| Angel Kanchev | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1850 Tryavna, present-day Bulgaria |
| Died | 5 March 1872 Rousse, present-day Bulgaria |
Angel Kanchev Angelov (Bulgarian: Ангел Кънчев Ангелов) (1850 – 5 March 1872) 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.[1] Kanchev continued his education at the Bolhrad school in Bessarabia and later he attended the Military school in Serbia. During the time spent in Serbia he participated in the Second Bulgarian Legion in Belgrade alongside revolutionaries like Vasil Levski and Panayot Hitov.[2] After the dismantle of the Legion Kanchev settled in Romania where he released in newspaper Dunavska zora a Proclamation in which he summons the Bulgarian people to start a revolution against the Ottoman oppressors. During 1871 and 1872 he studied in the Agriculture-industrial school in Tábor, Bohemia. After his comeback to Bulgaria Kanchev started working on a farm near Rousse, but did not give up on his revolutionary ideas. He was appointed deputy of Vasil Levski by the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee. In August 1872 Kanchev met with Levski in Lovech and was ordered to start agitating among the people of Northern Bulgaria so that they prepare for a future rebellion. For a relatively short period of time the young revolutionary managed to carry out a lot of important tasks. However, after an unsuccessful attempt to enter Romania on 5 March 1872, he committed suicide to avoid being captured by the Ottomans.[2]
A monument of Angel Kanchev now stands in Ruse, Bulgaria near the location of his death. He is further honored by being the namesake of the University of Ruse, as well as numerous schools and streets all over Bulgaria.