The Hristo Botev National Museum in Kalofer is a state cultural institute of national importance. It was built on the site of the last house of Daskal Botyo Petkov and his family.
The museum preserves, preserves and exhibits personal belongings, documents, publications, works of Bulgarian fine art and other materials related to the life and work of Hristo Botev, his family and his associates.
The main activity of the museum is to search for, study and popularize movable cultural monuments related to Botev's revolutionary and creative life. For this purpose, the relevant departments and funds have been created, which keep over 5,000 museum items. The museum's library has over 1,500 volumes of specialized literature.
The museum complex is located in the "Boteva Gradina" park, created in 1926.
The following objects are located on the territory of the museum complex:
Memorial house-museum of Daskal Botyo Petkov and his family
Exhibition hall at the National Museum "Hristo Botev"
The exhibition hall of the National Museum "Hristo Botev" was built in 1973. The exhibition is dominated by photographs and photographic material. Original exhibits are the only preserved personal belongings of Hristo Botev - a pocket watch and writing utensils, the printing press "Zname", the printing press of Dimitar Panichkov, personal belongings of Veneta and Ivanka Botev. Other interesting exhibits are a model of the steamer "Radetzky" and the flag of the Botev detachment.
Monument to Hristo Botev from 1930.
This is the first monument to Hristo Botev in Kalofer. Its author is Kiril Georgiev.
Monument to Ivanka Boteva – the poet's mother
A main element in the complex is the house in which Hristo Botev lived the longest.
He was not born there, but he calls it his home because he spent his childhood here.
Hristo Botev was born in one of the cells of the old male monastic school in Kalofer, where the family of Daskal Botyo Petkov lived at the time.
Currently, a memorial plaque has been placed on the site, which only indicates where the monastery school was located. The memorial plaque is located next to the
Renaissance Church "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary", which is located in the central part of Kalofer, to the right of the Memorial Complex "Hristo Botev", at the foot of a hill on which the majestic monument rises.
Hristo Botev returns to the house of Daskal Botyo Petkov after his studies in Odessa and his teaching career in Zadunaevka.
In it, Hristo Botev also received the issue of the Slaveykov newspaper "Gaida", in which his first poem "My Mother" was published.
From this home Botev left for the dark world to give his strength and youth to the freedom of Bulgaria.
The memorial house-museum is a one-story semi-solid building with a hipped roof and a large loggia with a bay window. In it, with ethnographic materials from the Bulgarian National Revival era, the environment in which Botev grew up has been recreated. Original exhibits include Grandma Ivanka's spinning wheel and sewing machine.
During the Great Fire, the house of Daskal Botyo Petkov, as well as the whole of Kalofer, was completely burned to the ground. At the initiative of the Kalofer citizens and patriotic Bulgarians from all over the country, the building was restored according to the memories of Botev's brother - retired general Kiril Botev and older Kalofer residents.
The project was developed by architect Baltadjiev and construction began in 1942. It was officially opened as a museum on June 2, 1944.
You can find up-to-date information about the museum's sites and permanent exhibitions, about the museum's activities, about upcoming events, about the history and sights of the town of Kalofer and its captivating nature on the museum's official website https://www.muzeibotev.com/
The National Museum "Hristo Botev" in the town of Kalofer is number 45 of the One Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.
How to get to the town of Kalofer?
Kalofer is a town in Karlovo Municipality, Plovdiv District.
It is located in South Central Bulgaria near the Sub-Balkan Road*.
*The Republican Road I-6, also known as the Sub-Balkan Road, is a first-class road of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria with a west-east direction, passing through the territory of nine districts: Kyustendil, Pernik, Sofia Region, Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol and Burgas.
Its total length is 508.5 km, making it the longest republican road in Bulgaria.
Kalofer is located at the foot of the southern slopes of the Stara Planina Mountain.
Kalofer is located:
156 kilometers (about 2 hours and 16 minutes by car) from the capital
66 kilometers (about 1 hour by car) from the city of Plovdiv
330 kilometers (about 4 hours and 17 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
230 kilometers (about 2 hours and 30 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
17 kilometers (about 17 minutes by car) from the city of Karlovo
How to get to the National Museum "Hristo Botev" in Kalofer?
The Hristo Botev National Museum is located in the city center.
What to visit in Kalofer?
Entering the city, you should not miss visiting the monument of Kalifer Voivode, the founder of Kalofer.
Nearby is the starting point for the "White River" eco-trail.
In the center of the city there is a Renaissance temple "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary", which I recommend you to visit.
The temple is located to the right of the Hristo Botev Memorial Complex, at the foot of a hill on which the majestic monument rises. Take the stairs to the monument and enjoy the exceptional panorama opening from the place.
Located on the left bank of the Tundzha River, on the spacious and sunny central city square, at the base of the Hristo Botev Memorial Complex and next to the "200 Rifles" composition, rises the graceful white stature of the Daskal Botev School, today transformed into the Museum of Educational Work in Kalofer.
Opposite the museum is the Kalofer Lace Creative Center, which I advise you to check out.
Let your sunny walk in this unique Bulgarian city take you to the Hristo Botev National Museum.
The Church of St. Athanasius the Great is located near the center of Kalofer. It is the only church in Kalofer, located on the right bank (south) of the Tundzha River.
And finally, my dear friends,
you shouldn't miss checking out
the special photo album with moments –
discovered, experienced, filmed and shared with you!
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