Lyutov House Museum

Koprivstitsa - the Oslekov and Lyutov houses

Koprivstitsa - the museum town

Oslekov's House
The house was built in 1853 - 1856 by order of the wealthy Koprivshtitsa merchant Nencho Oslekov. Built by Usta Mincho and Kosta Zograf - representatives of the Samokov architectural school, Oslekov's house fascinates with its rich exterior and interior decorations.
Nencho Oslekov took part in the April Uprising. The rebels' uniforms were made in his homespun fabric workshop. Because of his contribution to the Uprising, after its failure Oslekov was captured by the Turks and hanged in Plovdiv.

Lyutov's House
Lyutov's (or Topalov's) house is a unique architectural monument from the period of the Bulgarian national renaissance. It was built in 1854 by masters from Plovdiv, commissioned by Stefan Topalov. In 1906, after Topalov moved to Odrin, the house was sold Petko Lyutov, a merchant from Koprivshtitsa who traded with milk in Alexandria, and became known as the Lyutov's house.
The house is remarkable with its beautiful architecture rich mural decoration. The most striking feature of upper floor is the elliptic vault of the ceiling ornamented with mural medallions and a sun craved in wood; landscapes depicted in the murals were drawn as to owner's impressions from Egypt and Istambul.

Koprivshtitsa - TODOR KABLESHKOV

Todor Kableshkov was born on 13 January 1851. He studied in Koprivshtitsa, Plovdiv, and the French college in Istanbul. He spoke fluently French, Greek and Turkish. He worked in Baron Hirsch's railway as a stationmaster in the town of Belovo. He was the chairman of the secret revolutionary committee in Koprivstitsa and one of the apostles of the ІV Revolutionary district. On 20 April 1876 he declared the beginning of the April uprising. Todor Kableshkov was the author of the historical blood signed letter. After the defeat of the uprising, he was captured near the village of Chiflik, in the region of Troyan. He committed suicide in the police.
Kableshkov's house was built in 1845 by Master Gencho Mladenov from Koprivshtitsa. It is a gorgeous manifestation of the Bulgarian architectural genius from the epoch of the Renaissance. In 1930 the house was opened as a general museum and in 1954 -- as a memorial museum.

Koprivshtitsa - G. Benkovski and L. Karavelov

Koprivshtitsa - the museum town

Georgi Benkovski - (1843 -- 12 May 1876) was the pseudonym of Gavril Gruev Hlatev, a Bulgarian revolutionary and leading figure in the organization and direction of the Bulgarian anti-Ottoman April Uprising of 1876 and apostle of its 4th Revolutionary District. During the April Uprising his cavalry detachment, known as The Flying Band, toured the entire region tirelessly, mobilizing many insurgents and playing an important part in the fighting for Bulgarian freedom.
Lyuben Karavelov - born 1834 in Koprivshtitsa in family of Stoicho Karavela and Nedelia Doganska. He and his brother Petko Karavelov are known as people who had dedicated their whole lives to Bulgaria. Lyuben Karavelov - as a publicist, journalist, revolutionary and writer and Petko Karavelov - as a politician (he was Minister of Finance and Prime Minister of the country).

Koprivshtitsa - The Bulgarian magic lives here! / Копривщица - магията на България!

Koprivshtitsa is a small historic town in central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountain. The town is still preserving the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is huddled in the mountain-folds, 111 km east of Sofia. Koprivshtitsa boasts a large number of architectural monuments from the period, 383 in all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance. Collections of ethnographical treasures, old weapons, National Revival works of art, fine fretwork, household weaves and embroidery, national costumes and typical Bulgarian jewelry have also been preserved. It was here that the first shot of the April Uprising against the Ottoman domination was fired in 1876.