Eugenia Kisimova facts for kids

Eugenia Kisimova (born in 1831, died in 1885) was a brave Bulgarian woman. She believed in equal rights for women. She also loved helping others, like a true philanthropist. Eugenia worked hard for women's rights. She started the first women's group in Bulgaria in 1869. It was called Женска община. She was also its first leader. Eugenia worked to open schools for girls. She wanted all girls to have the same chances to learn as boys.

Her Early Life

Eugenia Kisimova was born in a town called Turnovo. Her father, Hadji Georgi Kisimov, was a rich merchant. She had a brother named Pandeli Kisimov. He was an educator and an important person in culture. Her sister Maria was married to Vasil Beron. He was a doctor and studied old things. Eugenia went to a school just for girls.

In the 1850s, Eugenia wanted women to do more than just stay at home. She thought women should take part in society. Her family was well-known in Turnovo. This helped her meet many important people. She knew people like Vasil Cholakov and Petko Gorbanov. She also knew Petko Slaveykov and Zachary Princely. Another friend was Stoyan Robovski.

Helping Women Learn

In 1869, Eugenia started the first women's group in Bulgaria. It was named Женска община. She became its first president. The main goal of this group was to help women get an education. Their first step was to collect money. They used this money to start schools for girls. These schools were in the city and nearby areas. They also hired teachers for these schools.

In 1870, the group also started Sunday schools. The Женска община helped women in other ways too. They gave out scholarships. These scholarships helped women study in other countries. They especially helped women go to Russia and Romania. These countries had higher education open to women. Many Bulgarian women pioneers got help from this group. For example, Eugenia Shekerdzhieva studied in Russia. The group paid for her studies in 1876 and 1879.

Helping During War

During the Russian-Turkish War (1877-1878), Eugenia Kisimova helped again. She organized a group called Милосърдие. This group raised money. They used the money to hire nurses. These nurses cared for wounded soldiers. The group also helped war refugees. They gave them a safe place to stay and cared for them.