Simeon Radev
Encyclopedia
Simeon Traychev Radev was a Bulgaria
n writer
, journalist
, diplomat and historian most famous for his two-volume book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria.
Radev was born in the town of Resen in the region of Macedonia
, then under Ottoman
rule, in 1879. He studied at the Bulgarian schools in Resen, Ohrid
and Bitola
before finishing the Galatasaray High School in Istanbul
. He graduated in law
from the University of Geneva
, where he studied with Venelin Ganev
. Radev became interested in journalism
and was a regular contributor to the Evening Mail newspaper from 1901 on; he later became editor and editor-in-chief of the newspaper. In 1905, he started issuing the Artist magazine. In 1908, he participated in the foundation of the Union of the Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs, a Bulgarian political party in the Ottoman Empire. Later, he created the daily newspaper Will and was active in its publication. Towards that time he published his book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria, one of the largest original historiographic studies of Bulgaria at the time. The book was an in-depth study of the Principality of Bulgaria
's formation and its early political years.
From an early age Radev devoted himself to diplomacy
. In 1913, he participated in the conference which led to the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest; he remained a Bulgarian minister plenipotentiary in Bucharest
until 1916. After Romania
joined World War I
, he was moved to Berne
, Switzerland
. In 1917, he handed in his resignation, left Switzerland and joined the Bulgarian Army as a soldier of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
. Towards the end of the war Radev was one of the Bulgarian representatives who signed the Thessaloniki Armistice. After the war, Radev was Bulgarian minister plenipotentiary in The Hague
, Ankara
, Washington, D.C.
, London
and Brussels
. He was the first Bulgarian delegate to the League of Nations
in Geneva.
In 1918, Radev published his book Macedonia and the Bulgarian Revival
in the 19th Century in French
; it was translated to Bulgarian in 1927 and republished as an issue of the Macedonian Scientific Institute
, of which Radev was a member. Besides being active in historiography, journalism and diplomacy, Radev was an avid connoisseur of literature and arts. He published several critical articles and took an active part in Bulgaria's literary and artistic life. Some of his articles were published in the book Insights into the Literate and Arts and Personal Memories, released in 1965 and provoking a significant interest.
Simeon Radev died aged 88 in the Bulgarian capital Sofia
on 15 February 1967, only several days after his last book Early Memories was ready for printing. Reportedly, his last words were "Did I give anything to Bulgaria?".
Radev Point
on Rugged Island
in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Simeon Radev.
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 writer
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
, journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, diplomat and historian most famous for his two-volume book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria.
Radev was born in the town of Resen in the region of 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...
, then under 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...
rule, in 1879. He studied at the Bulgarian schools in Resen, Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
and 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...
before finishing the Galatasaray High School in 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...
. He graduated in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, where he studied with Venelin Ganev
Venelin Ganev
Venelin Yordanov Ganev was a Bulgarian lawyer, diplomat, and politician. He was a leading authority on commercial law, and after the Communist coup d'état on 9 September 1944 was one of the regents of underage tsar Simeon II.- Biography :...
. Radev became interested in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and was a regular contributor to the Evening Mail newspaper from 1901 on; he later became editor and editor-in-chief of the newspaper. In 1905, he started issuing the Artist magazine. In 1908, he participated in the foundation of the Union of the Bulgarian Constitutional Clubs, a Bulgarian political party in the Ottoman Empire. Later, he created the daily newspaper Will and was active in its publication. Towards that time he published his book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria, one of the largest original historiographic studies of Bulgaria at the time. The book was an in-depth study 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...
's formation and its early political years.
From an early age Radev devoted himself to diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. In 1913, he participated in the conference which led to the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest; he remained a Bulgarian minister plenipotentiary in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
until 1916. After 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...
joined World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was moved to Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1917, he handed in his resignation, left Switzerland and joined the Bulgarian Army as a soldier of the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps
The Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps was a volunteer corps of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars. It was formed on 23 September 1912 and consisted of Bulgarian volunteers from Macedonia and Thrace, regions still under Ottoman rule, and thus not subject to Bulgarian military...
. Towards the end of the war Radev was one of the Bulgarian representatives who signed the Thessaloniki Armistice. After the war, Radev was Bulgarian minister plenipotentiary in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. He was the first Bulgarian delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Geneva.
In 1918, Radev published his book Macedonia and the Bulgarian 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...
in the 19th Century in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
; it was translated to Bulgarian in 1927 and republished as an issue of the Macedonian Scientific Institute
Macedonian Scientific Institute
The Macedonian Scientific Institute , is a Bulgarian scientific organisation, which studies the Region of Macedonia and mostly the Macedonian Bulgarians.-Establishment and activity:...
, of which Radev was a member. Besides being active in historiography, journalism and diplomacy, Radev was an avid connoisseur of literature and arts. He published several critical articles and took an active part in Bulgaria's literary and artistic life. Some of his articles were published in the book Insights into the Literate and Arts and Personal Memories, released in 1965 and provoking a significant interest.
Simeon Radev died aged 88 in the Bulgarian 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...
on 15 February 1967, only several days after his last book Early Memories was ready for printing. Reportedly, his last words were "Did I give anything to Bulgaria?".
Radev Point
Radev Point
Radev Point is a point in the southeast extremity of Rugged Island off the west coast of Byers Peninsula of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
on Rugged Island
Rugged Island (South Shetland Islands)
Rugged Island is an island long and wide, lying west of Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. Surface area . The island's summit San Stefano Peak rises to above sea level. Rugged Island is located at...
in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Simeon Radev.