YEAR 1186 0F THE CHRISTIAN ERA: THE LIBERATION
In the 11th and 12th centuries the Bulgarians shared the Byzantine Empire's successes and failures, of which there were quite a few. Basil II /976-1025/ left a powerful state stretching from Italy and Central Europe to Mesopotamia and Syria. His successors, however, soon began to squander his legacy, indulging in amusements and court intrigue. Several decades of relative calm came to an abrupt end in 1071. The Byzantines suffered a total defeat from the Turks in the battle of Manzikert, in Asia Minor, and their capital was threatened. Waves of Turkish tribes were to become the main problem of the Byzantium and the Orthodox states in the Balkan Peninsula in the coming centuries.
More difficulties arose in the late 11th and the early 12th centuries. The Normans attacked from the west via Sicily. They were seeking new places to settle and were conducting an aggressive policy across Europe. The Pechenegs, the Cumans and the Uzes, who belonged to the latest wave of the great people's migration, were flooding in from the east. The Balkan peninsula was virtually overrun by them and was subjected to ravage and slaughter. At the very end of the 11th century the Crusaders appeared on the scene. Their incursions, periodically, laid waste on the peninsula.
The strong dynasty of the Comneni ascended the Byzantine throne at this critical point. Its founder, Alexius I /1081-1118/, repulsed the Normans and the northern barbarians. Not only did he make the passage of the First Crusade to Asia Minor painless for Byzantium, but he used the belligerent western knights to take Byzantine areas back from the Turks. His grandson, Manuel I Comnenus /1143-1180/, nearly revived the Byzantine's dream of restoring the power and frontiers of the old Roman Empire.
Then, however, the weak dynasty of the Angeli succeeded to the throne. The Bulgarians had waited long for this moment. In fact, it was not their first attempt to take advantage of Bizantium's troubles in order to regain their independence. In 1041, the western Bulgarian regions revolted against the social policy of one of Basil II's incompetent successors. The revolt grew into a popular uprising, headed by the sons of the last Bulgarian tsars, Peter Delyan and Alusian. Unfortunately, they rowed with one another just as their fathers had, which doomed the uprising to failure.
After the Byzantines were defeated at Manzikert, the Bulgarians rose again. In 1073, Georgi Voitekh and Bodin made an abortive attempt to restore the kingdom. More revolts, headed by Leka, Dobromir and Travul, took place in the last decades of the 11th century. Those three rebels were Paulician and Bogomil heretics. The Bogomil heresy emerged in Bulgaria in the reign of Tsar Peter. Its followers were particularly antagonistic to the Byzantine authorities, or rather to any human authority. It was no coincidence that this Bulgarian heresy became widespread in Western Europe. It formed the basis for the teachings of the French Cathars and Albigenses, who caused a civil war between north and south in France.
Discontent among the Bulgarians persisted throughout the 12th century. It peaked during the reign of Isaac II Angelus /1185-1195/ who, like all rulers who lacked foresight, raised taxes first. At that very time two Bulgarian aristocrats, the brothers Asen and Peter, were insulted by the arrogant Byzantine administration. This sparked off an outburst of pent-up hatred, harboured for 150 years. A church built a short time before in the foothills of Turnovo, an impregnable stronghold in the Balkan Mountains, was consecrated in the cold autumn of 1186. The two brother's estate lay nearby. The standart of revolt was raised along with the cross of the new church at the ceremony. The crowd proclaimed monk Vassily Archbishop. He, in turn, crowned Peter Tsar of the Bulgarians.
The Bulgarians had unexpected but much needed respite in 1189, when heavily armed German knights of the Third Crusade crossed Thrace, led by Frederick I Barbarosa. Shortly afterwards, the Byzantine Emperor managed to organise a campaign northwards and besieged Turnovo, which had already been proclaimed capital of the revived Bulgarian kingdom. Something in this battle strongly resembled the events of the early 9th century. The inaccessible stronghold of Turnovo withstood the attack and the Byzantines began to retreat across the Balkan Mountains. A deadly ambush had been laid for them in one of the passes, which ended in a crushing defeat and carnage. Fleeing, the Emperor Isaac II Angelus had a narrow escape and never again thought of crossing the mountain. From then on, military operations were conducted only in Thrace, the Aegean region and Macedonia.
