One of the most beautiful monuments in Sliven is to Hadji Dimitar Asenov /Hadji Dimitar/, whose creation was made possible thanks to generous donations from all over Bulgaria. He was born on May 10, 1840. When he was two years old, his family went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with him. From there he returned as a pilgrim. Already a man, he decided to devote himself to the liberation of his homeland and joined the growing Chetnik movement several times.
In the spring of 1868, together with Stefan Karadzha, he formed his squad in Romania, which on July 5 crossed the Danube with a ship and fought several battles with the enemy who was many times superior to them. On July 9, the detachment was defeated and Stefan Karadzha was captured. Hadji Dimitar leads the remaining 58 people to the Balkans. In the last battle on July 18, 1868 at Mount Buzludzha, the voivode was seriously wounded. Three of his Chetniks took him to Sarnena Sredna Gora, near the present-day village of Svezhen, and entrusted him to the care of local shepherds, but on August 10, 1868, he rested from his wounds. Hristo Botev sings his feat in the poem “Hadji Dimitar”.
The house-museum in the “Klutsohor” district of Sliven recreates the environment in which the legendary voivode grew up. It is small, with a wooden porch and bears all the architectural marks of the early Renaissance. The first collection opened in it in 1935, twenty years later grows into a serious exhibition. The museum complex also includes the inn of Hadji Nikola Assenov with the adjacent farm buildings. It is there, on the second floor, that you can see the family tree of the Assenovs, a weapon, a copy of the flag of Stefan Karadzha’s squad, a restored rebel uniform, photos, household items, maps, facsimiles, diagrams and books, but the emphasis still falls on the heroic exploits of the squad of Hadji Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha.
Work time:
winter period: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
summer period: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Entrance fees:
schoolchildren, students and pensioners – BGN 4.00
adults – BGN 5.00
group visits of students /over 20 people/ – BGN 3.00/person
group visits of adults /over 20 people/ – BGN 4.00/person
Contacts:
Address: city of Sliven, “Asenova” street #2
Tel: 044/ 62 24 96, 0889968775;
