Nikola Obretenov
Encyclopedia
Nikola Tihov Obretenov was a Bulgaria
n revolutionary, one of the combatants for the liberation of Bulgaria
, and a participant in the Stara Zagora Uprising and the April Uprising
. His book "Memories About Bulgarian Uprisings" was published posthumously and is a primary source of historical information about those events.
, in the family of Tiho Obretenov — a wealthy and educated Bulgarian of that time — and Tonka Obretenova
.
In January 1863, being a student in a local school, Nikola Obretenov took part in the expulsion of the Greek
bishop Sinesiy. Next year he graduated, and in the autumn he went to his father in the village of Sakcha in Northern Dobruja
(modern Romania
). They established a Bulgarian school there, which existed until March 1866.
and other intellectuals. The club turned into one of BRCK
's safe houses.
On 7 June 1871 Hristo "the bookbinder" Ivanov invited Nikola Obretenov to take part in the revolutionary struggle as a messenger between Bulgaria and BRCK in Bucharest
. On 29 June 1871 Obretenov travelled to Bucharest to present his references to the chairman of BRCK, Lyuben Karavelov
. After being approved by Karavelov, Nikola Obretenov along with Dimitar Gorov of Giurgiu
developed an illegal channel for transferring mail, printed materials, and weapons between Bucharest–Giurgiu and Rousse.
Following Lyuben Karavelov's and Angel Kanchev
's orders, Nikola Obretenov, Toma Kardzhiev, and Radi Ivanov established the Rousse private revolutionary committee. The constituent session of the committee took place on 10 December 1871 in Nikola Obretenov's (and baba Tonka's) house. The committee later admitted Georgi Ikonomov, Gancho Karamazhdrakov, Ilarion Dragostinov, Nikola Sakilarov, Zahari Stoyanov
, Nikola Tabakov, and many others.
From 29 April to 4 May 1872 Nikola Obretenov was a delegate to the meeting in Bucharest. Twenty-five people — representatives of the private revolutionary committees of Bularia and Wallachia
— took part. They accepted the new statutes of BRCK, re-elected Karavelov as a chairman of the Bucharest committee, and authorized Vasil Levski
to form a "Temporary government" in Bulgaria, wherever he would find appropriate.
Near the end of June 1872, Nikola Obretenov transported the printed statutes, the receipts and other documents, as well as Levski's uniform, sabre, and gun through the developed illegal channel, assisted by baba Tonka, Petrana Obretenova, Todorka Mirazchieva, and Natalia Karavelova.
In 1873 Nikola Obretenov made an acquaintance with Stefan Stambolov
, who expressed his willingness to get involved in the struggle as Vasil Levski's deputy.
On 20 August and 21 August 1874 Nikola Obretenov took part in BRCK's session in Bucharest, which re-elected Karavelov as a chairman of the committee, elected Hristo Botev
as a secretary, and confirmed Stefan Stambolov as a chief apostle in Bulgaria and a deputy of Vasil Levski.
Stoyan Zaimov was given the task to set Tsarigrad "on fire", Hristo Botev had to bring Filip Totyu
along from Odessa
, and Panayot Hitov
was to negotiate with Belgrade
. Until the outburst of the Stara Zagora uprising of 16 September 1875, Nikola Obretenov actively took part in the preparation of the Chervena Voda detachment and the training of population in nearby villages. After the uprising's suppression because of Andrey Momchev's treason, more than 1,000 people were captured. On 27 September 1875 Nikola Obretenov hid in the house of Karamihaylov, an interpreter in the Russia
n consulate, who organized his escape to Romania.
In September 1875 Dimitar Gorov gave accommodation to Nikola Obretenov and Stoyan Zaimov in Giurgiu, in a place they used to call "the barracks". In October Panayot Volov joined them. So did those who returned from Tsarigrad—Georgi Benkovski
, Ivanitsa Danchov, and Hristo Karaminkov. Near the end of October, Stefan Stambolov and Ilarion Dragostinov came from Bucharest.
.
