History Of Bulgaria: Part II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Konstantin and Fruzhin

Fruzhin was Ivan Shishman's son, Konstantin - the inheritor of Ivan Sratsimir. Wallachian lord Mircea the Elder, Sigismund of Luxemburg and Serbian tyrant Stefan Lazarevic benefitted from the rebellion. The latter had finally realised that being a loyal ally of the Ottoman sultan wouldn't provide political independence for his country and switched sides.

The revolt did not succeed. Konstantin died in Serbia in 1422, while Fruzhin took part in the Albanian rebellion led by Gjergj Arianit Komneni and Polish King Wladyslaw III's campaign that ended with the battle of Varna.

Answer: Wladyslaw III of Poland

He was slain by the Janissaries (the sultan's bodyguards). The Christian army was defeated. Thus the Ottomans removed a considerable threat to their expansion into central and eastern Europe.

Answer: 1762

Paisuis was later canonized a saint. Paisiy Peak on Livinston Island, Antarctica, is named after him. "History of the Slav-Bulgarians" is considered the first work of Bulgarian historiography. The book's first manuscript copy was made by Sophronius of Vratsa (later also canonized). What would follow is nowadays known as Bulgarian National Revival.

Answer: Ivan Vazov

The novel describes Ottoman rule in Bulgaria. One of the most (if not the most notable) remarkable classics of Bulgarian classic literature, it has been translated into more than thirty languages. Vazov, who was born in 1850 and was an eyewitness of the Bulgarian independence movement, is referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature".

Answer: Petar Beron

"Primer with Various Instructions" (as the actual title of this reading mater is) is erroneously better known as "the Fish Primer" because of the dolphin depicted in the end of the book (when dolphins are in fact mammals as opposed to fish). Born in Kotel, Beron obtained his primary education in the church school of Stoyko Vladislavov (the real name of Bulgarian bookman Sophronius of Vratsa).

Answer: Turkish brigands who were enemies of the sultan

During the 18th century the kircaali used a remote town as a weapons stash and a supply point. Actually, both this name, by which they were collectively known, and the one that later was given to this town (Kardzhali), are derived from Kirca Ali, the first leader of those outlaws.

They robbed both Bulgarians and Turks and were a huge scourge for both the sultan's army and the local population.

Answer: Todor Kableshkov

Kableshkov signed this letter to the revolutionary committee of Panagyurishte with the blood of a local Ottoman governor (killed by Georgi Tihanek). The text of the letter has been engraved in a very large stone in Kableshkov's hometown Koprivshtitsa.

Answer: 1876

The April Uprising lasted from April 20 to the middle of May, 1876. It was brutally suppressed by the regular Ottoman Army and the irregular bashi-bazouk. This led to a public outcry in the most of Europe and the United States. The result was the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, which led to the independence of the Balkan states of Bulgaria and Romania.

Moreover, the Russians insisted on receiving the Budjak region from Romania, compensating the country with Northern Dobruja (essentially a Bulgarian territory between the 8th and the early 11th century, and later in the 13th century).

Answer: 1925

This was a terrorist attack committed by members of the Bulgarian Communist Party during the funeral service of General Konstantin Georgiev (killed a few days earlier by the Communists). One hundred and fifty people (most of them politicians and representatives of the military élite) died and about 500 were wounded.

Answer: Dimcho Debelyanov

He also fought in the Balkan Wars. He died in a battle with an Irish division in 1916. Like Todor Kableshkov, Debelyanov was also from Koprivshtitsa. In his hometown nowadays you can see a sculpture of his mother waiting for his return, which never happened.

Answer: 1918

He ascended the throne on the abdication of his father Tsar Ferdinand I. His reign continued until his death in August 1943. It is believed that the king died from the same poison as the Greek prime minister Ioannis Metaxas. It is still quite uncertain who exactly ordered the murder of Boris III and Metaxas, but what we know is that Metaxas pursued Communists, and that Communists came to power in Bulgaria a year after the death of the king.

Answer: 2007

Romania became a part of the EU the same year. Bulgaria is the only member country of the European Union to use the Cyrillic alphabet. Prime minister of Bulgaria at the time of the country's accession to the EU was Sergei Stanishev and the presidential functions were performed by Georgi Parvanov.

However, the preparations and negotiations for joining the Union started in 2000, when premier of the country was Ivan Kostov and Petar Stoyanov was still fulfilling his presidential mandate.

Answer: Irina Bokova

She was elected as the tenth Director-General of the organisation in late 2009, becoming the first female and only Eastern European) to head UNESCO.

Answer: Sergei Stanishev

Stanishev was also prime minister of Bulgaria between 2005 and 2009. He was also the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party from 2001 until 2014 - a post he occupied after the previous leader of the party, Georgi Parvanov, was elected president of the country.

Answer: March 3rd

On this date (March 3rd) in 1878 a treaty that put the end of the Russo-Turkish War was signed in San Stefano. This is not only the Liberation Day of Bulgaria, but also the national holiday of the country. May 24th is the day of Bulgarian Education and Culture. May 1st is celebrated as Labour Day. November 1st is honored as Revival Leaders' Day, on which Bulgarians pay tribute to national leaders, revolutionists and 'enlighteners' who left their mark on the development of the Bulgarian liberation movement.