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Centralsouth Bulgaria > Bratsigovo > History
History of BratsigovoHistorical records prove the existence of Bratsigovo as of the 16th century. It was the continuation of the destroyed by fire and ruined settlement of Prevren. Evidence was found during excavation and construction works in the town and its surrounding areas according to which these sites were inhabited by Thracians and Slavs - coins of the time of Philip of Macedonia and Justinian II, a bronze statuette of the Goddess Athena Palada, a Roman road. During the 17th century Bulgarian people from the region of Nevrokop moved to Bratsigovo to work in the mines (mulvatsite). Emigrants from the Kostur region (Macedonia) came here at the end of the 18th century, too.
A monastery school was opened in the town in 1831 and a new mutual aid school with secular training opened its gates in 1848. Gradually later on a girls school and an intermediate secondary school were opened as well. Bratsigovo little by little turned into a big Rhodope settlement with well-developed crafts. The citizens of Bratsigovo demonstrated particularly notable skills in the field of construction creating their own Bratsigovo School of Architecture and leaving long-lasting traces in the architectural appearance of a lot of settlements in the Balkan Peninsula. It goes without saying that the masterpieces in the town of Bratsigovo itself add up to a lot more than one or two in number.
The Trendafil (Rose) Peoples Chitalishte (reading room or community centre) was created in 1874 under the management of Vassil Petleshkov turning into the second centre of enlightenment in the town. The first womens society Nadezhda (Hope) was founded the following year, too.
The April Uprising commenced here with enthusiasm and full of great hopes, too (21st April 1876). In spite of the exceptionally good military organisation, forces were unequal and after 18 days of desperate resistance the revolutionary committee concluded an armistice with Hasan Pasha. The hopes for survival were in vain. The Turks were not as good as their word and they started a campaign of mass terror within the little town. 141 revolutionaries were slaughtered, 252 were banished to Anadola. The leader of the Uprising in Bratsigovo Vassil Petleshkov was captured, too. Positioned over the fire stake he responded: I am all alone, there are no others. I was the one who led the struggle, I was the one who commanded - do not seek for anyone else! He was taken more dead than alive to Tatar Pazardhik and the Ottoman bayonets stabbed the great son of the nation in the locality of Murgita. Bratsigovo welcomed the Liberation at the early January 1878.
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