The sessions continued until 25 December 1875. A decision was made to prepare the April uprising
, which was to break out on 11 May 1876. With that end in view, the country was divided into five regions (according to Nikola Obretenov):
In the beginning of 1876 the "apostles" headed towards their designated revolutionary regions. On 24 January 1876 Nikola Obretenov and Georgi Apostolov crossed the Danube
at Oryahovo
and set off for Vratsa
. There, taking into account the situation, Zaimov and Nikola Obretenov decided that he and Georgi Apostolov should return to Romania to buy weapons, which they could bring to Vratsa with reinforcements, when the uprising burst out. Nikola Obretenov and Georgi Apostolov, assisted by the Craiova
revolutionary committee, bought weapons and ammunitions, and Hristo Botev passionately took up organizing the detachment.
On Monday, 17 May 1876 Nikola Obretenov with the detachment led by Hristo Botev came ashore from the Radetzky
steamship on the bank of Kozloduy
, where the rebels, kissing their native soil, took their oaths under the flag, crafted by his sister Petrana Obretenova.
Nikola Obretenov fought in all of the detachment's battles. He was with Hristo Botev at the moment of his death on 20 May 1876. On 3 June 1927, as a member of a special commission, Nikola Obretenov ascertained the exact place of Hristo Botev's death, about which a written report was composed.
After a month of fighting, roaming, and starvation through the grim mountains, on 17 June Nikola Obretenov and his companions Sava Penev, Dimitar Todorov, and Stoyan Lovchaliyata were betrayed by the brothers Pencho and Petar, and a Turkish posse captured them in the "Balyuviya han" inn near Shipkovo, Troyan
.
's order, the sentence was replaced with an exile for life in Asia Minor
.
On 2 July 1876 in the St Jeanne d'Arc stronghold, Nikola Obretenov met his brother Angel, who had been in exile for eight years, for being a member of the detachment of Hadzhi Dimitar
and Stefan Karadzha
. Nikola Obretenov returned to his liberated fatherland in 1878, released by implication of the capitulations of the San Stefano treaty
.
Nikola Obretenov was eager to participate in the construction of modern Bulgaria. He was a member of the Liberal Party, and later of the People's Liberal Party, continuing his cooperation with Stefan Stambolov. He served as a governor of Tutrakan
, in Silistra Province
. He actively took part in the suppression of the Russophile riots in both Tutrakan and Rousse.
In May 1907 Nikola Obretenov was elected to parliament, and as a mayor of Rousse.
He died at the age of 90, on 11 October 1939, a couple of days before the official celebration of his anniversary.
Nikola Obretenov is the author of many articles in the press and the author of the book "Memories about Bulgarian uprisings", published after his death, under the editorship of academician Mihail Arnaudov.
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...
n revolutionary, one of the combatants for the liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
, and a participant in the Stara Zagora Uprising and the April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
. His book "Memories About Bulgarian Uprisings" was published posthumously and is a primary source of historical information about those events.
Early life
Nikola Obretenov was born on 28 May 1849 in Ruse, the administrative centre of Danube Province, Ottoman EmpireDanube 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 ....
, in the family of Tiho Obretenov — a wealthy and educated Bulgarian of that time — and Tonka Obretenova
Tonka Obretenova
Tonka Obretenova , known as baba Tonka , was a female Bulgarian revolutionary, born in 1812, probably in Rousse.Her parents, Toncho Postavchiyata and Minka Toncheva , were from the village of Cherven. She married Tiho Obretenov — a famous tailor and tradesman in Rousse...
.
In January 1863, being a student in a local school, Nikola Obretenov took part in the expulsion of the Greek
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
bishop Sinesiy. Next year he graduated, and in the autumn he went to his father in the village of Sakcha in Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja
Northern Dobruja is the part of Dobruja within the borders of Romania. It lies between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, bordered in south by Bulgarian Southern Dobruja.-Geography:...
(modern Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
). They established a Bulgarian school there, which existed until March 1866.
Involvement in revolutionary organizations
From November 1867 on, Nikola Obretenov was a librarian and a member of the board of trustees of the Zora cultural club, established in 1866 by Dragan TsankovDragan Tsankov
Dragan Kiriakov Tsankov was a Bulgarian politician and the first Liberal Party Prime Minister of the country....
and other intellectuals. The club turned into one of BRCK
Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee
The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee or BRCK was a Bulgarian revolutionary organisation founded in 1869 among the Bulgarian emigrant circles in Romania. The decisive influence for the establishment of the committee was exerted by the Svoboda newspaper which Lyuben Karavelov began to...
