Vasil Ivanov Kunchev , known as Vasil Levski (old spelling: Васила Лѣвскій ), is a Bulgarian national hero

Vasil Ivanov Kunchev , known as Vasil Levski (old spelling: Васила Лѣвскій ), is a Bulgarian national hero . He is an ideologist and organizer of the Bulgarian National Revolution , the founder of the Internal Revolutionary Organization (IDO) . He is also known as the Apostle of Freedom for organizing and developing a revolutionary network for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman domination . He travels around the country and creates private revolutionary committees to prepare a common revolution. His dream is a pure and holy republic,in which all have equal rights, regardless of their nationality and religion .

Capture and Death (1872 - 1873)
The last photograph of Vasil Levski, made in Bucharest after the General Assembly of BRCK 1872, which was sought by the Turkish police.
The last photograph of Vasil Levski, made in Bucharest after the General Assembly of the Bulgarian Red Cross in 1872, was searched by the Turkish police.
Several events in the second half of 1872 led to Vassil Levski's capture and conviction - the growing contradictions with the members of the committee, the murder of the Ragava of the Huntsman Chorbadjiya, the rift with Dimitar General , who, on his own head, seized the Ottoman treasury in Arabakonak and the subsequent revelations the Ottoman police.

On August 14, 1872 , Levski and Vouthy Vetov of Vidrare village went to the house of the Huntsman Chorzadja Dencho Halacca to get some money, but they came to his rattan. In a letter to Lyuben Karavelov Levsky describes what happened:

" So I was prepared inside, if he came forward there would be no noise, and then the boy came forward. My comrade met him. [The boy] shouted, "Run people!" As I arrived, he always shouted and fought with my comrade. I arrived. I rushed him with my dagger to death, so that the people would mistake the direction of the voice that had filled the street. He did not die suddenly, began to shout more that he could not hide anymore. I rushed him once more so that he did not struggle and could not say what the [attackers] were. Pity for the innocent boy. But if it was not. It was stained in many countries! ... As long as we achieve our goal, there will be quite innocent people. When I opened the gate, it was like a fair. As we come out, we suddenly raise the bloody knife and, with a few Turkish words, I fall down on the people. They opened our way. And after us, you and the police. They looked at us. "

• Strashimirov, DT Vasil Levski. Life, works, springs. Volume 1, S. East-West, 2014, pp. 170-172.

This incident, which Levski deeply regrets for the rest of his days, has no direct bearing on his capture, but it aggravates his guilt when issuing the sentence - although the court blames him for a 15-year prison sentence, crime sentence is dead.

On September 22, 1872, Dimitar General and the Teteven Private Revolutionary Committee organized the Arabachakashki robbery . Vasil Levski has objected, but is supported only by the sacred economist Krastyu Nikiforov . In his last letter dated December 12, 1872, he wrote to the dragons:

" Then, when I did not see it the next day, let me tell him not to postpone the mail for now, because of his work while we were ordering, then to see what people should do. That's what I told Stoyan Pandour (voivoda) to tell D. General, but he did not hear about everything . "

• Strashimirov, DT Vasil Levski. Life, works, springs. Volume 1, S. East-West, 2014, p. 212.

The capture of the participants, including Dimitar General, has been a major blow to the revolutionary organization. The Ottoman police started arrests of Committees, who with their confessions directed to Vasil Levski. The secretary of the Teteven Committee spelled Ivan Lilov Furnadzhiev , first gave an accurate description of Levski:

" He is from Karlovo. Changes your name every week. He is medium-sized, pale brown mustache, a red-faced face, and when he talks, one tooth appears a little outward, he's lifting his lips slightly, his eyes big and colorful. "

• Vasil Levski and his associates before the Turkish court. Documents in Turkish archives. S., 1987, p. 79.

According to the commissioners' testimonies, arrests of members of the Lovech Private Revolutionary Committee - Anastas Popkinov , Marin Poplukanov , Dimitar Pashkov , Velichka Hashnova - were briefly arrested, according to the then practice in the house of Krystyu Nikiforov. The priests, Lukan Lilov , and the priest Krustyu Nikiforov, were also called in question .

