The Aprilov National High School (Национална Априловска гимназия) in
Gabrovo
Gabrovo ( bg, Габрово ) is a town in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province.
It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an internationa ...
is the first modern secular school in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
. It was opened on 2 January 1835, when Bulgaria was still part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, with the financial help of
Vasil Aprilov
Vasil Evstatiev Aprilov ( bg, Васил Евстатиев Априлов) (21 July 1789 – 2 October 1847) was a Bulgarian educator. He studied in Moscow, graduated from a high school in Braşov and then pursued a medical degree in Vienna. A ...
,
Nikolay Palauzov, Vasil Rasheev and other wealthy
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
and was based on the
Bell-Lancaster method The Monitorial System, also known as Madras System or Lancasterian System, was an education method that took hold during the early 19th century, because of Spanish, French, and English colonial education that was imposed into the areas of expansion. ...
.
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 prestigious high schools in Bulgaria.
History
Establishment and development
The April High School was established during the
Bulgarian Renaissance
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
as the first Bulgarian high school. Its origins and development are inextricably linked with the ideas, activities and generosity of the ideologue of modern Bulgarian education
Vasil Aprilov
Vasil Evstatiev Aprilov ( bg, Васил Евстатиев Априлов) (21 July 1789 – 2 October 1847) was a Bulgarian educator. He studied in Moscow, graduated from a high school in Braşov and then pursued a medical degree in Vienna. A ...
. The high school grew on the basis of the Gabrovo Mutual School, opened on the initiative of Aprilov and the
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
circle of Bulgarians in 1835. The school is the first modern Bulgarian
secular school
Secular education is a system of public education in countries with a secular
Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin ''saeculum'', "worldly" or "of a generation"), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religio ...
and gave impetus to the opening of similar schools in other cities in the Bulgarian lands. Its graduates are some of the most prominent Revival educators such as
Neofit Rilski
Neofit Rilski ( bg, Неофит Рилски) or Neophyte of Rila (Bansko, 1793 – January 4, 1881), born Nikola Poppetrov Benin ( bg, Никола Поппетров Бенин) was a 19th-century Bulgarian monk, teacher and artist, and an impor ...
, Joseph Kovachev, Kalist Lukov, Tsvetan Semerdzhiev, etc. The school was public and free for children from all over the country. With the help and donation of Vasil Aprilov and his closest associate and supporter
Nikolay Palauzov, on April 24, 1840, the first public school library was established. In 1857, another prominent Revival activist, a graduate of the school and an Aprilov scholarship holder,
Todor Burmov Todor (Bulgarian, and sr, Тодор/Todor) is a Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian given name, a local rendering of the name Theodore. The Hungarian form of the name is rendered similarly as ''Tódor''. It is the most common name in Bulgarian vi ...
, reformed the curricula and the school moved into the next educational level - a class school. Only 10 years later, in 1867, the teacher Yosif Kovachev introduced the teaching of the "sound method" for the first time.
Meanwhile, the construction of a special school building was in progress. During his visit to Gabrovo in the summer of 1847, Vasil Aprilov opened a subscription list to raise funds for the construction. The building was built in several stages: in 1847–1851, the masonry on the first floor was made by an unknown master; in 1872–1873, the building was completed by Usta Gencho Kanev from
Tryavna
Tryavna ( bg, Трявна ) is a town in central Bulgaria, situated in the northern slopes of the Balkan range, on the Tryavna river valley, near Gabrovo. It is famous for its textile industry and typical National Revival architecture, featuring ...
. It was built in a way that was similar to the building of the
Richelieu Lyceum
The Richelieu Lyceum (russian: Ришельевский лицей) in Odesa, the Russian Empire, was created on the initiative of the mayor of the city and the governor of New Russia, the Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. ...
in
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
. It was located, according to the then framework of the city, on its outskirts, in one of the "most wholesome" and "most hygienic” places. The building was finally completed after the
Liberation of Bulgaria
The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishmen ...
in 1880–1881, when its middle part was finished and a number of structural improvements were made. However, on August 26, 1873 the high school moved to a new place and thus became the first school to have its own, specially built building. The class of 1873 was the first complete class to graduate from the school.
The inherited tradition, the good teachers and the material base enabled the school to keep its position as one of the most elite in the country even after the Liberation. On August 12, 1878, the high school was declared
state-owned
State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownersh ...
