House of birth of Petko Slaveykov in Veliko Tirnovo was restored in 1971. It is one of the objectives of the Regional Museum of History. In front of her was put the monument of the sculptor Blagoy Iliev. Casual visitors are not allowed in house. It is necessary to write a request in advance from the previous day.
Petko Slaveykov was born in Veliko Tirnovo on 17 November 1827 in the house of Racho Kazandzhiyata. In fact, his birth happens in a cell of the “Sf. Chiril and Metodiu” Church, aproximatively 100 m above the house. His mother, Penka, died at childbirth, and the baby was saved by a miracle. The grandfather of Petko Slaveykov, Racho Cehlare is from Bansko or Yakorouda. For killing a Turk, who forced to carry him on his back in the Glazne River, his grandfather was forced to run and finally he moved in Tirnovo. Petko’s father is also named Racho, but his job is cauldrons. He is less educated but has a proud Bulgarian spirit. In the village of his mother – Vișovgrad, Petko saw nightingales which impressed him so much that he decided to change his family name to Slaveykov (Nightingale).
He is one of the most important figures of the Renaissance and development of post-Liberation Bulgaria. For its time he is highly educated, he studied in different cities, also, in the same time he was reading a lot. A great influence over the young Tarnovean has the “Slavic-Bulgarian History” in Plovdiv. During the years of his education he wrote his first work paper, which is kept until today – ” The akathistos of the three saints”.
In 1843, In 1843 he began teaching. He practiced the teaching profession in Veliko Tirnovo, wherefrom he was chased, but, however, he was expelled for his for his writing “Glorified was the city of Tirnovo with the Greek bishops.” In 1844, he was practicing in the School-Temple “Assumption of the Virgin Mary ” in Kilifarevo, where he managed to fool the Greek bishop in the church during the service and again was expelled by local owners.
Petko Slaveykov did not give up and continued his work in many other towns and villages in Bulgaria. He used known processes for that times – the mutual training method. By 1847, after activele engagement with Bulgarian folklore, Petko Slaveykov collects 2263 songs, proverbs and sayings. In the years of ’50s he wrote his first books – ” Mixed Bouquet “, ” Book-Song ” and “Basmator”.
He participates in organizing the uprising failed of his grandfather Nikola in Tarnovo.
He started the emission of comic newspaper “Bagpipes” and continued until 1864, when he moved to Constantinople. In the ottoman capital he participated in the formulation of the Bulgarian translation of the Bible and published a number of newspapers and magazines, such as “Gaida”, “Macedonia,” “Community Center” and others. He is the Head of Church Struglle and is one of its leading activists. After completion, he became a teacher in Exarchia. In 1873 he creates the most popular and important workpaper- the poem “The girls’ white legs Fountain”.
He is one of the most active leaders of the struggle for an independent Bulgarian church. An ardent participant in the Russo-Turkish War in the years 1877 – 1878. In 1879, he became a member of Constitutive Assembly, an active participant in the Constitution development of the Tirnovo city. He died in 1895. Petko Slaveykov is a poet and famous writer, one of modern Bulgarian literary language founders, a talented journalist, editor of periodicals in Bulgarian Renaissance and a public man.
