Krastyo Krastev
Encyclopedia
Krastyo Kotev Krastev (31 May 1866–15 April 1919), popularly known as Dr. Krastev (д-р Кръстев), was a Bulgarian
writer, translator, philosopher and public figure most notable as Bulgaria
's first professional literary critic
. Krastev was an influential member of the modernist
Misal ("Thought") circle, a leading collaboration of writers that aimed to revolutionize Bulgarian literature
and introduce the modern ideas of European literature and philosophy to the country.
town of Pirot
(then part of the empire's Niš
district in Danube Province
), today in eastern Serbia
. He began his education in his hometown, where he finished a Bulgarian progymnasium (junior high school). Along with a wave of Bulgarian refugees, his family had to move to the newly-established Principality of Bulgaria
in 1878, as Pirot was ceded to the Principality of Serbia by the Treaty of Berlin. Krastev's family settled in the capital Sofia
, where he enrolled at the First Sofia High School for Boys.
Owing to the high school curriculum's focus on classical language
s, he studied Ancient Greek
along with French
, German
, Russian
, shorthand
and other subjects. While still at high school, Krastev worked as a shorthand writer for the National Assembly of Bulgaria
. Krastev finished high school in 1885 and in 1888 graduated in philosophy
from the University of Leipzig
in the German Empire
, where he wrote a doctorate under Wilhelm Wundt
, the father of experimental psychology
. His doctorate discussed Hermann Lotze's metaphysical concept of the soul. Krastev was engaged in literary criticism while still in Leipzig, where he wrote a study on Ivan Vazov
's poetical works.
After his graduation, Krastev returned to Bulgaria to become the headmaster of the Kazanlak
pedagogical school (1888–1890) and then a teacher of logic
, psychology
and ethics
at the First Sofia High School for Boys (1890–1891). In 1892, he was employed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
as a translator. After the opening of Sofia University
, Krastev was appointed as a lecturer of philosophy in 1895; he taught philosophy at the Sofia University in 1895–1896, 1899–1907, and 1908–1919. In 1899–1904, he was again a teacher at the First Sofia High School for Boys, and in 1907–1908 he was the headmaster of the Skopje
pedagogical school in Macedonia
. Accepted by the Bulgarian Literary Society (today Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
) as a correspondent member in 1898, he was made a full member in 1900. Krastev died in Sofia in 1919.
, and as being an inseparable part of the eponymous circle formed around it. The circle, which consisted of Krastev, Pencho Slaveykov
, Peyo Yavorov and Petko Todorov, aimed to introduce modernism
to the Bulgarian public and to develop an aesthetic sense in the readers. Its goal was also to introduce European influences in Bulgarian literature while retaining its unique characteristics. Misal was issued between 1892 and 1907.
As a critic, Krastev contributed to a large number of Bulgarian magazines and newspapers, and had extensive studies on modern Bulgarian literature published in prominent foreign publications such as the Saint Petersburg
-based Sovremennik
and Vestnik Evropy
and the Internationale Wochenschrift from Berlin
. He was often critical towards the "old" representatives of Bulgarian literature, such as Vazov, Zahari Stoyanov
, Elin Pelin
, and Lyuben Karavelov
, as he was more favourable towards the modern trends and "young" writers, the careers of some of which his reviews boosted. Krastev's philosophical views have been described as emphasizing subjective idealism
while being nevertheless eclectic
in nature. Krastev was a staunch opponent of Ludwig Büchner
's materialism
and his Bulgarian supporters, and his aesthetic views were influenced by Neo-Kantianism
. Krastev's work as a translator is also notable: he published Bulgarian translations of Lessing
's Emilia Galotti
, Henrik Ibsen
's John Gabriel Borkman
, When We Dead Awaken
, Ghosts
and An Enemy of the People
and works by Descartes
.
