About Bansko

By Svetla Baryakova

Bansko is among those Bulgarian towns which Fate had destined to play a noteworthy role in the historic development of our, nation especially during the colossal national upsurge during the Revival Period. Its achievements cannot be touched by the relentless passage of time. They lie in the unique houses of Banskalii with their tall pinewood gates and carved-wood ceilings, in the architecture and the fine iconostasis of churches, in the daring brushstroke of the icons painted by local iconographers, for here Past and Present are interwoven in a way that is at once distinctive and original.

The town's history dates back in ancient times. According to the many legends and local tales, some of which claim historic truthfulness, the founding of Bansko can be traced back to the period of Ottoman invasion (15th-16th century). It was back then that Bansko was mentioned for the first time as a centralised settlement in an official document (an Ottoman register of 1576). Prior to that time the population inhabited several separate small hamlets. The lack of any data on the development of the region in earlier times was to some extent filled by archaeological excavation and research. Findings were diverse and encompass all historic periods from prehistory to antiquity to the Middle Ages. They come as proof that Banskalii did not spring up in our history out of the blue but had evolved through the centuries. Today's town is the centre of a "necklace" of ancient settlements and was obviously founded by their inhabitants.

The closeness of the proud Pirin mountain range brings a spirit of freedom-loving and broadness of views, it makes people strong and independent. During the bleak years of Ottoman rule, Bansko became a stronghold of Bulgarian spirit. The settlement enjoyed a status of limited autonomy within the Ottoman Empire.
Banskalii's spirit of entrepreneurship and their strife for innovation were the foundation for the unbelievable economic and spiritual upsurge in the town around the end of the 17th and beginning of 18th centuries. A wealthy class of craftsmen and merchants emerged; they carried goods with caravans from the Aegean to Central and Western Europe, some of them opened their own offices there. Through them the achievements of European material and spiritual culture reached Bansko and played a beneficial role on its population. The strong drive in the development of arts, publishing, education, the overall material well-being of locals brought the Pirin town to its zenith and gave it an important role to play in the processes of formation and establishment of the Bulgarian nation. It is not just by historic chance that Paisii Hilendarski, the spiritual father of the Bulgarian Revival, was born here exactly. He wrote his "Istoriya Slavenobolgarskaya" (History of Slavo-Bulgars) - short but grand by historic measures, and raised it like a lighted torch in the darkness of the five-century oppression. His worthy successor was another of the great sons of Bansko, the patriarch of modern Bulgarian education - Neofit Rilski. His activity was wide-ranging and his contribution to the spiritual growth of our nation and the establishment of Bulgarian national identity was truly great.

About the end of the 18th century another great Banskalia, Marko Vezyov, undertook practical measures to introduce a new pedagogical method. He sponsored the publishing of a first-graders' textbook that came 32 years earlier than the book now famed as the first Bulgarian textbook of this type, the "Riben Bukvar" (Fish Primer).

Bansko actively participated in the enlightenment movement - one of the most brilliant demonstrations of our Revival movement. As early as 1838 a school was built in the churchyard. At first education there was strictly religious but in 1847 it grew into a new Bulgarian secular school. Ten years later for the educational needs of the town and grace of the generous sponsorship of Marko Vezyov a new and convenient building was erected where the teacher Nikola Popfilipov - Neofit Rilski’s worthy mentor, started his activity.

The establishing and development of "chitalishta" (culture centres, literal translation reads "reading places") is a typically Bulgarian contribution to the Revival on the Balkans. The importance of these institutions for the spiritual growth of our nation is undisputed. Banskalii did not lag behind in that movement. In 1894, in the Sarandevo cafe a chitalishte called "Selska Pochivka" (The Villager's Retreat) was established which in 1908 evolved into Chitalishte "Razvitie" ("Development"). A tireless propagator and innovator in this movement was the teacher Anguel Balev.

The activity of many famous and not so famous Banskalii established the town as an influential cultural and educational centre. A notable contribution in this respect belongs to the work of the brothers Dimitar and Kostadin Molerovi whose most important achievement was the collection "Folklore materials of the Razlog Area" published in 1954.

The intellectual power and moral potential built through the centuries naturally lead to the rising of a great poet like Nikola Vaptsarov.