. A little later, on July 20, 1889, on the occasion of the solemn celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vasil Aprilov, it adopted the name "State Men's Aprilov High School". The school's staff consisted of prominent pedagogues, specialists and public figures such as
Trayko Kitanchev
Trayko Tsvetkov Kitanchev ( bg, Трайко Цветков Китанчев; 1 September 1858 – 13 August 1895) was a Bulgarian teacher, social figure, poet and revolutionary. In 1895, he was the first chairman of the Supreme Macedonian ...
,
Tsvetan Radoslavov
Tsvetan Radoslavov Hadzhidenkov ( bg, Цветан Радославов Хаджиденков; 1863 – 1931) was a Bulgarian teacher and the author of the current national anthem of Bulgaria, ''Mila Rodino''.
Born in Svishtov in 1863, he gradua ...
, Evtim Dabev, Ivan Urumov, Stanimir Stanimirov, Sava Sirmanov and others. At the school they expand their pedagogical experience and had the opportunity to implement new educational ideas. Some of them were authors and translators of text- and handbooks. The high school drew students from all over Bulgaria. According to data for the first four school years after the Liberation, it was the largest
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
in the country. More than 183 of the students came from lands outside of Bulgaria's borders, from
Macedonia and
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
to
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Among its graduates are some of the leading Bulgarian intellectuals and public figures such as
Aleko Konstantinov
Aleko Konstantinov ( bg, Алеко Константинов) (1 January 1863 – 11 May 1897) ( NS: 13 January 1863 – 23 May 1897) was a Bulgarian writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian ...
,
Nikola Mihov
Nikola Mihaylov Mihov ( bg, Никола Михайлов Михов, 11 December 1891 – 1 February 1945) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian lieutenant general of artillery who served as one of the three List of Bulgarian regents#Regents for Tsar Simeo ...
,
Stoyan Romanski Stoyan (Bulgarian): Стоян is a Bulgarian name derived from the verb ''Stoya'' (Стоя, to stand). The variant Stoian also appears in Romanian, and in northern Greece as Stogiannis (Greek: Στογιάννης).
Given name
*Stoyan Stoyanov ( ...
,
Anastas Ishirkov
Academic professor Anastas Todorov Ishirkov ( bg, Анастас Тодоров Иширков; 5 April 1868 – 6 April 1937) was Bulgarian scientist, geographer and ethnographer. He was the founder of geographical science in Bulgaria and was a ...
,
Petko Staynov
Petko Staynov (Bulgarian: Петко Стайнов; December 1, 1896 in Kazanlak – June 25, 1977) was a Bulgarian composer and pianist. He enriched the Bulgarian musical culture and contributed considerably to its development. A composer of gr ...
and others. As early as September, 1916, the high school became mixed.
In the years after September 9, 1944, the school retained its leading place in the Bulgarian educational system. It changed its educational profile several times.
After 1987
In 1988, the school acquired a new status, becoming a high school with a humanitarian profile, which studies subjects such as
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
,
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
,
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and
arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...
. Initially, the program contained elements of classical education such as the study of
Old Bulgarian
Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic literary language.
Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with standardizing the language and using it in translating the Bible and other ...
and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, the history of culture and the history of philosophy. A few years later, the study of ancient languages dropped out of the program with the aim that the foreign language profile is strengthened.
In 1992, after its transformation into a state school, it received its current name, the National Aprilov High School. At that time the Aprilov High School was housed in the building of the Mathematical High School. In 1996, a decision was made by the Gabrovo Municipal Council to return the school to its historic building in the city center, which for the previous few decades housed the National Museum of Education, founded in 1973. On February 9, 1998, the President
Petar Stoyanov
Petar Stefanov Stojanov ( bg, Петър Стефанов Стоянов ; born 25 May 1952) is a Bulgarian politician who was President of Bulgaria from 1997 to 2002. He was elected as a candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). He di ...
together with the mayor Nikolay Dachev inaugurated the renovated historical building of the Aprilov High School. This happened after a 25-year interruption of school activities in this building. From 1992 to 1996 the two institutions were administratively merged under the name National Aprilov High School with a museum of education. This merger has been terminated. The museum is still housed in the west wing of the same building.
