NHSALC “Constantine Cyrillus Philosopher”, Sofia

Commentary on a historical source: “Appeal to the Bulgarian people” by

Sophronius of Vratsa

Ilia Calogero Curto Pelle, 11A grade February 2017

Sophronius of Vratsa’s “Appeal to the Bulgarian people” is one of the most important works in Bulgarian history. The archbishop of Vratsa lived in the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. He was the most important follower and continuator of the mission of Paisius of Hilendar, in part due to his social and episcopal position as a priest which enabled him to spread his ideas amongst the common people.

The appeal was published in the beginning of the 19th century, when Sophronius lived as an émigré in , Romania. The text is an original and authentic written document, describing contemporary events. The information it transmits to the reader was obtained personally by the writer. The text itself represents an address to the Bulgarian people concerning the start of the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812, which ended with the Bucharest peace treaty, signed on the 8th of May, 1812.

The main goal of the document coincides with the aim of the entire Bulgarian Renaissance – the liberation of the country from Turkish rule with the aid of the .

It is not a surprise, then, that it is Sophronius’ opinion that the liberation should be achieved through the aid of “Grandfather Ivan” and the other Christian peoples, who are described as God-sent saviors, led by Tsar Alexander Pavlovich Romanov: “and there now we look and see that the grace of our Lord has descended upon your poor people, as instilled has He in the heart of the pious and great emperor Alexander Pavlovich mercy and has sent him to free us of this barbarian Turkish torment”.

The document reaffirms the image, set by Paisius of Hilendar, of the Bulgarian people as chosen by God and of the Turkish people as “torturers”, “barbarians” and “hagarenes”. It must be pointed out that these “tortures” are subject to intense hyperbole: “Oh, Christians, don’t you know how much those torturers branded you with hot iron, how much they roasted your children on stakes in front of your eyes, how much of your land and money they plundered and took, how many of your sons and daughters they took and raped?” They are described as enemies, who have to be defeated so that the Bulgarian people can attain its freedom.

The appeal of Sophronius is ambivalent – on the one hand, it aims to urge the to be hospitable and aid the , but also it invites them to fight: “And give them food and drink and when they want to righteously go, show them the correct path and lead them without treachery in mind”.

Sophronius creates a contrast between the fall of the Bulgarian Empire to the Ottomans, which he attributes to the infighting and mutual hatred between our people, and the united Christian brotherhood and its united stand against the common enemy: “... yoke, under which you have fallen due to your misunderstanding and hatred… Here comes the luminous day, which we have waited for 400 years”. The archbishop of Vratsa puts forward a plethora of reasons to support the Russians and the other Balkan peoples – firstly, this is a form of do ut des – if the Russian army is supported, the Bulgarian state will have its freedom. Secondly, it is the memory of the lost empire that prompts the people to fight. Thirdly, due to the harsh Turkish treatment, the Bulgarian people do not have a choice but to stand up and fight. Lastly, Sophronius motivates the people through the notoriety of the Turkish atrocities and assurances that the Western World would intervene: “This torment of yours is known to all of Europe and in all its gazettes your plight is being mentioned and written about.” Although this information is not accurate, his goal is to give a reason for the Bulgarians to fight and start leading them on the path to their freedom.

The text itself is composed as a prayer, as it ends with “Amen”, which asks the Lord to aid “his Christian army” and which gives rise to the contrast between past, present and future, characteristic of the Bulgarian Renaissance.

The final idea, which the author mentions, is that betraying one’s people is a sin. In the same way as Paisius before him, Sophronius is wary of inside treachery on the part of other Bulgarians: “But most of all, Christians, keep away from Judas Iscariot’s treachery as if it were the fires of Hell - let no Christian fall into such a heavy sin”.

The opinion of Sophronius is known to us from other documents and from his revolutionary activity. The type of the document – an appeal – suggests its subjectivity and hyperbole. The work, as well as the author, can be classified as Rusophilic. The ideas of Sophronius, unfortunately, were a century early. In the end, his hopes were in vain because the Bucharest peace treaty left out and nothing was done to better the Bulgarians’ situation, let alone to put forward the prospect of their independence.

The degree of historical accuracy of the document is debatable. The “Appeal to the Bulgarian people” should be analysed through the prism of all of Sophronius’ works and deeds. For the first time, nationalistic ideas can be discerned in this written work, as well as the desire to break free from the . The appeal builds on Paisius’ ideas and describes the situation of the Bulgarian people and their desire for liberation. On the other hand, however, the intense hyperbole, subjectivity and false information (in Europe the Bulgarian side of the Eastern Question was not of relevance or importance until the middle of the 19th century) impede the extraction of useful information for the specific period.

The importance of the document in the short term is limited as it was unable to prompt a full-fledged Bulgarian rebellion, but it was instrumental in the formation of the Bulgarska Zemska Voiska*. As previously mentioned, the Russo-Turkish War ended in 1812 with the Bucharest peace treaty, which did not deal at all with Bulgaria or its people. However, in the long term, Sophronius was instrumental in passing on Paisius’ ideas to a new generation of people, as well as in creating a sense of national identity among Bulgarians. Through his personal example, Sophronius gave rise * An army, composed of Bulgarian volunteers, mostly living in Romania, which fought alongside the Russians during the Russo-Turkish war of 1806-1812 – Translator’s note. to the three movements that shaped the Bulgarian Renaissance - the movement for Bulgarian schools and culture, the movement for an independent patriarchy, and, finally, the independence movement. This appeal, in conjunction with “Nedelnik” and “Life and sorrows of the sinful Sophronius” turned the priest Stojko Vladislavov into the most important Bulgarian author from the end of the 18th century. Finally, the “Appeal to the Bulgarian people” paved the way for other revolutionaries like Georgi Sava and , as well as for the propaganda of the Rusophilists, and, last but not least, for other publicists like P.R. Slavejkov, Lyuben Karavelov, and .

Teacher’s review:

A completely exhaustive and compact presentment of the question. Logical and analytical structure of the ideas in the “Appeal” of Sophronius of Vratsa. An excellent analysis of the document.

Excellent /6/, Alexander Ivanchev, signature (not readable)