Stamboliyski ( bg, Стамболийски ) is a town in southern

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 ...

, located on the right bank of

Maritsa Maritsa or Maritza ( bg, Марица ), also known as Meriç ( tr, Meriç ) and Evros ( ell, Έβρος ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of ,Plovdiv Province Plovdiv Province ( bg, Област Пловдив: ''Oblast Plovdiv'', former name Plovdiv okrug) is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities (общини, ''obshtini'', sing. общинa, ''obshtina'') on a ter ...

. It was founded in 1873–75, when the

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, ...

- Belovo railway was built. It was initially called Gara Krichim ('Krichim Station') after the largest village in the vicinity then,

Krichim Krichim ( bg, Кричим ) is a town in Bulgaria, located in the southwestern part of Plovdiv Province close to Perushtitsa. It lies at the foot of the Rhodopes' northern slopes in the plains of Thrace, 20 km southwest of Plovdiv. The river ...

History

The first settlers came from Brestovitsa and

Perushtitsa Perushtitsa ( bg, Перущица ) or Perushtitza is a Bulgarian town located in Perushtitsa Municipality, Plovdiv Province at the foot of the Rhodopes, 22 kilometers south of Plovdiv. The name ''Perushtitsa'' comes from the word ''Peristitsa' ...

, which together with railway workers from

Peshtera Peshtera ( bg, Пещера , sometimes transliterated as ''Peštera''; rup, Peshtera) is a town in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province near the towns of Batak and Bratsigovo. The town is the third ...

established a village north of the railway line, which in 1926 had 224 residents. Refugees from the parts of

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

and Macedonia under foreign rule arrived in 1926–1928 and the population grew to 554 in 1934. Industrialists from the larger cities founded factories in Gara Krichim and the village developed into a regional centre of industry and transport. It was proclaimed a town in 1964, and after the village of Krichim also acquired town status in 1969, it was renamed Novi Krichim ('New Krichim'). In 1979, the name was changed to Stamboliyski in honour of

Aleksandar Stamboliyski Aleksandar Stoimenov Stamboliyski ( bg, Александър Стоименов Стамболийски; 1 March 1879 – 14 June 1923) was the prime minister of Bulgaria from 1919 until 1923. Stamboliyski was a member of the Agrarian Union, ...

, a former

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 ...

and agrarian leader.

Culture

Regular events

Once a year there is a celebration of the city, which lasts for three days. The date changes each year according to the religious holiday Holy Spirit. Also, every Saturday there is a market near the center.

Public institutions

* Community Center Vaptsarov develop the following activities: Youth Dance Ensemble "Yuzhnyache"; Kids Vocal Studio; Schools ballet and art; Music schools; Courses in English and German; Football team "Thrace"; The town of Stamboliyski successfully develops the "Taekwondo Club Trakiets". ;Schools * School "Hristo Botev" * School "Otets Paisiy" * School "Hristo Smirnenski"

References

External links

{{Authority control Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Plovdiv Province