's safe houses.
On 7 June 1871 Hristo "the bookbinder" Ivanov invited Nikola Obretenov to take part in the revolutionary struggle as a messenger between Bulgaria and BRCK in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. On 29 June 1871 Obretenov travelled to Bucharest to present his references to the chairman of BRCK, Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Karavelov
Lyuben Stoychev Karavelov was a Bulgarian writer and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival....
. After being approved by Karavelov, Nikola Obretenov along with Dimitar Gorov of Giurgiu
Giurgiu
Giurgiu is the capital city of Giurgiu County, Romania, in the Greater Wallachia. It is situated amid mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube facing the Bulgarian city of Rousse on the opposite bank. Three small islands face the city, and a larger one shelters its port, Smarda...
developed an illegal channel for transferring mail, printed materials, and weapons between Bucharest–Giurgiu and Rousse.
Following Lyuben Karavelov's and Angel Kanchev
Angel Kanchev
Angel Kanchev Angelov was a Bulgarian revolutionary from Tryavna.Kanchev was born in 1852 in the family of a master-builder. At first he studied in his hometown Tryavna and then in Ruse under the guidance of people like Pencho Slaveykov and Dragan Tsankov...
's orders, Nikola Obretenov, Toma Kardzhiev, and Radi Ivanov established the Rousse private revolutionary committee. The constituent session of the committee took place on 10 December 1871 in Nikola Obretenov's (and baba Tonka's) house. The committee later admitted Georgi Ikonomov, Gancho Karamazhdrakov, Ilarion Dragostinov, Nikola Sakilarov, 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...
, Nikola Tabakov, and many others.
From 29 April to 4 May 1872 Nikola Obretenov was a delegate to the meeting in Bucharest. Twenty-five people — representatives of the private revolutionary committees of Bularia and Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
— took part. They accepted the new statutes of BRCK, re-elected Karavelov as a chairman of the Bucharest committee, and authorized Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski, born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, , is a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the Apostle of Freedom, Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule...
to form a "Temporary government" in Bulgaria, wherever he would find appropriate.
Near the end of June 1872, Nikola Obretenov transported the printed statutes, the receipts and other documents, as well as Levski's uniform, sabre, and gun through the developed illegal channel, assisted by baba Tonka, Petrana Obretenova, Todorka Mirazchieva, and Natalia Karavelova.
In 1873 Nikola Obretenov made an acquaintance with Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Stambolov
Stefan Nikolov Stambolov was a Bulgarian politician, who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is considered one of the most important and popular "Founders of Modern Bulgaria", and is sometimes referred to as "the Bulgarian Bismarck".- Early years :Stambolov was born in Veliko Tarnovo...
, who expressed his willingness to get involved in the struggle as Vasil Levski's deputy.
On 20 August and 21 August 1874 Nikola Obretenov took part in BRCK's session in Bucharest, which re-elected Karavelov as a chairman of the committee, elected Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev
Hristo Botev , born Hristo Botyov Petkov , was a Bulgarian poet and national revolutionary. Botev is widely considered by Bulgarians to be a symbolic historical figure and national hero.-Early years:...
as a secretary, and confirmed Stefan Stambolov as a chief apostle in Bulgaria and a deputy of Vasil Levski.
Stara Zagora uprising
In August 1875, Nikola Obretenov participated in BRCK's sessions, presided by Hristo Botev. A decision was made for Bulgaria to revolt in mid-September 1875. The country would be divided into the following regions:- Rousse-ShumenShumenShumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
region, including VarnaVarnaVarna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
and RazgradRazgradRazgrad is a city in northeastern Bulgaria, administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Razgrad Province. As of February 2011, it has a population of 33,238 inhabitants.-History:...
with Nikola Obretenov as an apostle - Stara ZagoraStara ZagoraStara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
region with Stefan Stambolov as an apostle - Tarnovo region with Mihail Sarafov as an apostle
- SlivenSlivenSliven is the eighth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and industrial centre of Sliven Province and municipality. It is a relatively large town with 89,848 inhabitants, as of February 2011....
region with Tanyu Stoyanov as an apostle - LovechLovechLovech is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of 36,296 as of February 2011. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The town is located about 150 km northeast from the capital city of Sofia...