In a letter from November 1872, Levsky received a request from BRC and Lyuben Karavelov for a revolt: "Brother Vasile! Before we called you a feat, but somehow I feel like it. We now call you that the circumstances call forth without courage on our part and raising a revolution; the reasons you may know, we will not tell you. And we call you to go to battle without losing a minute. All the local henchmen are written and will go to a meeting. And we hope for help from Serbia and Montenegro. " [30] He refuses to do so because he correctly judges that the people are not yet ready to raise a rebellion. Decides to collect the archives of the BPOfrom Lovech and transfer to Wallachia. He knows about the failure of Arabackonk's robbery, but he does not know that the Turkish police have a photograph of him and an exact description of his special features, as well as information where he can possibly be found.

Levsky's conflict with the committees is in several directions. On the one hand, the Committees, where Dimitar General, Orhane and Teteven, dispose of him, do not comply with Levski's instructions. The end result of this is the robbery of the treasury at Arabakonak. Levsky is also involved in a conflict with Danail Popov's brother, Pleven courier Anastas Popkinov, who accuses Levski of authoritarianism , lie and misappropriation of funds. He is also one of the few who have left written testimonies of a threat to Levski: "But please, do not just step on my feet, I will stand up once and I will climb you on your forehead, and you will not forget forever." [31]The behavior of the Hunters also worries the Deacon - he learns of letters written on his behalf in the court of Velichka Hashnova and that the chairman of the committee, who at that time was Marin Poplukanov , used committee money for his own purposes. On 12 December 1872 Levsky wrote to the Lovers Committee his last letter: "I am afraid to come to your city in these letters. In them I interpret true betrayal and treachery without asking - for fear ... Therefore, as much as letters, money, newspapers and all that there are left to you and the secretary's secret work to be transferred to Nicoletto that I or I will to take them, or someone else to send them ... The chairman has been offered money from other committees, before I wanted them, and he wrote to me that he used them for a day or two in his work. He has not read the statutes! Commemorative steam does not know the minute when it will be asked. Now, as I said, money, letters, etc. should be taken to Nicolchians. " [32]

On December 24, Levski, dressed as a Turk, arrives in Lovech, where he stays at the homes of Nikola Sirkov and Velichka Hashnova . After taking the archive, which sewn into the saddle of his horse, on December 26, accompanied by Nicholas Tsvyatkov , hitting to Veliko Tarnovo . On the road outside of Lovech were unfortunately met by a Turkish horse patrol. Senior - the helper Ali Chaush, is not satisfied with Levski's response to being a hunter going to his vineyard to see how many car fertilizers he has to pour but preferring not to risk a fight and let them continue the road. However, he immediately puts forward the meeting in Lovech, and there is organized a hunt for the capture of the suspicious persons. [33]According to other assumptions, the precept does not refer to the questionable person, and a traitor from the inn in Kakrina announces a dubious guest. [34]

Nikolcho Tsvyatkov Bakardjiycheto and Hristo Tsonev - Latino, arrested together with Vasil Levski and accompanied him on his last trip to Sofia. Photo from 1878
Nikolcho Tsvyatkov Bakardjiycheto and Hristo Tsonev - Latino, arrested together with Vasil Levski and accompanied him on his last trip to Sofia. Photo from 1878
On December 27, 1872, he was captured by the Turkish Zapp in the Kukrinsko hanche . A total of 15 zapets, headed by their senior - Yusein Boshnak Chauş, surround the inn early in the morning, which was hired by Hristo Tsonev - Latino . Niccolcho recognizes the voice of the obsession that met them during the day. That's why Levsky, although he has a testerin the name of Hunter Little Dobry Koinov, judges that he will only harm an innocent man and tries to go unnoticed through the jar, but there is also an ambush. When escaping, it is likely that he gets stuck at the door and the Zaptieh manages to knock him down. Levsky shoots with his revolver and injures Yusein Boshnak Chauh in his hand, but he is struck by a bullet that affects him behind his left ear, which is half cut by a knife with a knife in the fight. The bots are helping to capture and bind him. [33]

Vasil Levski gives an explanation for the capture in the Kakrinsko Hanche in front of the Sofia Emergency Investigation Commission on January 9, 1873:

Q: Who are your companions who were captured with you and how did they capture you?

