Aprilov National High School

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Main entrance to the Aprilov National High School with the monument of Vasil Aprilov

The Aprilov National High School (Национална Априловска гимназия) in Gabrovo is the first modern secular school in Bulgaria. It was opened on 2 January 1835, when Bulgaria was still part of the Ottoman Empire, with the financial help of Vasil Aprilov, Nikola Palauzov, Vasil Rasheev and other wealthy Bulgarians and was based on the Bell-Lancaster method.

Formed as the Gabrovo School, it took the name of its primary benefactor, Vasil Aprilov, in 1889. The school still exists today, having returned to its historic building in 1992 and it is one of the most prestigeous high schools in Bulgaria.