Румъния

Bulgarian historiography has shown an understandable interest in the friendship of Hristo Botev with Russian revolutionary-democrats, emigrants to Romania in the 1970s. Their relations were on a personal and political basis, and their clarification would clarify some moments of the biography and ideology of Hristo Botev, immediately before the formation and passage of his detachment to Bulgaria. Some of the names of Botev's "Russian friends" are known: Bonifacio Florescu, Nikolai Petrovich Zubcu-Codryanu, Nikolai Konstantinovich Sudzilovski, Nikolai Filipovich Meledin, Alexander Shapchenko, Costica Dobrudzhanu-Gerya, Zamfir Arbore-Rali, Dr. N. Lucicki, Henryk Dembitski, etc. The closest to Botev were the first three: B. Florescu, whose real name was Hertrat, N. Codreanu, known in journalism by his pseudonym Dragos, and N. Sudzilovski, better known under the name of Doctor Roussell. From them we present several letters that are directly or indirectly related to Botev and his group. The originals or photocopies of them are in the Romanian Academy, and are being published in Bulgarian for the first time. The letters cover one of the relatively little-known periods of Botev's life, namely from the autumn of 1875 until his departure from Bucharest for "Radecki". The relations between Botev and the emigre revolutionary democrats are of a nature to complement and clarify the ideology of our revolutionary and poet, his moving away from utopian socialism and his approach to Marxism and scientific socialism, which occurs with their joint in-depth study of "Capital" by Karl Marx and the socialist literature that began to penetrate Romania, which is also reflected in the contemporary Romanian progressive periodical press.

Svetoslav Milarov is among those Bulgarian figures from the Bulgarian Renaissance era who, although not consistent supporters of the revolutionary program of the Bulgarian Communist Party in Bucharest, always had in mind the national interests and the sacred ideal of national freedom in their lives and activities. His Renaissance ideal of a free and democratic Bulgaria unswervingly imposed a progressive orientation on all his journalistic and public activities before and after the Liberation, directed against Ottoman slavery and the despotic regime of Battenberg-Stambolov. It is no coincidence that some of his contemporaries, who knew him more closely and even communicated with him, confess in their memoirs their admiration for both his high literary culture and for the views and those traits of his character that show the patriotism of the publicist, writer and man Milarov, the purity of his thoughts and ideals. "In vain would we search among the heroes of the latest Bulgarian literature for another face so enchanting, another face that would inspire the deep sympathy that the martyr Svetoslav Milarov inspires. Botev alone stands at an untouchable height in our hearts...Poor, poor Svetoslav Milarov, Dr. Krastev exclaimed pathetically shortly after his tragic death in 1892. What unspeakable feelings filled his great and noble soul when the executioner stepped forward to lead him on the last, longest journey of his wandering life. What a bitter irony of fate! The great idealist of the new Bulgaria is a robber for the Bulgarian state and it has no other crown for him, except - the crown of the gallows!" The death sentence and its execution also shocked Milarov's Croatian friend Jovan Hranilović, who long before and also after 1892 expressed his admiration for his personality and patriotic activities. "Eternal sufferer, eternal martyr, fearless fighter," he wrote to him on August 3, 1876, "I see you in my thoughts, I marvel at you, I congratulate you." And the national writer Ivan Vazov, who had a precise criterion for personalities and deeds of national significance, felt sympathy and respect for Milarov, which characterized his attitude towards the first figures of the Renaissance and post-liberation era.