Answer: "From my two comrades, the named Christo held a tavern in front of Lovech, and he knew me as a peasant." At one time Hristo left the pub, I had not seen him for a long time, I went from Lovech to Turnovo, , whom I saw this time, said to me, "I will stay in the village of Kakrina if you want to stay!" He took me to the church of Love from Lovech, whom I had not seen long ago, and we stayed there that evening. , when I went out, I saw an armed with a rifle at the door. I asked him who he was, he and there I had two revolvers, I took them out, and I wounded in the hand of the man that caught me, and then I fled, but the keeper did not let me go: his companions arrived, and they struck me on the head [and] I fell down there. They seized me and sent me to Lovech, from there to Turnovo and thence there. When they caught me, Hristo the innkeeper was not there. His beasts were lost, and he went to seek them. Then they captured him in his home. "

• Vasil Levski and his associates before the Turkish court. Documents in Turkish archives. Under the editing of Prof. Alexander Burmov . Sofia, 1952, (Phototype 1987), pp. 186-210, 255-261.

At the arrest, the archive remains unseen by the police. Commodity papers are preserved by Nikola Sarkov (Hallacha) . After the Liberation of the Ottoman rule, Nikola Tsvyatkov and Maria Sirkova handed part of it to Zahari Stoyanov and another to the Museum of the Lovech Community Center "Science" . [35] 1364 gold coins (1973) were found at the foundation of a house on 17 Marin Poplukanov Street opposite the building of the Vasil Levski Museum (Lovech ). It is supposed to be the same commodity money from Arabakonkha's robbery, which has been preserved and has remained untouched for almost 100 years. [36 ]This version, launched by the media, is unlikely - from the robbery to the Lovchian Committee, they reach only 3000 groshes , and in small money - gold almost did not exist in the car. But it can not be excluded that they are committee money, as the money raised is turned into gold for easier storage and transportation.

Vasil Levski has not been surrendered by one person but is a victim of a long chain of police revelations. It is supposed that the reason for his particular capture is betrayal by an associate. Decades after the Liberation of Ottoman domination , the name of the alleged traitor - Krushey Nikiforov (co-founder of the Lovech Committee), or Marin Poplukanov (Chairman of the Committee) was argued . In 1925, the historian Dimitar Strashimirov published extensive work, in which he presented evidence that the priest-sister Krastyu Nikiforov became a sister of the Turkish authorities and gave information about the location of Vasil Levski. According to other studies, there is no particular betrayal. [38]Dimiter Panchovski, in his research, defends this thesis, where he proves that the blame of Pop Krustyo was imputed by his co-worker, Lukan and his family. After liberation, Marin Poplukanov and Dimitar Pashkov are serious political factors in the city and have the opportunity to influence other survivors to testify against Pop Krustyu, who is also their political adversary. The Lovech police do not know who the captured person is, and with a hardened convoy being taken to Turnovo . Here is his identity. Upon his transfer from Turnovo to Sofia, he hopes he will be released by the followers.

Vasil Levski before the Sofia Investigation Commission, artist Kalina Taseva
It was handed over to the Sofia Extraordinary Investigation Commission . It builds its defense on the foundations of Christian rights, according to Hatihumunu , in order not to issue anyone and the organization. He emphasized several times that he was looking for legitimate ways to change life in the Empire . It is distinguished from the activities of Dimitar General in order to avoid criminal charges. The High Gate was expected to release all but the mail robbers because a political process is not in the interests of the Ottoman Empire and damages its authority over Europe .