The distinctive and tirelessly seeking spirit of Banskalii, their desire to leave something of value to posterity, is legendary. It was at the core of the enormous charitable acts of Hadji Valcho, Paisii's brother. Many are the patriotic deeds done by his generous hand and dictated by his far-reaching intelligence. The same incentives drove the wealthy Bansko citizens to erect a church matching the status of their town. Having overcome all the obstacles set by the Ottoman authorities they erected it in 1835 - large, beautiful, magnificent. Usta Gligor Doyuv rolled up his sleeves and 15 years later there it was in the middle of the churchyard - the bell tower in whose construction all able-bodied Banskalii participated. An inseparable part of it is the clock mounted in 1866 - an unprecedented achievement of technology, the work of the self-taught craftsman Todor Hadjiradonov.
A natural sense of what is beautiful and fine also moved the skilful hand of Toma Vishanov - Molera who left behind unique samples of Revival-period painting in numerous churches and monasteries. It was from his rebelling against medieval dogma in iconography around the end of the 18th century that the Bansko school of painting was born, demonstrated later in unsurpassed masterpieces, the work of generations of iconographers.
In the dark years of the five-century Ottoman rule, Bansko became famous as the centre of Bulgarian spirit, a living source of faith and national consciousness where the hope that the invaders would sooner or later be driven away never died. Here each home is a fortress and each clan sacrificed a son or grandson to FREEDOM.
In its grateful remembrance the nation still cherishes tales of the dauntless Terzi Nikola who dared as early as 1810 to stand up against the bloodthirsty Ottoman thugs lead by Shaban Gega. In a hidden place up in the mountains that was later to be called "Glavite" (The Heads) the oppressors met their death at the hands of the small band led by the young Banskalia. Not one survived. It was in this way that the proud eagles of Pirin took revenge for their offended honour and oppressed self-esteem.

Forty years later another famous Bansko citizen, Kir Blago Todev covered his name in glory by defeating a band of thugs in the Mozgyovitsa locality.

The Razlog valley did not participate in the most massive and most heroic event of the liberation struggle - the April Uprising. Bansko, however, witnessed preparation for the future uprising. In March 1876 a Revolutionary committee was set up here led by Hadji Kandit Dagaradin and developed vigorous activity. Historic circumstances left this part of Bulgaria far from the active fighting but Ottoman repressions did not leave it behind. Acts of violence and cruelty did not break the spirit of local people but strengthened their will to fight for freedom unbroken by the unfair provisions of the Berlin Congress. A clear demonstration of this was the subsequent Kresnesko-Razlojko Uprising. Almost the entire local active population took part in the desperate struggle. Rebels were lead by the famous voivode Banyo Marinov of Teteven. The people's upsurge was demonstrated in the "Razlojko Kingdom" centred in Bansko that survived for seven days. After the unfortunate outcome of the uprising Ottoman terror over enslaved Bulgarians grew stronger, but the people's movement for freedom and unification gained momentum.

In 1896 at the time when Gotse Delchev was a teacher in Bansko, the town became the regional centre of VMORO (Internal Macedonian Odrin Revolutionary Organisation and an important unit in the conspiratory committee network. Banskalii also had active participation in the notorious "Miss Stone" affair. The years between 1901 - 1903 were a time of decisive strengthening, unification and growth of the revolutionary process. The climax of this process was the Ilinden Uprising - the grandest demonstration of people's decisiveness to break the chains of oppression in Macedonia. Bansko is amongst the settlements that participated in the grand epopee and was thus covered in eternal fame. In the proud and bloodied annals of the Ilinden days especially stands out the heroic deeds of the local teacher Radon Todev and his group. Intent on defending their positions, these brave men met their death in the Godlevska mountain.

Yet another defeat and yet another sacrifice before the altar of freedom. But the rebellious Pirin dwellers still kept a sparkle of hope. This sparkle burned into a fire in the breast of brave voivodes and Macedon-Odrin volunteers, it is part of the great dawn of freedom that finally shone on Bansko on 5th October 1912.. Salvation finally came with the help of the armed heroes led by Hristo Chernopeev and local liberation chetniks. Two days later one of Bulgaria's greatest poets Peyo Yavorov saluted Banskalii as free citizens of Bulgaria.

Bansko is a town of notable past, honourable present and stable future that brought through the centuries, preserved and developed the unique and ever-seeking spirit of Bulgarians.

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