The Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev was born on December 25, 1848, in the town of Kalofer, Bulgaria. His father, Botio Petkov, a man of vast culture and a graduate of a Russian seminary, was a teacher, writer, and social activist who fought for the liberation of the Bulgarian people from the domination of the Greek Church, an effort that earned him the hostility of the local elite in Kalofer. His mother, Ivanka Botiova, who knew hundreds of folk songs, instilled in her son a deep sense of pride in the heroic past of their people and admiration for the bravery of the haiduks, the only true defenders of the enslaved nation.

The poet and revolutionary from Kalofer

The eldest of nine children, Hristo Botev was deeply inspired by the natural beauty of Kalofer, which awakened his first poetic emotions. “In Kalofer,” he once said, “I came to know the townsman and the poor man, the Turk and the people.”

Until the age of fifteen, he remained with his family, completing the local three-year school, during which he learned Russian—a language he would later master by reading Russian books, magazines, and newspapers from both his father’s library and the school collection.

A restless student and an awakening revolutionary

His father’s only wish was for Hristo to study in Russia. With the help of Russian consul Naiden Gherov, he left for Odessa as a scholarship student at the Second Boys’ High School. However, the oppressive and suffocating atmosphere there soon disillusioned him. 

In a letter to his father, he wrote: “It is impossible to bear this any longer. The teachers and the regulations here are not for humans but for animals. One must be made of stone to endure them.”

Unable to find satisfaction in the school’s rigid curriculum, he often skipped classes until he was eventually expelled for “poor performance.” The Bulgarian community withdrew his scholarship, leaving him without means of support in a foreign country.

He stayed in Odessa for another year, living with a Polish family and supporting himself by tutoring. By late 1866, he left the city and became a teacher in a Bulgarian village in Bessarabia. 

Early the following year, he returned to his hometown to support his ailing father and the rest of his family. Immersed once again among his “poor brothers,” he became actively involved in the preparations for an uprising against Ottoman rule—teaching the youth of Kalofer how to handle weapons and make bullets, while spreading revolutionary ideas.

From Kalofer to Bucharest: the call of freedom

On May 11, during the celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius, a major cultural holiday for all Bulgarian schools, several teachers, including Botev, gave speeches in Kalofer. Unlike the others, Botev boldly denounced both the Bulgarian elites and the Ottoman authorities for oppressing the people. Fearing for his son’s safety, his father urged him to continue his studies in Romania.

Arriving in Bucharest with little money, he sought help from the “Charitable Society,” an organization supporting Bulgarian students abroad, but found no resources available. 

Life was harsh, and soon he left for Brăila, where he found work as a typesetter for Dimităr Panicikov. The printing house produced the newspaper Dunavska Zora (“The Danube Dawn”), edited by Dobri P. Voinikov—later known for his literary and theatrical contributions.

The heroic deeds of Botev and his comrades resonated strongly both in Bulgaria and among the Bulgarian emigrants in Romania. Botev himself recalled: 

“Everyone remembers the memorable years 1867–1868. But only those who were in Romania then, who witnessed with their own eyes that revolutionary enthusiasm and shared those moments of hope that inspired our emigration, can truly understand the mighty forces that perished to conclude the first phase of our revolutionary aspirations.”

Life in exile and literary awakening

Returning to Bucharest in 1868, Botev briefly enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine, but financial hardship forced him to abandon his studies. He frequented the “Bratska Liubov” (“Brotherly Love”) reading hall, where he met the legendary revolutionary Vasil Levski. 

The two, impoverished and often hungry, spent part of a winter living in an abandoned windmill at the edge of the city. Botev later described Levski as “a man of remarkable character—cheerful even in the darkest moments, singing in the cold and hunger, making others forget their pain.”

After this period of hardship, Botev worked as a contributor for the satirical newspaper Tăpan, later as a private school teacher in Alexandria, and then in Ismail, where he stayed until 1871 before moving to Galați. There, he sent several poems to Lyuben Karavelov, who published them in Svoboda (“Freedom”), recognizing Botev’s exceptional talent.