At that point, Bulgaria was beset by internal dissention. In 1190 the elder brother, Peter, stepped down in favour of Asen who had made a name for himself as a remarkable military leader. Tsar Asen I headed all victorious campaigns against Byzantium and the Hungarian kingdom. The one-time Bulgarian region of Belgrade, on the middle reaches of the Danube, regained its freedom in the battle with the Hungarians. Suddenly, Tsar Asen was murdered by the treacherous hand of an aristocrat of his innermost circle. Peter had to take the reins of power again but himself was killed by a plotter. Someone had to put the Bulgarian kingdom in order. This was done by the third brother, Kaloyan, who had lived in the shadow of his elder brothers Asen and Peter until then.
From the outset Tsar Kaloyan subdued the unruly Bulgarian aristocrats with an iron hand. Alternating cruelty with diplomacy, he won back some breakaway administrators in Thrace and Macedonia. He also annexed more territories along the Black Sea coast and in Kossovo which had been part of the Bulgarian Kingdom. Once state power had been restored, it was time to legitimise Bulgaria as part of the new European order. Like Prince Boris-Mihail before him, Tsar Kaloyan, too, played the Roman card. Conducting a brisk correspondence with Pope Innocent III /1198-1216/, he achieved most of his goals. In the autumn of 1204 the title of King of the Bulgarians was bestowed on him and the Bulgarian leader received the title of "Primas". In return, Kaloyan committed himself to introduce the Uniate, a hybrid between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. It should be noted that in his letters to the Pope the Bulgarian ruler referred to himself as "Emperor", while remaining a "Tsar" to his own people.
In 1207, while the Bulgarian Tsar was preparing for the assault on Thessalonica, he was killed by a plotter in his tent. Tsar Boril mounted the Bulgarian throne. Being a relative of Kaloyan's, he had probably plotted the coup himself. It was purely dynastic by nature and left Bulgaria's attitude towards the Pope and the Latin Empire unchanged. However, the new tsar lacked Kaloyan's qualities and lost important battles with the Crusaders, although he had a military and a psychological advantage. Discontent with his rule mounted, only to end in his deposition. Asen I's son, Ivan-Asen II, was proclaimed Tsar by the aristocrats.
Similarly to Tsar Kaloyan, Ivan-Asen II skillfully used the religious differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. He achieved the restoration of the Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarchate by clever political moves in 1235. It was granted recognition at the ecumenical council in Lampsacus with the approval of all Orthodox patriarchs. Politically, it was achieved with the help of the Empire of Nicaea, which established itself as the only Byzantine successor state in that period.
When Tsar Ivan-Asen II died, the heirs to the throne were all minors. There were fierce struggles between separate cliques, which often ended in assassination. In a short time Bulgaria lost large areas in Thrace, Macedonia and the Rhodope Mountains. Finally, a civil war broke out over the succession in 1277. Somewhere in Northeastern Bulgaria, a peasant named Ivailo spread the word that he had been sent by God to help the poor. Thus, the greatest anti-feudal peasant revolt in the Balkan Peninsula began in a typically medieval manner. After a short siege the rebels entered the capital. Ivailo agreed to marry the queen dowager and was proclaimed Tsar. Throughout his reign, however, Ivailo had to counter internal and external blows. The Byzantines did not fail to interfere and nominated their own claimant to the throne of Asen dynasty. This was Georgi I Terter.
The reign of this dynasty has been ambivalently assessed. On the one hand, it strengthened the Tsar's power. On the other, the Terters had neither the authority nor the talent of the Asen dynasty. Their main achievement was the elimination of the Tartar threat.
