Vassil Levski

Vassil Levski was the greatest Bulgarian revolutionary against the Turkish yoke. He was called "the Apostle of Freedom" by the Bulgarian people. Born in the town of Karlovo on July 18 1837 with real name Vassil Ivanov Kounchev, Levski had a difficult childhood and ended up preparing to become a priest. Hence his other famous name - "Dyakonut" - the deacon. However, upon hearing about a military detachment of Bulgarians being formed in Serbia by G. S. Rakovski he decided to cast off the cassock and join Rakovski's force. After participating in several cheti he emigrated to Romania. There he came to the conclusion that the people inside Bulgaria must be organized to rise against the Ottoman Empire. In 1868 he entered Bulgaria and started his work in setting up a revolutionary network all over Bulgaria. He established numerous revolutionary committees and started preparing the people for a general uprising. However, a traitor prevented him from achieving his goal. He was captured by the Turks in late 1872 and was executed after a trial on 19 February 1873.