In Ismail, Botev read extensively, including the Communist Manifesto in Russian translation. Surrounded by revolutionary thinkers, both Russians and Romanians, including Bonifaciu Florescu, the son of Nicolae Bălcescu, Botev developed firm political beliefs. 

In his “Symbol of the Faith of the Bulgarian Commune,” published in Galați in 1871, he wrote: “I believe in a single order of society, the communist one, which will save all peoples from centuries of suffering through fraternal labor, freedom, and equality.”

The journalist and the poet of a nation

Botev contributed articles to several Bulgarian newspapers in Brăila and later founded his own—Duma na bălgarskite emigranti (“The Word of the Bulgarian Emigrants”). Here, he published political essays and poems such as The Struggle, Elegy, Farewell, To My First Love, and The Outlaws. The newspaper caused a sensation and earned him great admiration among Bulgarians.

His journalistic work coincided with the height of his poetic creation. Botev was not a “professional poet”—he did not polish his verses for months. His revolutionary duties left little time for literary contemplation. 

Yet, his poetry and prose were powerful vehicles for his ideals. He later edited the satirical paper Budilnik (“The Awakener”) and published translations such as Bulgaria and the Eastern Question by General Liprandi and The History of the Danubian Bulgarians by Slovaiski.

Among his most famous works are The Patriot, Why Am I Not a Poet?, At the Tavern, and Epitaphs—texts that blend humor, pathos, and sharp social critique.

The poet of freedom and sacrifice

By the mid-1870s, Botev had become the leading voice of young radicals in exile. As a member and later the ideologist of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (B.R.C.C.), he turned his newspaper Zname (“The Banner”) into a platform for revolution. 

When the uprising in Bosnia broke out in 1875, he and his comrades planned a similar revolt in Bulgaria, dividing the country into revolutionary districts. Though the plan failed, it paved the way for future struggles.

In 1876, on the eve of crossing the Danube, Botev addressed the Romanian people: “Between us have always existed the warmest sympathies, never disturbed by misunderstanding. From you, our good neighbors, we expect effective and brotherly support.” That support did indeed come—just months later, Romanian and Russian armies, alongside Bulgarian volunteers, fought for both Romania’s independence and Bulgaria’s liberation.

A short life, an eternal legacy

Botev’s life was tragically short, he died at 28, leading a band of rebels against Ottoman forces. His literary legacy, though small, only about twenty poems, shines through its depth, power, and artistic perfection.

His first poem, To My Mother, written while in Odessa, reveals the pain and disillusionment of a young man confronting the misery of his people. Yet within the sorrow, the image of his mother brings comfort and light. To My Brother (1868) and To My First Friend continue this theme of sacrifice, portraying the poet’s burning desire for freedom and his rejection of personal happiness.

In The Outlaws, he celebrates the haiduks—fighters who defended the poor and symbolized Bulgaria’s yearning for liberty. His epic Hadzhi Dimitar, considered his masterpiece, tells of the legendary outlaw’s death and elevates it into a universal meditation on heroism and immortality.

The eternal flame of Bulgarian poetry

Botev’s political ideas, his fight for justice and equality, and his poetic genius cannot be separated. His art was born from struggle, it reflected the pain, courage, and hope of his people. 

The foundation of modern Bulgarian poetry lies in the “Renaissance” period that culminated in 1878 with the end of Ottoman rule. And at the heart of this awakening stands Hristo Botev, the “teacher of the Bulgarian soul,” the greatest national poet of Bulgaria.

A fervent patriot who fell heroically in battle for his country’s freedom, Botev left behind not only poetry but a spiritual legacy. His work remains revolutionary, alive in the hearts of generations, proving true his own poetic testament: “He who falls for the freedom of his people, he never dies.”

We also recommend: Who Was General Christian Tell and Why a Street in Bucharest Bears His Name