In 1323, the dynastic feuds were renewed, this time with the success for the Shishmans. It was to rule during the last decades of independent medieval Bulgaria.
SUPPLEMENT: VELIKO TURNOVO
Turnovo was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom; it is also one of the most picturesque cities of Bulgaria. Rising in tiers on both banks of Yantra river, which cuts through the Turnovo heights in graceful meanders, it was a sturdy fortress in the Middle Ages, which leaves the visitor of today encaptured by its breathtaking scenic location.
The origins of the town, most likely as a fortified settlement, go back to the 4th century B.C. It was also in existence during the First Bulgarian Kingdom. In 1185, it was the centre of a revolt launched by Asen and Peter, which led to the overthrow of Byzantine rule in Bulgaria and the establishment of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
The new capital of Bulgaria developed rapidly. Stately palaces were erected on Tsarevets hill and an entire boyars quarter sprang up on neighbouring Trapezitsa. During the Second Bulgarian Empire, the dominant economic and cultural importance of the capital reached its high point. Turnovo was not only the official capital of the state, it was also its intellectual focal point. In the 14th century, the city and the surrounding monasteries became the centre of a new cultural and literal upsurge: the Turnovo literary school was created headed by such outstanding figures as Theodosius and Patriarch Euthymius. In less than a century Turnovo evolved into a capital worthy to be the residence of mighty kings and was, henceforth, referred to in chronicles and records as Tsarevgrad Turnov.
In 1393, after a three-month siege, the city fell to the Ottoman invaders and was utterly ravaged and destroyed. This was above all true of the magnificent edifices, the palaces and churches on Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora hills. Nevertheless, even during Ottoman domination Turnovo retained much of its importance as a trading and manufacturing centre with a public-spirited population. Significantly, it is from Turnovo that originated the uprisings against alien conquerors in 1598, 1686, 1689, 1700, as well as, the Velchova Zavera conspiracy /1835/, the insurrection of captain Dyado Nikola /1856/ and the Hadjistavrev revolt /1862/. Turnovo was, also, the centre of a revolutionary district during the April Uprising of 1876.
Veliko Turnovo, ancient and modern, is a city of numerous monuments of culture, museums, architectural reserves. It is one of the places in Bulgaria most frequented by foreign visitors. The Historical Museum houses numerous archaeological monuments covering the history and evolution of the town and its environs in prehistoric times, antiquity and the medieval period. Exhibits in the museum's various departments illustrate the state system, the mode of life of the various strata of the population and the vigorous cultural development of the capital in the 12th to 14th centuries. The excavations on Tsarevets and Trapezitsa hills, carried on for decades, have brought to light precious finds, now on view in the museum halls. During the last two decades the palace compound and buildings were reconstructed and restored. Both, Tsarevets hill and neighbouring Trapezitsa have yielded extremely valuable finds from the Bulgarian Middle Ages. Today, the bell-tower of the patriarchal church, rebuilt from the ruins, rises high above the hill of Tsarevets. Every visitor of the old capital would do well to spend the evening in Turnovo, when the musical spectacle "Sound and Light" is being performed against the imposing background of Tsarevets hill. It is a heroic and poignant story about the aspirations and sufferings, the grandeur and the downfall, the servitude and the liberty of the Bulgarian people and its old capital, Tsarevgrad Turnov.
Some 20 km north of Veliko Turnovo /viz., near the present day village of Nikyup/ are the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Nicopolis-ad-Istrum, founded by Emperor Trajan in 106 A.D. in commemoration of his victory over the Dacians. The diggings have yielded an abundance of finds. In situ, can be seen the remains of the theatre "Odeon", the town hall "Buleuterion" and the forum "Agora". The excavations have brought to light two superb works of stone sculpture: a statue of Eros, made after the original of the famous Greek sculptor Praxiteles, and a head of the young emperor Gordian III /238-244 A.D./. The latter is one of the finest works of Roman sculpture. Both precious finds are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia. Nicopolis-ad-Istrum was destroyed in the 6th to 7th century, and Slavs settled on the site. It still existed as a small locality by the 14th century.
