Hand printing house and fake Turkish stamps of Vasil Levski

The building of the Internal Revolutionary Organization (IRO) is the great historical merit of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski. With tireless and consistent actions, dedicating his life to this cause, he created the first serious revolutionary organization in the Bulgarian lands. Even though it was revealed by the Ottoman authorities after the Arabakonash robbery, Levski's work was by no means in vain - it had already irreversibly changed the course of the national revolution, given new directions and methods of struggle, stimulated the spirit of thousands of Bulgarians in the name of a great idea - free Bulgaria.

The orderly organization of all affairs and the observance of conspiratoriality are fundamental to the entire activity of the Apostle. Material proof of this are two of the displayed exhibits. The meticulous record keeping, the issuing of pamphlets and proclamations, as well as receipts to account for the funds collected for committee needs necessitated the purchase of a printing press. Since Levski was unable to get one, Angel Kanchev brought a set of printing letters to Lovech, from which Levski made a small portable printing press with his own hands. He ties the letters with twine between two boards of a school writing board and thus prints the receipts you see displayed in the shop window.

During his numerous tours around the country, Levski needed to stamp his tesquere without presenting himself to the Ottoman authorities. For this purpose, Georgi Danchov, an artist and chairman of the revolutionary committee in Chirpan, made from red wax fake Turkish stamps of the settlements of Svishtov, Oryahovo, Orhanie, Karlovo, Lovech, Plovdiv and Tarnovo.

In 1901, in the community center in the town of Lovech, all of Levski's surviving objects and papers from his work with the Central Revolutionary Committee, including the manual printing press and the fake Turkish stamps, were collected. Today, their originals are kept in the "Vasil Levski" museum in Lovech.

The shepherd's mug is made in such a way that it is practically related to everyday life. It is made in a suitable shape to be able to draw water from a spring or river, as well as to be hung for convenience during the constant movement of the shepherds.

Scroll to Top