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
writer, translator, philosopher and public figure most notable as Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's first professional literary critic
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
. Krastev was an influential member of the modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
Misal ("Thought") circle, a leading collaboration of writers that aimed to revolutionize Bulgarian literature
Bulgarian literature
Bulgarian literature is literature written by Bulgarians or residents of Bulgaria, or written in the Bulgarian language; usually the latter is the defining feature...
and introduce the modern ideas of European literature and philosophy to the country.
Biography
Krastyo Krastev was born in the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
town of Pirot
Pirot
Pirot is a town and municipality located in south-eastern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the town has a total population of 38,432, while the population of the municipality is 57,911...
(then part of the empire's Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
district in Danube Province
Danube Province, Ottoman Empire
The Vilayet of the Danube or Danubian Vilayet was a vilayet of the Ottoman Empire from 1864 to 1878. In the late 19th century it reportedly had an area of ....
), today in eastern Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. He began his education in his hometown, where he finished a Bulgarian progymnasium (junior high school). Along with a wave of Bulgarian refugees, his family had to move to the newly-established Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
in 1878, as Pirot was ceded to the Principality of Serbia by the Treaty of Berlin. Krastev's family settled in the capital Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, where he enrolled at the First Sofia High School for Boys.
Owing to the high school curriculum's focus on classical language
Classical language
A classical language is a language with a literature that is classical. According to UC Berkeley linguist George L. Hart, it should be ancient, it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly on its own, not as an offshoot of another tradition, and it must have a large and extremely rich...
s, he studied Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
along with French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, shorthand
Shorthand
Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed or brevity of writing as compared to a normal method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek stenos and graphē or graphie...
and other subjects. While still at high school, Krastev worked as a shorthand writer for the National Assembly of Bulgaria
National Assembly of Bulgaria
The National Assembly of Bulgaria is the unicameral parliament and body of the legislative of the Republic of Bulgaria.The National Assembly of Bulgaria was established in 1879 with the Constitution of Bulgaria.-Ordinary National Assembly:...
. Krastev finished high school in 1885 and in 1888 graduated in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, where he wrote a doctorate under Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was a German physician, psychologist, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology"...
, the father of experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
. His doctorate discussed Hermann Lotze's metaphysical concept of the soul. Krastev was engaged in literary criticism while still in Leipzig, where he wrote a study on Ivan Vazov
Ivan Vazov
Ivan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria ....
's poetical works.
After his graduation, Krastev returned to Bulgaria to become the headmaster of the Kazanlak
Kazanlak
Kazanlak, formerly Kazanlık is a Bulgarian town in Stara Zagora Province, located in the middle of the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, at the eastern end of the Rose Valley...
pedagogical school (1888–1890) and then a teacher of logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
at the First Sofia High School for Boys (1890–1891). In 1892, he was employed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria is the ministry charged with overseeing the foreign relations of Bulgaria. It has been in existence since shortly after the Liberation of Bulgaria, with the first minister stepping into office on 17 July 1879...
as a translator. After the opening of Sofia University
Sofia University
The St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia or Sofia University is the oldest higher education institution in Bulgaria, founded on 1 October 1888...
, Krastev was appointed as a lecturer of philosophy in 1895; he taught philosophy at the Sofia University in 1895–1896, 1899–1907, and 1908–1919. In 1899–1904, he was again a teacher at the First Sofia High School for Boys, and in 1907–1908 he was the headmaster of the Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
pedagogical school in Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
. Accepted by the Bulgarian Literary Society (today Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
) as a correspondent member in 1898, he was made a full member in 1900. Krastev died in Sofia in 1919.
Work
From 1888 on, Krastev gained prominence among the Bulgarian literary society with his regular publications of critics and reviews in the press. He was the editor of a literary magazine while still in Kazanlak, and in 1891 he published the Kritika ("Critic") magazine, the first Bulgarian magazine devoted to literary criticism. He is best remembered as the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Misal ("Thought"), the leading literary magazine in Bulgaria before World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and as being an inseparable part of the eponymous circle formed around it. The circle, which consisted of Krastev, Pencho Slaveykov
Pencho Slaveykov
Pencho Petkov Slaveykov was a noted Bulgarian poet and one of the participants in the Misal circle. He was the youngest son of the writer Petko Slaveykov....