The monasteries in the environs of Turnovo date back to the Second Bulgarian Kingdom: some were seats of literary schools, while others reflected the rich cultural life of the capital and the surrounding region. In the centuries of foreign bondage, it was in these monasteries that was kept alive the historic memory of the nation and its faith in an impending deliverance, it was there that was fostered the art of icon painting and builders craft.
Some 6 km to the north of Turnovo, beneath the cliffs overhanging the Yantra river gorge, in the Dervent locality, rises one of the oldest monasteries in Bulgaria - Sveta Troitsa Monastery, id est Monastery of Holy Trinity. It was founded, as early as, in the 11th century and was restored and enlarged during the reign of Tsar Ivan-Alexander /?/. Theodosius, one of the outstanding exponents of isihasm, stayed for a time there. After 1370, Patriarch Euthymius established himself in the monastery and before being consecrated, founded the famous Turnovo Literary School, in which men of letters from Serbia, Wallachia and Russia received their training and worked. This made the monastery extremely popular in these countries. It is also the reason, that for a century and a half, during the period of Turkish domination, the monastery was under the protection of the Wallachian voivodes.
Just opposite, on the left bank of the Yantra river, is located the Preobrazhenski Monastery - id est Monastery of Transfiguration. Founded during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and destroyed by the Ottoman invaders, it was rebuilt and restored. The church of the Transfiguration, rising in the courtyard, is a veritable masterpiece whose construction was started by Master Dimiter Sofiyanliyata. Kolyu Ficheto completed the edifice. He erected, as well, the fine bell-tower and the entire complex of monastic buildings and did the woodcarving of the iconostasis. Somewhat later, he built and painted for it, the small chapel of the Annunciation which is adhesive to the church.
To the south of Turnovo, near Kilifarevo locality, is situated the Rozhdestvo Christovo Monastery, id est Monastery of the Nativity of the Infant. Toward the end of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, this monastery became home to the renowned Kilifarevo Literary School, in which were working Bulgarian and other Slav men of letters. After being repeatedly destroyed during the period of Ottoman rule, the monastery was reconstructed by the Tryavna masters - Dossyu Kotev and Yonko Vitanov.
The old monastery in the Prisova locality, called St Archangel Michail Monastery, is supposed to have been founded by the brothers Asen and Peter in commemoration of their victory over the Byzantines. Destroyed by the Ottoman invaders, the monastery was repeatedly devastated and rebuilt during the centuries of foreign domination. Master Petko Christov, from Debelets village, built the present day tall single-apse church. The patron of the church, St Archangel Michail, is represented above the entrance door. The monastery houses a number of valuable icons.
Eighteen kilometers to the south of Turnovo, in the folds of the wooded ridges of the Elena Balkan, in the Plakova locality, is situated the St Elijah Monastery - resembling a small, yet, sturdy fortress. During the Ottoman invasion the monastery was destroyed and later rebuilt. The now extant church, oblong and spacious, was done by an unknown painter. The only mural painting in the edifice represent the "Ascension of the Prophet Elijah".
On the hills nearby, in the Lyaskovets locality, a monastery dedicated to the Apostles Peter and Paul, also known as Petropavlovski Monastery, was erected to commemorate the revolt of Asen and Peter. Following the Turkish conquest, this monastery was repeatedly ravaged and then rebuilt by the local population. In 1708, The Russian Tsar Peter I Veliki /1682-1725/ presented the monastery with a Gospel, with gilded covers, now preserved in the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.
For centuries on end, the monasteries around Turnovo played the role of a spiritual stronghold to the Bulgarian people, keeping awake the national consciousness and were, at the same time, repositories of Bulgarian art, letters and culture.