On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of its founding in 2010, the school received the badge of honor of the President
Georgi Parvanov
Georgi Sedefchov Parvanov ( bg, Георги Седефчов Първанов, ) (born 28 June 1957) is a Bulgarian historian and politician who was President of Bulgaria from 2002 to 2012. He was elected after defeating incumbent Petar Sto ...
"for the continuation of the national educational tradition and for remarkable achievements in modern education".
Education
The school is ranked among the most elite secondary schools in the Bulgaria. Currently, it enrolls students in 3 language and 2 humanitarian classes. The main foreign languages studied are
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
, and in addition to them,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
are taught as second languages. The humanitarian profiles are
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian (, ; bg, label=none, български, bălgarski, ) is an Eastern South Slavic language spoken in Southeastern Europe, primarily in Bulgaria. It is the language of the Bulgarians.
Along with the closely related Macedonian la ...
and
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
and
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
. Many specialized and extracurricular forms of education are also offered.
Over the years, graduates of the school have been winners of prestigious national and international student competitions. According to data, 95% of the school's graduates continue their education in universities.
Traditions
April Days of Culture
Since the early 1990s, the school has been the organizer of the April Days of Culture, which are held annually in the second half of May. The event includes student seminars, theater performances, concerts and literary readings. Traditionally, the days of culture end with the graduation of 12th grade students.
Aprilovtsi return
The initiative "Aprilovtsi return" is a continuation of the idea that arose on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the Aprilov High School, to organize an annual Alumni Ball, which will meet the past and present of the high school through informal, festive, creative and working meetings of graduates from different grades of the school. Successful and accomplished students of the Aprilov High School return to tell about their path, the meaning of what they have achieved and the effort they have put into their careers.
Notable people
Founder
*
Vasil Aprilov
Vasil Evstatiev Aprilov ( bg, Васил Евстатиев Априлов) (21 July 1789 – 2 October 1847) was a Bulgarian educator. He studied in Moscow, graduated from a high school in Braşov and then pursued a medical degree in Vienna. A ...
- economic and educational figure, donor, writer
Teachers
*
Neofit Rilski
Neofit Rilski ( bg, Неофит Рилски) or Neophyte of Rila (Bansko, 1793 – January 4, 1881), born Nikola Poppetrov Benin ( bg, Никола Поппетров Бенин) was a 19th-century Bulgarian monk, teacher and artist, and an impor ...
- monk, teacher, artist, and an important figure of the
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...
*
Grigor Parlichev
Grigor Stavrev Parlichev (also spelled Prlichev, Parlitcheff or Prličev; bg, Григор Ставрев Пърличев; gr, Γρηγόριος Σταυρίδης, translit=Grigorios Stavrides, mk, Григор Прличев) was a Bulgar ...
- writer and translator
*
Spiro Gulabchev - politician, publicist and publisher, and one of the first ideologues of
anarchism
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...
in Bulgaria
*
Vasil Karagiosov - manufacturer, politician (
MP), honorary
vice-consul
A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in Gabrovo, teacher, prominent public figure and donor
Alumni
*
Anastas Ishirkov
Academic professor Anastas Todorov Ishirkov ( bg, Анастас Тодоров Иширков; 5 April 1868 – 6 April 1937) was Bulgarian scientist, geographer and ethnographer. He was the founder of geographical science in Bulgaria and was a ...
- scientist, geographer and ethnographer, professor at
Sofia University
Sofia University, "St. Kliment Ohridski" at the University of Sofia, ( bg, Софийски университет „Св. Климент Охридски“, ''Sofijski universitet „Sv. Kliment Ohridski“'') is the oldest higher education i ...
and academician at the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (abbreviated BAS; bg, Българска академия на науките, ''Balgarska akademiya na naukite'', abbreviated ''БАН'') is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869.
The Academy ...
*
Ran Bosilek
Ran Bosilek ( bg, Ран Босилек) (26 September 1886 in Gabrovo – 8 October 1958 in Sofia), born Gencho Stanchev Negentsov ( bg, Генчо Станчев Негенцов), was a Bulgarian author of children's books. Three years befo ...
- writer, poet and translator
*
Atanas Burov - financier, philanthropist, diplomat and politician from the
People's Party, and later the moderate wing of the
Democratic Alliance, Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor (1913, 1919–1920) and of Foreign Affairs and Religions (1926–1931)
*
Radko Dimitriev
Radko Dimitriev ( bg, Радко Димитриев) (24 September 1859 in Gradets, Sliven Province, Gradets – 18 October 1918 near Pyatigorsk) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian general, Chief of the Defence (Bulgaria), Head of the General Staff ...
