and demanded his resignation.
Serbo–Bulgarian War and regency
Following the unification, from 6 to 8 September, Mutkurov was a member of the interim provincial government presided by the Commissar of South Bulgaria, Georgi StranskiGeorgi Stranski
Georgi Ivanov Stranski was a Bulgarian physician and politician. A close friend of Hristo Botev, Stranski was an active member of various organizations founded by Bulgarian emigrants in Romania...
. Mutkurov was one of the commanders of the Bulgarian Army in the Serbo–Bulgarian War of 1885 caused by the Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
's disapproval of the Bulgarian unification. In the conflict, a Bulgarian victory that defended the revolution, Mutkurov headed the troops fighting at Tsaribrod
Dimitrovgrad, Serbia
Dimitrovgrad is a town and 483 km² large municipality located in the Pirot District of the Republic of Serbia. According to 2011 census, the municipality of Dimitrovgrad has a population of 10,056 people and the town 6,247.-Name:...
on 13 November and was also in charge of the central and right wing forces during the Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
Offensive on 14 and 15 November. After the war Mutkurov was appointed chief of the Plovdiv garrison and commanded the 5th Infantry Brigade.
Sava Mutkurov also played an important part in the turbulent events of 1886. In the wake of a pro-Russian coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
aiming to dethrone Prince Alexander, Mutkurov and Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
organized a counter-coup which was widely supported by the population. Mutkurov was appointed by Stambolov as the commander-in-chief of the troops loyal to Prince Alexander, and soldiers from his Plovdiv garrison were transferred to the capital 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...
to arrest or drive out the plotters. The events nevertheless led to Prince Alexander's abdication
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
on 7 September 1886 under Russian pressure. Until the election of another Bulgarian monarch, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe–Coburg and Gotha
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand , born Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, was the ruler of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1918, first as knyaz and later as tsar...
, on 14 August 1887, Mutkurov was one of the three regents of Bulgaria, along with Stambolov and Petko Karavelov
Petko Karavelov
Petko Karavelov was a leading Bulgarian liberal politician who served as Prime Minister on four occasions....
(soon replaced by Georgi Zhivkov). He was also part of the delegation that welcomed the new prince as he arrived in 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...
to assume the throne.
Minister of War and death
On 1 September 1887 that year, Mutkurov became Minister of War in Stefan Stambolov's Popular Liberal Party government. Mutkurov was a loyal friend and trusted man of the premier Stambolov, who even made him his brother-in-lawBrother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
. He was not, however, favoured by Prince Ferdinand. The monarch's desire was to replace him with his own confidant, Mutkurov's enemy Hristo Popov, as Minister of War. Mutkurov served in the government until 16 February 1891, when he withdrew due to deteriorating health and was promoted to Major General. He died of a heart attack on 15 March on a visit to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
, and was interred at the Church of the Holy Saviour in Sofia.
Despite his active involvement in practically all major events in Bulgarian history during his lifetime, Mutkurov has been described as "very reserved and taciturn" even though he was also "honest and firm". Writer Simeon Radev
Simeon Radev
Simeon Traychev Radev was a Bulgarian writer, journalist, diplomat and historian most famous for his two-volume book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria....
regards Mutkurov as a "phlegmatic person" and his contemporary and accomplice in the unification Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov , born Dzhendo Stoyanov Dzhedev , was a Bulgarian revolutionary, writer, and historian. A participant in the April Uprising of 1876, he became its first historiographer with his book Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprisings...
would go as far as to say that "by the time Mutkurov opened his mouth, the market would close up". Together with the other two long-serving regents of 1886–1887, Stambolov and Zhivkov, Mutkurov was one of only three persons to receive the Order of Bravery
Order of Bravery
The Order of Bravery is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the most esteemed Bulgarian order and the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and forth highest in the Republic of Bulgaria...
1st grade, the oldest and highest Bulgarian military decoration
Orders, decorations, and medals of Bulgaria
Orders, decorations and medals of Bulgaria are regulated by the law on the Orders and Medals of the Republic Of Bulgaria of 29 May 2003.The National Military History Museum Of Bulgaria in Sofia currently has over 150 Bulgarian Orders in the collection, which it has acquired over 85 years in...
.