, Peyo Yavorov and Petko Todorov, aimed to introduce modernism
Modernist literature
Modernist literature is sub-genre of Modernism, a predominantly European movement beginning in the early 20th century that was characterized by a self-conscious break with traditional aesthetic forms...
to the Bulgarian public and to develop an aesthetic sense in the readers. Its goal was also to introduce European influences in Bulgarian literature while retaining its unique characteristics. Misal was issued between 1892 and 1907.
As a critic, Krastev contributed to a large number of Bulgarian magazines and newspapers, and had extensive studies on modern Bulgarian literature published in prominent foreign publications such as the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
-based Sovremennik
Sovremennik
Sovremennik was a Russian literary, social and political magazine, published in St. Petersburg in 1836-1866. It came out four times a year in 1836-1843 and once a month after that...
and Vestnik Evropy
Vestnik Evropy
Vestnik Evropy was the major liberal magazine of late-nineteenth-century Russia; it lasted from 1866 to 1918....
and the Internationale Wochenschrift from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He was often critical towards the "old" representatives of Bulgarian literature, such as Vazov, Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov
Zahari Stoyanov , born Dzhendo Stoyanov Dzhedev , was a Bulgarian revolutionary, writer, and historian. A participant in the April Uprising of 1876, he became its first historiographer with his book Memoirs of the Bulgarian Uprisings...
, Elin Pelin
Elin Pelin
Elin Pelin , born Dimitar Ivanov Stoyanov is arguably considered Bulgaria’s best narrator of country life.Born into a large family in the village of Baylovo near Sofia, he loved writing and reading from an early age...
, and Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Stoychev Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival....
, as he was more favourable towards the modern trends and "young" writers, the careers of some of which his reviews boosted. Krastev's philosophical views have been described as emphasizing subjective idealism
Subjective idealism
Subjective idealism, or empirical idealism, is the monistic metaphysical doctrine that only minds and mental contents exist. It entails and is generally identified or associated with immaterialism, the doctrine that physical things do not exist...
while being nevertheless eclectic
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
in nature. Krastev was a staunch opponent of Ludwig Büchner
Ludwig Büchner
Friedrich Karl Christian Ludwig Büchner was a German philosopher, physiologist and physician who became one of the exponents of 19th century scientific materialism.Büchner was born at Darmstadt, Germany, on 29 March 1824...
's materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
and his Bulgarian supporters, and his aesthetic views were influenced by Neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism
Neo-Kantianism refers broadly to a revived type of philosophy along the lines of that laid down by Immanuel Kant in the 18th century, or more specifically by Schopenhauer's criticism of the Kantian philosophy in his work The World as Will and Representation , as well as by other post-Kantian...
. Krastev's work as a translator is also notable: he published Bulgarian translations of Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
's Emilia Galotti
Emilia Galotti
Emilia Galotti is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing , which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Brunswick . The work is a classic example of German bürgerliches Trauerspiel . Other works in this category include Schiller's Kabale und Liebe and Hebbel's Maria Magdalene...
, Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
's John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman
John Gabriel Borkman is the penultimate composition of the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, written in 1896.-Plot:The Borkman family fortunes have been brought low by the imprisonment of John Gabriel who used his position as a bank manager to illegally speculate with his investors' money...
, When We Dead Awaken
When We Dead Awaken
When We Dead Awaken is the last play written by Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Published in December 1899, Ibsen wrote the play between February and November of that year. The first performance was at the Haymarket Theatre in London, a day or two before publication.-Plot summary:The first act...
, Ghosts
Ghosts (play)
Ghosts is a play by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was written in 1881 and first staged in 1882.Like many of Ibsen's better-known plays, Ghosts is a scathing commentary on 19th century morality....
and An Enemy of the People
An Enemy of the People
An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his play Ghosts, which at that time was considered scandalous...
and works by Descartes
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
.