Georgi Benkovski facts for kids
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Georgi Benkovski (Bulgarian: Георги Бенковски) was the chosen name of Gavril Gruev Hlatev (Гаврил Груев Хлътев). He was a very important Bulgarian revolutionary. He helped organize and lead the April Uprising in 1876. This was a big fight against the Ottoman Empire to free Bulgaria.
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Who Was Georgi Benkovski?
Georgi Benkovski was born around 1843 in a busy town called Koprivshtitsa. His father, Gruyo Hlatev, was a small merchant and craftsman. Georgi had two sisters, Kuna and Vasilya.
Early Life and Travels
Life was tough for Benkovski when he was young. He had to stop school after only third grade. He learned to be a tailor from his mother to help his family. But he didn't like being a tailor.
So, he decided to become a frieze dealer. Frieze is a type of cloth. He traveled to Asia Minor with a friend to sell their products. For about ten years, Benkovski lived in many cities in the East. These included Istanbul, İzmir, and Alexandria. He worked many different jobs during this time. He even said he worked as a bodyguard for the Persian consul!
During his travels, Benkovski learned seven different languages. He could speak some Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Greek, Italian, Polish, Romanian, and Persian.
Joining the Revolution
Benkovski became interested in revolutionary ideas after meeting Stoyan Zaimov in Bucharest, Romania. He also learned about the ideas of other famous revolutionaries like Vasil Levski and Hristo Botev.
In the summer of 1875, he joined a group of revolutionaries. They planned to set Constantinople on fire and even try to assassinate the sultan Abdülaziz.
How He Got His Name
Benkovski got his famous name from a French passport. It belonged to a Polish man named Anton Benkowski. This Pole was a revolutionary who had tried to assassinate the Russian governor of Warsaw. He had to flee and ended up in the Ottoman Empire. He met Stoyan Zaimov and traded his French passport for money and help getting an Ottoman passport. Georgi adopted Anton's last name and later changed his own first name to Georgi.
Leading the April Uprising
Benkovski was first chosen to be an assistant to Panayot Volov. Volov was organizing the 4th Revolutionary District for the April Uprising. But Benkovski was so passionate and had such strong leadership skills. Volov saw this and willingly gave his position as head leader to Benkovski. Because of Benkovski's hard work, the plans for the uprising in this area went very well.
The Flying Band
The April Uprising started earlier than planned in Koprivshtitsa on 2 May 1876. Benkovski was in a nearby town called Panagyurishte with other leaders. When he heard about the fighting, he quickly formed a group of over 200 fighters. He went to help the rebels.
His group was called "The Flying Band" (Хвърковата чета, Hvarkovata cheta). They were called this because they traveled all over the region without stopping. They encouraged many people to join the fight. The band even had six Croats and one German named Albrecht join them. One woman, Maria Ivanova-Sutić, also joined the band.
The End of the Uprising
Sadly, the uprising was put down by the Ottoman forces. Benkovski and the few remaining members of his band went to the Teteven Balkan Mountains. On 24 May 1876, a local shepherd betrayed their location. Ottoman soldiers ambushed them. Benkovski was shot and killed while crossing a river bridge near Ribaritsa.
The events were written down by Zahari Stoyanov in his book Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprisings. Zahari Stoyanov was the only one of the four who managed to escape.
Remembering Georgi Benkovski
Many places are named after Georgi Benkovski to honor him.
- Benkovski Nunatak in Antarctica is named after him.
- Six villages in Bulgaria and a neighborhood in Sofia also bear his name.
- The Georgi Benkovski Stadium in Pazardzhik is named after him.
- The football club FC Benkovski Byala is named after him.
- The Bulgarian Air Force academy also carries his name.
Images for kids
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Benkovski's native house in Koprivshtitsa
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Benkovski's bust at his native house in Koprivshtitsa
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Monument to Benkovski at the place of his death in Ribaritsa
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Monument to Georgi Benkovski in Sofia
