In 2019 we mark the 141st anniversary since the birth of Bulgaria’s world poet Peyo Totev Hadzhiivanov Kracholov, best known under his penname Peyo Yavorov given to him by renowned Bulgarian writer Pencho Slaveykov in 1899. The reason why Todor Ivanov, curator of the poet’s birth house-museum in the town of Chirpan, describes Yavorov as a world poet may be that his works have been translated into 13 languages, including Armenian and even Kyrgyz, and also because of the periods of his life Yavorov spent in Austria, Switzerland and France, which had a significant impact on his writing. The poetry and prose that Yavorov left behind were significantly influenced also by his participation in the national liberation struggles in Macedonia as well as by his own social and existential ideas and perceptions of the world. An important part of his lyrical works belongs to the poems dedicated to the two women in the poet’s life: Mina Todorova, the sister of writer Petko Todorov, and the daughter of the Bulgarian statesman Petko Karavelov – Lora Karavelova.
A poet, a public figure, and an active participant in the struggles for the liberation of Macedonia, Yavorov first revealed his poetic talent in his school years. However, his father was firm that men should work, stopped his son from school and they both started work in the telegraph service in Chirpan. However, his passion for poetry was not quenched - Yavorov used to spend entire nights reading, and so at one point light started to irritate him. His request to close one of the windows in his room surprised his parents, but still they went along with it. The years went by yet Yavorov's desire to stay away from the light seemed to grow more and more. Later, when he was transferred to work in the coastal town of Pomorie in 1900, the locals began to call him “the shadow” as he moved away from anything that could damage his eyes. The fear of losing his sight seems to have been justified as14 years later he really went blind. After the suicide of his wife, Lora, which she committed in front of his very eyes, Yavorov lost the meaning of his life and tried to put an end to it. The first attempt proved unsuccessful but the shot in the temple blinded him forever. Crushed by this as well as by the slanders and accusations which spread like lightning across Sofia that he was guilty of Lora's death, he made a second suicide attempt.
The reason we go back to those stormy days of the poet’s life full of dramatic losses and frustrations are the January Days dedicated to the poet which begin on the day of his birth, January 13, in Chirpan. The tradition of this literary event dates back 51 years ago. More about this year’s edition and why it puts the highlight on the Armenian community in Bulgaria, we learn from the chairman of the Yavorov Foundation, Todor Ivanov, in an interview for Radio Bulgaria:
„This year we will once again put ablaze the symbolic flame of Yavor's poetry in front of his monument erected in October 1933 with the support of Chirpan residents and the Armenian community of Plovdiv. The flame will be ignited by Yavorov's prominent researcher Tsvetan Rakyovski. This year we also mark 120 years since the writing of Yavorov’s poem Armenci (Armenians). He wrote it on December 7, 1899, while living in Pomorie, influenced by his meetings with Armenians who described to him the heinous destiny of their people. In the evening of the opening day there will be a poetic recitation by poets Kamelia Kondova, Margarita Petkova and Atanas Kapralov. The evening will end with a concert of Svetoglas Quartet. The next day we will unveil an exhibition of Plovdiv-based Armenian artists, which will be followed by the premiere of the Kostadin Bonev’s film “Izkorenyavane” (Uprooting) dedicated to the Armenian Genocide. On January 15, we will present a new volume dedicated to Yavorov, comprising 400 pages of academic papers on the poet's life, deeds and poetic legacy. They are authored by researchers from major Bulgarian universities as well as from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.”
An integral part of Yavorov’s Days is the bestowing of the National Poetry Prize named after the poet. Founded in 1968, it is awarded every five years and constitutes a plaque made by sculptor Vladimir Kondarev. Among its holders are distinguished Bulgarian poets such as Pavel Matev, Ivan Dinkov, Valeri Petrov, Hristo Fotev, Kalin Donkov.
Traditionally, Yavorov’s January Days are hosted by the home of the poet, as 2019 also marks 65 years since the opening of Peyo Yavorov’s birth house-museum in Chirpan.
English Rossitsa Petcova
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