-TroyanTroyanTroyan is a town in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria with population of 21,997 inhabitants, as of December 2009,. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about 160 km away from the country capital Sofia. The nearest civilian airport is Gorna...
with Stoyan Dragnev as an apostle
Stoyan Zaimov was given the task to set Tsarigrad "on fire", Hristo Botev had to bring Filip Totyu
Filip Totyu
Todor Todorov Topalov , better known under the pseudonym Filip Totyu , was a Bulgarian revolutionary of the Bulgarian National Revival period and the voivode of an armed band of volunteers....
along from Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, and Panayot Hitov
Panayot Hitov
Panayot Ivanov Hitov was a Bulgarian hajduk, national revolutionary and band leader .Born in 1830 in Sliven, he became a hajduk in Georgi Trankin's band in 1858. Two years later, after the death of Trankin, Hitov succeeded him as voivode of the band, which became one of the most active in...
was to negotiate with Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. Until the outburst of the Stara Zagora uprising of 16 September 1875, Nikola Obretenov actively took part in the preparation of the Chervena Voda detachment and the training of population in nearby villages. After the uprising's suppression because of Andrey Momchev's treason, more than 1,000 people were captured. On 27 September 1875 Nikola Obretenov hid in the house of Karamihaylov, an interpreter in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n consulate, who organized his escape to Romania.
In September 1875 Dimitar Gorov gave accommodation to Nikola Obretenov and Stoyan Zaimov in Giurgiu, in a place they used to call "the barracks". In October Panayot Volov joined them. So did those who returned from Tsarigrad—Georgi Benkovski
Georgi Benkovski
Georgi Benkovski 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.Born around 1843 to the family of the small-time merchant...
, Ivanitsa Danchov, and Hristo Karaminkov. Near the end of October, Stefan Stambolov and Ilarion Dragostinov came from Bucharest.
April uprising
In mid-November 1875, the Giurgiu revolutionary committee was established and started functioning, presided by Stefan Stambolov. Stoyan Zaimov was appointed as a secretary, and the members were Panayot Volov, Nikola Obretenov, Ilarion Dragostinov, Hristo Karaminkov, Georgi Apostolov, Georgi Ikonomov, Georgi Obretenov, and Georgi IzmirlievGeorgi Izmirliev
Georgi Dimitrov Izmirliev , nicknamed Makedoncheto , was a Bulgarian revolutionary and public figure. A participant in the anti-Ottoman April Uprising of 1876, he was an assistant to Stefan Stambolov and a military commander of the Tarnovo revolutionary district.Izmirliev was born in the city of...
.
The sessions continued until 25 December 1875. A decision was made to prepare the April uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
, which was to break out on 11 May 1876. With that end in view, the country was divided into five regions (according to Nikola Obretenov):
- Tarnovo region with apostles Stefan Stambolov, Georgi Izmirliev, Hristo Karaminkov, Hristo "the big" Ivanov
- Sliven region with apostles Ilarion Dragostinov, Georgi Ikonomov, Georgi Obretenov, and Stoil voivoda
- Plovdiv region with apostles Panayot Volov, Georgi Benkovski, Zahari Stoyanov, Todor KableshkovTodor KableshkovTodor Kableshkov was a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the leaders of the April Uprising....
- Sofia region with apostles Nikola Obretenov and Nikola Slavkov
- Vratsa region with apostles Stoyan Zaimov and Georgi Apostolov
In the beginning of 1876 the "apostles" headed towards their designated revolutionary regions. On 24 January 1876 Nikola Obretenov and Georgi Apostolov crossed the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
at Oryahovo
Oryahovo
Oryahovo is a port city in northwestern Bulgaria, part of Vratsa Province. It is located in a hilly country on the right bank of the Danube, just east of the mouth of the river Ogosta, a few more kilometres downstream from where the Jiu flows into the Danube on Romanian territory. The town is...
and set off for Vratsa
Vratsa
Vratsa is a city in northwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Vratsa Province. As of February 2011, the town has a population of 60,482 inhabitants....
