Monument to Captain Petko Voyvoda - Haskovo

Overview

Petko Kirkov Kaloyanov, better known as Captain Petko Voivoda, is a Bulgarian haidouk voivode and revolutionary, who dedicated his life to the liberation of the Aegean Bulgarians and their unification with Bulgaria, a defender of the Rhodopes, who fought for the freedom of the oppressed in Ottoman Turkey. Captain Petko Voyvoda has over 22 monuments in Bulgaria - in Plovdiv, Chepelare, Varna, but the most representative is the one in the town of Haskovo. Its creator is Stoyu Todorov, a famous Bulgarian architect from the middle of the last century. The monument, over two meters high, was unveiled in 1963 and to this day is one of the most impressive architectural landmarks of the city of Haskovo and southern Thrace. The idea for its construction appeared almost immediately after the death of the great Bulgarian in 1900, but due to the turbulent years at the beginning of the century, when this part of Bulgaria was still under Turkish control, grateful Bulgarians were unable to build a monument to their protector. . The fact that he was not forgotten is evidenced not only by the construction of the statue, but also by the fact that every year his great-grandchildren in Haskovo celebrate the anniversary of his birth and death.