Hristo Botev Petkov (1848 – 1876) was an exceptional Bulgarian poet, publicist, revolutionary, and a national hero of Bulgaria.

Born on January 6, 1848 (December 25, 1847 O.S.) in the village of Kalofera, which, like the rest of Bulgaria at that time, was part of the Ottoman Empire, he hailed from a humble family. His father, Botev Petkov (Botyo Petkov), was a teacher, translator, and educator. Hristo was born on the feast of the Nativity of Christ and was given the name Hristo. In the 19th century, Bulgarian surnames were derived from the father’s name, and according to linguistic norms of the time, the surname “Hristo” sounded like “Botev” and was written as “Botjov” (variant – “Botjov”). The writer signed his works as “Botjov,” but according to modern rules, the surname is written and pronounced as “Botev.”

Despite his short 29-year life, Botev left behind a limited literary legacy, notable for embodying the revolutionary idea in artistic form. His poems, as well as his life, exemplified the harmonious fusion of talent for revolutionary work with artistic creation. The small number (about 20) of Botev’s surviving poems had a significant impact on the development of Bulgarian literature, gaining popularity among the Bulgarian peasantry and expressing their revolutionary sentiments.

Throughout his brief life, he passionately fought for Bulgaria’s liberation from the Turkish yoke. He visited Kishinev several times, as evidenced by a memorial plaque at the intersection of Pushkin and Metropolitan Varlaam streets, on the building of the former Victoria Hotel.

The monument to the great poet was erected in Kishinev in 1977, on the 100th anniversary of Bulgaria’s liberation from the Turkish yoke. The architect was G. Solominov. Rehabilitation of the monument took place in 2023, and on October 31 of the same year, it was reopened. The monument bears the poet’s words: “Тоз, който падне в бои за свобода, той не умира” (“He who falls fighting for freedom does not die”).