Ivan Vazov
Ivan Vazov was a prominent Bulgarian writer, recognized as the country's first significant literary figure across various genres, including the novel, poetry, and drama. He played a crucial role in Bulgarian literature, particularly during the period from 1890 to 1920, which is often referred to as "the Vazov period." Born in Sopot to a wealthy merchant family, Vazov received his early education in his hometown and Plovdiv before pursuing a writing career inspired by revolutionary themes. His initial works emerged while he was in Romania in the 1870s, where he became influenced by revolutionary figures. After the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, he returned to serve in various roles, including as a judge, while also contributing significantly to literature.
Vazov's novel "Under the Yoke," published in 1893, marked a high point in his career, showcasing his empathy for the common people and the struggles of Bulgaria. His extensive body of work earned him widespread acclaim, culminating in a national celebration of his fifty years of creative achievement in 1920. Vazov passed away in Sofia in 1921, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to shape Bulgarian cultural identity.
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Subject Terms
Ivan Vazov
Bulgarian novelist, poet, and playwright
- Born: June 27, 1850
- Birthplace: Sopot, Bulgaria
- Died: September 22, 1921
- Place of death: Sofia, Bulgaria
Biography
Ivan Minchov Vazov (VA-zof), for thirty years the outstanding writer in Bulgaria, was that country’s first great writer in the various creative genres of the novel, poetry, and drama. During his most influential years, from 1890 to 1920, his name was used to characterize these years as “the Vazov period.”
Vazov received his elementary education in his native town of Sopot and at Plovdiv. The son of a conservative, well-to-do merchant, he enjoyed a comfortable childhood. He left Bulgaria when he was nineteen, and his first creative work, poems on patriotic and revolutionary themes, were published in Bucharest in the 1870’s. During this time he made a business trip to Romania and met the revolutionary writers Lyuben Stoychev Karavelov and Khristo Botev. Inspired by them and by the prerevolutionary poet Petko Rachev Slaveykov, he decided to give up his studies and devote his work to the revolutionary cause.
After the liberation of Bulgaria from Turkish rule in 1878, he returned to his country and served as judge of the circuit court in Berkovitsa. From 1886 to 1889 he was a political exile in Odessa, having opposed Stefan Nikolov Stambolov’s Bulgarian government. When he returned to Sofia he settled down to a life of prolific writing, achieving his most notable success in 1893 with the novel Under the Yoke, a story of the beginnings of the Bulgarian revolt against the Turks.
All his novels, plays, and poems were praised for expressing sympathy for the common people. On October 2, 1920, he was honored by a national jubilee celebrating his completion of fifty years of creative work. He died of a heart attack in Sofia on September 22, 1921.
Bibliography
Manning, Clarence Augustus. The History of Modern Bulgarian Literature. New York: Bookman Associates, 1960.
Moser, Charles A. A History of Bulgarian Literature, 1865-1944. The Hague, the Netherlands: Mouton, 1972.
Protokhristova, Kleo. “Ivan Vazov.” In Modern Slavic Literature, compiled by Vasa D. Mihailovich. 2 vols. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1972-1976.
Protokhristova, Kleo, ed. South Slavic Writers Before World War II. Vol. 147 in Dictionary of Literary Biography. New York: Gale Research, 1995.