Mihail Grekov’s Participation in Bulgarian National-Liberation Movement (1872-1874)

Abstract

Mikhail Grekov is a Bulgarian from Ukraine. In 1872-1874 the Russian consulate in Varna asks him to include his compatriots in the expected Serbian-Turkish war. Grekov makes contacts with Hristo Botev and Stefan Stambolov and intervenes in the national liberation movement of the Bulgarians on the side of the revolutionary wing of the movement.
It should be pointed out that Stefan Tsanev’s assertion that Grekov does not love Botev is not true because he is under the influence of Karavelov. In fact, it is evident from other sources that Grekov deals directly with the establishment of Botev in the leadership of the BRCS through Shumen and Turnov. The same is largely related to the position of the Bulgarians in the Odessa region. With the cooperation of Grekov, Botev visited Kishinev, Odessa, Nikolaev and Kipriyan Monastery in Chisinau in August 1875, where they welcomed him. Botev finds a good reception for the Bulgarians in Bolgrad, mostly thanks to Olympi Panov and Kiriak Tsankov. They are among the creators of the Bulgarian Central Charitable Society in Bucharest in 1876, whose enchev is secretary. It is the BSCB’s merit that it includes the Bulgarians in the Serbian-Turkish War of 1876. Thus Grekov gradually overcame Hitov’s strong influence on the BRCC policy in Bucharest and imposes new, independent goals for the Bulgarian national-liberation movement.