Великата рилска пустиня

by Ivan Vazov, Иван Вазов

Художник и поет на природните красоти, реалист в изображение на живота, патриот, влюбен в България, гражданин демократ с живо социално чувство, хуманист, който вярва в прогреса на човечеството — такъв е Вазов в цялото си творчество. Такъв е той и в своите пътеписи. Неговите пътеписи действуват както с красотата на своите картини, така и с благородството на идеите. Те възпитават у читателя не само чувство за хубавото, но и патриотична любов - любов към нашата земя, към България.

ГЕОРГИ ЦАНЕВ

554 pages

First published January 1, 1892

About the author

Ivan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria (then part of the Ottoman Empire). The works of Ivan Vazov reveal two historical epochs - the Bulgarian Renaissance and the Post-Liberation (from Ottoman Empire rule) epoch. Ivan Vazov holds the highest honorary title of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Academician. He acted as Education and People Enlightenment Minister from September 7, 1897 until January 30th, 1899, representing the People's Party.

Vazov was probably heavily influenced by Botev, who was the ideological leader of the Bulgarian revolutionary movement. He started writing his famous poems with Botev and some other Bulgarian emigrants in Romania. In 1876 he published his first work, Priaporetz and Gusla, followed by "Bulgaria's Sorrows" in 1877.

Bulgaria regained its independence in 1878 as a result of the Russo-Turkish War and Vazov wrote the famous Epic of the Forgotten. He became the editor of the political reviews Science and Dawn. He was, however, forced into exile once again, this time to Odessa, because of the persecution of the russophile political faction. Returning to Bulgaria with the help of his mother Suba Vazova, he started teaching. Vazov's next stay was in Svishtov, where he became a civil servant.

n 1917 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature