Petko Karavelov (1843 – 1903)

Petko Karavelov is one of the most prominent Bulgarian political and public figures of his time. He is the brother of the great Bulgarian writer and revolutionary Lyuben Karavelov. Throughout his life, he occupied many important posts in the state – he was prime minister, minister (of finance, justice, agriculture, trade and home affairs), chair of the National Assembly, deputy, regent. As a prime minister, he contributed greatly to the Union of Eastern Rumelia with the Bulgarian Principality and for the diplomatic acknowledgment of this act. He was repeatedly victim of political repression, and was forced to emigrate during the “full powers regime” (1881-1883) when the Tarnovo constitution was defied. He was a political prisoner and moral leader of the opposition during the Stambolov regime. He died on January 24 1903 and was buried in the yard of the Black mosque (nowadays the church St. Cyril and Methodius and Their Five Disciples), where he spent more than four years as a prisoner. (Photo: bg.wikipedia.org)