. There, taking into account the situation, Zaimov and Nikola Obretenov decided that he and Georgi Apostolov should return to Romania to buy weapons, which they could bring to Vratsa with reinforcements, when the uprising burst out. Nikola Obretenov and Georgi Apostolov, assisted by the Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
revolutionary committee, bought weapons and ammunitions, and Hristo Botev passionately took up organizing the detachment.
On Monday, 17 May 1876 Nikola Obretenov with the detachment led by Hristo Botev came ashore from the Radetzky
Radetzky (steamship)
The Radetzky was an Austro-Hungarian passenger steamship built in 1851 in the shipyard in Óbuda, Hungary, and used for regular services on the Danube, mainly between Orşova, Austria-Hungary and Galaţi, Romania...
steamship on the bank of Kozloduy
Kozloduy
Kozloduy is a town of 13,871 inhabitants in northwest Bulgaria, located in Vratsa Province, on the river Danube. The city was liberated from Ottoman rule on 23 November 1877 by the Romanian Army under the command of the Imperial Russian Army...
, where the rebels, kissing their native soil, took their oaths under the flag, crafted by his sister Petrana Obretenova.
Nikola Obretenov fought in all of the detachment's battles. He was with Hristo Botev at the moment of his death on 20 May 1876. On 3 June 1927, as a member of a special commission, Nikola Obretenov ascertained the exact place of Hristo Botev's death, about which a written report was composed.
After a month of fighting, roaming, and starvation through the grim mountains, on 17 June Nikola Obretenov and his companions Sava Penev, Dimitar Todorov, and Stoyan Lovchaliyata were betrayed by the brothers Pencho and Petar, and a Turkish posse captured them in the "Balyuviya han" inn near Shipkovo, Troyan
Troyan
Troyan is a town in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria with population of 21,997 inhabitants, as of December 2009,. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about 160 km away from the country capital Sofia. The nearest civilian airport is Gorna...
.
Exile and post-liberation activities
The court in Tarnovo sentenced the rebels to death. The sentence was not signed, and the convicts were sent to Rousse in order for an emergency court to judge them. The court sentenced them again to death by hanging. Nikola Obretenov and Stoyan Zaimov were driven about in the city with their sentences hung on their necks. By the sultanSultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
's order, the sentence was replaced with an exile for life in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
On 2 July 1876 in the St Jeanne d'Arc stronghold, Nikola Obretenov met his brother Angel, who had been in exile for eight years, for being a member of the detachment of Hadzhi Dimitar
Hadzhi Dimitar
Dimitar Nikolov Asenov , better known as Hadzhi Dimitar , was one of the most prominent Bulgarian voivods and revolutionaries working for the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.-Early life:...
and Stefan Karadzha
Stefan Karadzha
Stefan Karadzha , was a Bulgarian national hero, a revolutionary from the national liberation movement and a prominent leader of rebellion against the Ottoman Empire....
. Nikola Obretenov returned to his liberated fatherland in 1878, released by implication of the capitulations of the San Stefano treaty
Treaty of San Stefano
The Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78...
.
Nikola Obretenov was eager to participate in the construction of modern Bulgaria. He was a member of the Liberal Party, and later of the People's Liberal Party, continuing his cooperation with Stefan Stambolov. He served as a governor of Tutrakan
Tutrakan
Tutrakan is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, an administrative centre of the homonymous municipality, part of Silistra Province. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube opposite the Romanian town of Olteniţa , in the very west of Southern Dobruja, 58 km east of Rousse and 62 km...
, in Silistra Province
Silistra Province
Silistra Province is a province of Bulgaria, named after its main city - Silistra. It is divided into 7 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 127,659 inhabitants....
. He actively took part in the suppression of the Russophile riots in both Tutrakan and Rousse.
In May 1907 Nikola Obretenov was elected to parliament, and as a mayor of Rousse.
He died at the age of 90, on 11 October 1939, a couple of days before the official celebration of his anniversary.
Nikola Obretenov is the author of many articles in the press and the author of the book "Memories about Bulgarian uprisings", published after his death, under the editorship of academician Mihail Arnaudov.