Georgi Valkovich Cholakov''Valkovich'' may also be transliterated as ''Vulkovich'' or ''Vǎlkovič''. ( bg, Георги Вълкович Чолаков) (1833 – ) was a

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 ...

n physician, diplomat and conservative politician. Among the leading surgeons in 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) ...

, Valkovich became one of the leaders of the Conservative Party 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 1878. During

Stefan Stambolov Stefan Nikolov Stambolov ( bg, Стефан Николов Стамболов) (31 January 1854 OS– 19 July 1895 OS) was a Bulgarian politician, journalist, revolutionary, and poet who served as Prime Minister and regent. He is consider ...

's government (1887–1894), he was a Bulgarian diplomatic deputy in

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

(

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

), where he was murdered by political opponents.

Biography

Georgi Valkovich was born in the Ottoman city of

Adrianople Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

Eastern Thrace Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air ...

(today

Edirne Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, known in Bulgarian as Одрин, ''Odrin''). His father was a member of the influential and affluent Cholakov family from

Koprivshtitsa Koprivshtitsa ( bg, Копривщица, pronounced , from the Bulgarian word , ''kopriva'', meaning "nettle") is a historic town in the Koprivshtitsa Municipality in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the S ...

. Valkovich began his education in

Plovdiv Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...

and graduated from the Academy of Military Medicine in Constantinople in 1857. After his graduation, he worked as a surgeon and as a reader at the Academy of Military Medicine in the imperial capital. Between 1860 and 1863, Valkovich resided in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

as a post-graduate medical student. In 1865, he was briefly the chief physician of the

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

Central Hospital. In 1870–1871, Valkovich headed the

Haydarpaşa Haydarpaşa is a neighborhood within the Kadıköy and Üsküdar districts on the Asian part of Istanbul, Turkey. Haydarpaşa is named after Ottoman Vizier Haydar Pasha. The place, on the coast of Sea of Marmara, borders to Harem in the northwest ...

Hospital in Constantinople and by 1872, he was promoted to

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in the

Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...

. In 1875, he joined the Bulgarian Literary Society (today

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 ...

) as an associate member; his full membership was provided in 1884. After the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878, Georgi Valkovich became an influential figure in Bulgarian politics. Among the leading members of the Conservative Party, Valkovich was elected to parliament in the Constituent Assembly of 1879, the 1st Grand

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

of 1879, and the 3rd National Assembly of 1882–1883. In 1879, he was appointed Director of Agriculture, Commerce and Public Buildings; in 1881, he was in charge of

Eastern Rumelia Eastern Rumelia ( bg, Източна Румелия, Iztochna Rumeliya; ota, , Rumeli-i Şarkî; el, Ανατολική Ρωμυλία, Anatoliki Romylia) was an autonomous province (''oblast'' in Bulgarian, ''vilayet'' in Turkish) in the Otto ...

's Department of Posts and Telegraphs. During

Alexander of Battenberg Alexander Joseph ( bg, Александър I Батенберг; 5 April 185717 November 1893), known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince ('' knyaz'') of the Principality of Bulgaria from 1879 until his abdication in 1886. The Bul ...

's Regime of Proxies (1881–1883) Valkovich was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religious Denominations (1881–1883) and chairman of the State Council (1883). During the

Serbo-Bulgarian War The Serbo-Bulgarian War or the Serbian–Bulgarian War ( bg, Сръбско-българска война, ''Srăbsko-bălgarska voyna'', sr, Српско-бугарски рат, ''Srpsko-bugarski rat'') was a war between the Kingdom of Serb ...

of 1885, Valkovich was in charge of all Bulgarian military hospitals. In 1886, he was appointed director of the Aleksandrovska Hospital. A year later, he was sent to Constantinople as the diplomatic deputy of the Principality of Bulgaria in the Ottoman Empire, a position he held until his death. At the time, that was the most important diplomatic position from a Bulgarian point of view, as Bulgaria was still ''

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...

'' an Ottoman

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...

, and it was reserved for experienced politicians. Valkovich was among the originators of Stefan Stambolov's active diplomatic policy aimed at improving the treatment of the remaining Bulgarian population in the empire. Georgi Valkovich was assassinated on by opponents of Stambolov's government. The assassination was carried out by Dimitar Orlovski and Drazhev, Bulgarian

Russophile Russophilia (literally love of Russia or Russians) is admiration and fondness of Russia (including the era of the Soviet Union and/or the Russian Empire), History of Russia, Russian history and Russian culture. The antonym is Anti-Russian se ...

emigrants who were unapproving of Stambolov's pro-Western and anti-Russian alignment. The

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n government was aware of the planned attempt, although it intentionally notified neither the Ottoman nor the Bulgarian officials. On 12 February Orlovski and Drazhev, dressed in

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

costumes, ambushed Valkovich in the vicinity of the Bulgarian Consulate in Constantinople during the Zagovezni Carnival celebrations before

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

. While Drazhev stayed behind to protect the assassin, Orlovski stabbed Valkovich in the stomach. The two perpetrators managed to run away in the crowd. Valkovich died of the wound two days later, and was interred in Plovdiv. In his book ''The Builders of Modern Bulgaria'', writer, diplomat and politician

Simeon Radev Simeon Traychev Radev ( bg, Симеон Трайчев Радев; 19 January 1879 – 15 February 1967) was a Bulgarians, Bulgarian writer, journalist, diplomat and historian, most famous for his three-volume book ''The Builders of Modern Bulgari ...

describes Valkovich as follows: "elegant, witty and amusement-loving, he was a perfect social figure; extraordinarily perspicacious, he was also not devoid of slyness".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valkovich, Georgi 1833 births 1892 deaths People from Edirne Bulgarians from Eastern Thrace Conservative Party (Bulgaria) politicians Foreign ministers of Bulgaria Members of the National Assembly (Bulgaria) Bulgarian surgeons Bulgarian diplomats Members of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Assassinated Bulgarian politicians Bulgarian military doctors 19th-century Bulgarian politicians People murdered in the Ottoman Empire Bulgarian people murdered abroad Assassinations in the Ottoman Empire 19th-century Bulgarian physicians