On July 9, 1850, one of the most famous Bulgarian writers was born - Ivan Vazov. His work left a bright mark on the native literature, and during his lifetime he was not by chance awarded the title of "Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature". In his long creative career, Ivan Vazov managed to cause a revolution in Bulgarian literature. Today he continues to be one of the greatest and most successful Bulgarian writers.
Ivan Vazov was born into the family of a wealthy merchant. His mother was a prominent public figure who enjoyed great respect among his fellow citizens. The writer had three brothers. Two of them were military figures, and the third was a politician. Vazov showed his love for Bulgarian literature and foreign languages from an early age.
The writer graduated from the local elementary school, studied Greek and Turkish at the Kalofer School, and in 1866 enrolled in the high school in Plovdiv. There, Vazov's literary preferences were formed. He began to show interest in Russian and French authors, and at the same time he increasingly devoted himself to creative activity. In 1870, Ivan Vazov's first poem was published - "The Pine". It was published in the "Periodic Magazine" of the Braille Literary Society.
The same year, Vazov's writing career was interrupted. His father decided to send him to Romania so that the young man could learn the intricacies of trade from his uncle. True to his freedom-loving spirit, the writer fled to Braila and spent several months among the Bulgarian hussars. There he received inspiration for the story "Unloved-Unloved" and began to publish patriotic poems in the magazine "Chitalishte", the newspaper "Otechestvo" and others.
During the Russo-Turkish War, the writer worked in Svishtov under Governor Nayden Gerov. In 1879, he was appointed chairman of the District Court in Berkovitsa. The judicial activity he was engaged in during this period inspired him to write the poem "Gramada". In 1880, Vazov moved to Plovdiv, the capital of Eastern Rumelia. There he held the position of deputy of the Regional Assembly of the People's Party. In parallel, the writer did not abandon his journalistic activity. Together with his friend Konstantin Velichkov, he began editing the newspaper "Narodniy Glas". The two of them were involved in publishing the magazine "Zora", which was the first literary magazine in Bulgaria. During his stay in Plovdiv, Vazov created some of his most successful literary works. There he wrote "Epic of the Forgotten", "The Bulgarian Language", "The New Cemetery above Slivnitsa", "Is It Coming?", "Uncles" and others. In 1886, the writer decided to visit the country of his dreams - Russia. He went to Odessa, where he created one of the most emblematic novels in Bulgarian literature - "Under the Yoke". This was the first Bulgarian work for which a Bulgarian publisher agreed to pay a fee to the author. The novel "Under the Yoke" was published in Bulgaria by Todor Chipev.
After his return to our country, in 1889 Vazov moved to Sofia. He began publishing the magazine "Dennitsa", and his stories were published in two volumes under the title "Draski i šarki". In 1894 Ivan Vazov was elected as a member of parliament, as his candidacy was nominated by the People's Party. In 1897 he took up the position of Minister of Public Education in the government of Konstantin Stoilov. He left this post in 1899. The tragic end of the First World War for Bulgaria made the writer rethink his value system. Vazov took the failure of his beloved homeland hard. Despite everything, in 1920 he solemnly celebrated his 70th anniversary, receiving the distinction "People's Poet". Ivan Vazov died on September 22, 1921, shortly before becoming an honorary member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Ivan Vazov's work contributed to the development of Bulgarian literature. His works are distinguished by their realism, exciting descriptions of nature and a subtle sense of humor. Ivan Vazov is considered the first professional writer in our country, and his works are a standard of quality.