The committee's composition, according to the minutes of her work, is: General Ali Saib Pasha Gyuriu - Chairman of the State Council , Major Shakir Mehmed Salim , Mahmoud Mazhari, Saadulah Serrah, Ivancho Hadjipenchovic , Pesh Todorov, Mano Hadjistoyanov and Mito Kaimakchiev. In the instructions to the judges it is written that only the leaders are strictly punished. The accusations against Levski are under Art. 55 para. 1 - "One who incites incompetently or immediately the subjects of the Ottoman Empire to arm themselves against the imperial government shall be punished with death if there has been an uprising or a beginning of execution" ; Art. 56 -"Who incites the subjects of the Ottoman Empire to arm each other or to do devastation, slaughter or robbery in one or more places is punished with death if they have followed or had a beginning of execution."; Art. 66 - " Whoever, in squares, marketplaces and other public places, through speeches, distribution of handwritten and printed sheets, or otherwise incites the citizens and the inhabitants of the empire to commit the crimes under this chapter, shall be punished as the perpetrators of these acts ."; Art. 174, para. 2 -"Whoever does a premeditated murder is punished by forced labor for 15 years. The crime is punished by death when it was preceded, accompanied or followed by another crime or when it was a means of committing another crime . " by the Imperial Criminal Law. [39]

The court does not issue a single conviction and, in violation of the established procedures, issues the verdict in the course of the individual hearings. A total of 15 convictions were issued, of which two were death-sentences - Dimitar General (his first conviction) and Vasil Levski. Sixty of the defendants were sentenced to imprisonment and exile. In order not to harm Turkish diplomacy, no more extensive investigations and persecutions have been carried out. The sentence of Levsky - death by hanging is the last sentence - under No. 15, issued on 14 January 1873 and confirmed as appropriate by Sultan Abdul Azis on January 21, 1873. The process ends when the commission takes on the functions of a court which is unacceptable the laws of the Empire itself.

On 6/18 February 1873 the sentence was executed in the vicinity of Sofia. The place of hanging of Vasil Levski is located in the center of today's Sofia, near the place where his monument was erected.

In his last moments confession to the bishop vicar of Sofia - Father Todor myths. In confession, he says:

" What I have done is for the benefit of a nation "
and prayed forgiveness from him and God, and in his prayers to be mentioned as Herodiac Ignatius, and also the Bulgarian people.

Priest priest Hristo Stoilov tells about the last moments of the apostle:

" The deacon was heroic. He said he really was the first one, but that he was thousands . The executioner threw his rope and kicked the chair. I was tearful and turned to Hagia Sophia to not see the Turks crying and I left. "

Monument of Vasil Levski in the center of Sofia
Mikhail K. Bubotinov also gives a description:

" In 1873, 6 February, Tuesday, a market day in Sofia - 2 hours before dawn, in the courtyard of the Pashov Konak - at the place of today's Princely Palace, became an unusual dissolution of the Pashov seamen. By order of Mazhar Pasha, then Sredetski Governor, a mulezimin was sent to call butler Todor Mitov to prepare himself ... Economist Pop Todor prepared for half an hour ... And here was the governor of the carriage with the people you, consisting of a dozen people. Immediately afterwards, he was brought to the middle of the square, just pulled out of the dungeon by Vasil Levski, convoyed by a platoon of planks and four platoons of asser, dressed in his suit as he was caught by the authorities at the inn with heavy legs, but without an implant on the chest. Mazhar Pasha, turned to the priest, commanded him to come to Levski and freely carry out the hymns. As the priest approached at Levsky, the Pasha retreated to 7-8 strides and at the same time signaled to do the same with the people of his group. ... "
What he himself confessed to Levski in the case could not have been betrayed by the priest-confessor. However, in common words: Father Todor told me that Levsky stood up and in the presence of the spirit he said:

" "In my youth I was a Herodiaskon Ignatius, I left the service conscious that I was called to perform another, more urgent, higher and more sacred service to the enslaved fatherland, which ... yes!" "
Here Vassil Levski became mournful and asked the priest to pray to God for Jehoiakiah Ignatius.