The city history museum is located in the old part of Bratsigovo and is the center of the established museum complex, which also includes the birthplace of V. Petleshkov, the exposition of the Bratsigovo construction school during the Renaissance and the Ethnographic exposition.
In the Pope’s house, built in 1847 by the brothers Zafir and Mihail Popovi, the visitor can learn in detail about the architecture and construction school during the Renaissance, dedicated to the famous carpenters from Bratsig.
Curious photos of their life, tools and the original condicion are shown, that is, the law of the construction guild, as well as the master’s dictionary, consisting of about 700 words – a secret language with which they called tools and elements in order to preserve the secrets of the craft. According to legends, Kolyo Ficheto came here as a journeyman and even became the son-in-law of one of the masters. And when he took up the bridge over the Osam River in Lovech, he asked for and received help from the local guild.
Another valuable architectural monument of Bratsigovo is the Ladies’ House, built in 1835 – a complex of residential and agricultural buildings. The preserved rose garden attracts attention in it. The local climate is mild, bitter cold and extreme heat are rare phenomena, residents of Bratsi enjoy a beautiful spring and a warm autumn. All this provided wonderful conditions for the cultivation of the oil-bearing rose – a livelihood that is being revived again today. The economic prosperity in the last decades of the Ottoman rule helped the spiritual elevation of its inhabitants. Vasil Petleshkov made a particularly big contribution to this, in whose home the “Trundafil” community center began its activity.
The historical museum of the city was created in 1926 by a group of teachers who opened a modest gathering in the old community center. Today, the most numerous exhibits related to the revolutionary struggles of its inhabitants are exhibited in it. Special attention is paid to the April epic from 1876. Here are the flag sewn by Ana Gizdova, the original cherry ball, Bible, knife and revolver, on which the insurgents swore, as well as many items that belonged to the Bratsigov hero Vasil Petleshkov. Today, his house, built in 1872 by master Ivan Boyanov, houses the city’s art gallery. Vasil Petleshkov uses the first floor for a pharmacy, and gives the upper floor to the founded community center.
On the eve of the uprising, from April 14 to 16, the apostles from the IV revolutionary district convened the historic assembly in the Oborishte area. Also present was Vasil Petleshkov, elected as the chairman of the commission, which should develop the military plan in the district and the vocation to the people. Petleshkov announces the uprising on “Sinjirli Bunar” – a square surrounded by Renaissance houses. Under the banner made by Anna Gizdova and lit by Pope Sokol, 1,333 rebels from seven villages gather. They have six cherry cannons, 463 rifles and 817 pistols. For seventeen days they are intoxicated with freedom and rejoice in their victories over the bashibozuka, who fails to break their resistance.
Bratsigovo had few victims compared to the other towns that rebelled, and the credit for that largely goes to Vasil Petleshkov, whose end was tragic. Betrayed by his stepfather, he swallowed the poison prepared in advance so as not to fall alive into the hands of the Turks, but it did not work immediately. They took him to the shepherd, already dizzy and blackened, and placed him between two fires. Which did not prevent him with incredible courage from uttering the words that remained forever in our history: “I am alone, there are no others. I led, I commanded, do not look for others.”
Work time:
From Monday to Sunday: 08.00 – 17.00
Entrance fees:
Regular: BGN 4.00
Reduced: BGN 2.00
Talk: BGN 10.00
Contacts:
Address: Bratsigovo, “Kostur” square #1
Tel: +359 3552 21 78