- officer, lieutenant general, participant in the Serbo-Bulgarian War, the Balkan War and the Inter-Allied War; Russian officer, infantry general, participated in the
Russo-Turkish War
The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histor ...
and the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
*
Tsanko Dyustabanov
Tsanko Hristov Dyustabanov ( bg, Цанко Христов Дюстабанов) (May 13, 1844 – June 15, 1876) was a Bulgarian revolutionary and participant in the April uprising of 1876.
Dyustabanov was born in Gabrovo in today's Bulgaria, w ...
- national revolutionary and participant in the
April Uprising of 1876
The April Uprising ( bg, Априлско въстание, Aprilsko vastanie) was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876. The regular Ottoman Army and irregular bashi-bazouk units brutally su ...
*
Nikola Ivanov
Nikola Ivanov ( bg, Никола Иванов) (2 March 1861, Kalofer – 10 September 1940, Sofia) was a Bulgarian general and a minister of defence of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
One of the first graduate of the General Staff Military Academy ...
- officer (infantry general), chief of staff of the army in 1894–1896 and Minister of war (1896–1899), commander of the Second Bulgarian Army during the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913
*
Koljo Karagiosov - economist, shareholder and CEO, honorary consul of Germany in Gabrovo, prominent public figure
*
Vasil Radoslavov
Vasil Hristov Radoslavov ( bg, Васил Христов Радославов) (27 July 1854 – 21 October 1929) was a leading Bulgarian liberalism, liberal politician who twice served as List of Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Prime Minister ...
- politician, MP, leader of the Liberal Party (1887–1918), three-times
Prime Minister of Bulgaria
The prime minister of Bulgaria ( bg, Министър-председател, Ministar-predsedatel) is the head of government of Bulgaria. They are the leader of a political coalition in the Bulgarian parliament – known as the National Assemb ...
*
Tsvetan Radoslavov
Tsvetan Radoslavov Hadzhidenkov ( bg, Цветан Радославов Хаджиденков; 1863 – 1931) was a Bulgarian teacher and the author of the current national anthem of Bulgaria, ''Mila Rodino''.
Born in Svishtov in 1863, he gradua ...
- psychologist and author of the current national anthem of Bulgaria "Mila Rodino"
*
Stoyan Romanski Stoyan (Bulgarian): Стоян is a Bulgarian name derived from the verb ''Stoya'' (Стоя, to stand). The variant Stoian also appears in Romanian, and in northern Greece as Stogiannis (Greek: Στογιάννης).
Given name
*Stoyan Stoyanov ( ...
- Slavic linguist and ethnographer, corresponding member, academician and secretary of BAN
*
Mihail Savov
Mihail Georgiev Savov ( bg, Михаил Савов) (14 November 1857 in Stara Zagora - 21 July 1928 in Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, France) was a Bulgarian general, twice Minister of Defence (1891–1894 and 1903–1907), second in command of the Bul ...
- officer (lieutenant general), two-times military minister (1891–1894 and 1903–1907), assistant commander in chief during the Balkan Wars
*
Stanislav Stanilov - archaeologist, historian and politician
*
Racho Stoyanov - writer, playwright and translator
*
Teodor Teodorov
Teodor Ivanov Teodorov ( bg, Теодор Теодоров; 8 April 1859, Elena – 5 August 1924) was a leading Bulgarian politician and legal expert who served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria immediately after the First World War.
He was Ministe ...
- politician, leader of the People's Party, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (1918–1919)
*
Ivan Fichev
Ivan Fichev ( bg, Иван Фичев) (born on 15 April 1860 in Tarnovo, died on 13 November 1931 in Sofia) was a Bulgarian general, Minister of Defense, military historian and academician.
Biography
Ivan Fichev was born in 1860 in Tırnova (n ...
- general, Minister of Defence (1914–1915), military historian and academician
*
Ivan Hristov - poet, literary critic and musician
References
{{Reflist
External links
Official website
Schools in Bulgaria
Modern history of Bulgaria
Buildings and structures in Gabrovo Province
Gabrovo
Educational institutions established in 1835