Georgi Danchov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Georgi Danchov Георги Данчов
Born	July 27, 1846 Chirpan
Died	January 19, 1908 Sofia
Occupation	Artist

Georgi Danchov (Bulgarian: Георги Данчов) (1846–1908) was a very talented Bulgarian artist, photographer, and a brave revolutionary. He lived during the Bulgarian National Revival, a time when Bulgarians fought for freedom from Ottoman rule.

A Friend of Vasil Levski

Georgi Danchov was a close friend and helper of Vasil Levski, a very important Bulgarian hero. Many people believe that Danchov's portrait of Levski is the most accurate one.

In 1869, Levski visited Danchov's home in Chirpan. This house was a secret meeting place for the local revolutionary committee. Danchov, also known as Zografina, was deeply involved in the fight for freedom. Because of his revolutionary activities, he was sent away to Diyarbakir (a city far away) with a life sentence.

However, Georgi Danchov managed to escape to Russia in 1876. Even while he was exiled, he kept creating art. He made a lithograph (a type of print) called "Mermaids." During the Russo-Turkish War, he joined the Bulgarian volunteers who fought for their country's freedom. After Bulgaria became free, he also took part in the Rumelian coup, which helped unite Bulgarian lands.

Danchov was also a public figure. He was part of the temporary government in Plovdiv and was elected to Parliament many times. In 1879, he created his famous lithograph called "Free Bulgaria" in Plovdiv.

His Artistic Legacy

Georgi Danchov painted beautiful icons for churches in cities like Plovdiv, Chirpan, Stara Zagora, and Kazanlak. In 1861, he painted the altar of the Arapovo monastery and the ceiling of the St. Spas monastery church near Sopot.

In 1865, he traveled to Constantinople (today's Istanbul) to learn about lithography. His first lithographic works included portraits and a picture called "Raina Princess in the cave." In 1867, he created 17 themed pictures for Nayden Gerov. These pictures showed Bulgarian costumes and scenes from daily life. They were even shown at an exhibition in Moscow University.

Besides Levski, Danchov also painted portraits of other Bulgarian revolutionaries and important people. These included Hristo Botev, Georgi Rakovski, Zahari Stoyanov, and Stefan Stambolov.

Georgi Danchov is considered one of the founders of Bulgarian secular painting. This means he painted everyday scenes and people, not just religious art. He was also one of the first photographers in Bulgaria. Many people also see him as the first Bulgarian comics artist. He created funny drawings and cartoons with sequences for magazines in the 1800s. In 1890, he even made a text comic called The Six Feelings.

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  Georgi Danchov, "Free Bulgaria", lithography