A celebrated twentieth-century historian called him “the person who served his city the most, after Aprilov [Gabrovo’s most famous doctor].” His name was Petar Tsonchev, and through his medical work, historiography, and philanthropy, he was indeed one of the people who helped write—and, indeed, tell—this northern Bulgarian city’s modern history.
Dr. Tsonchev was born in 1867 in Gabrovo and studied medicine in Kiev, Ukraine. His medical practice took him all around the region of Gabrovo, an experience that sparked his interest in its history and culture. He authored many articles and two monographs on Gabrovo’s history.
In the 1930s, Dr. Tsonchev gave generously to the Vasil Aprilov High School and the library in his hometown. He also helped restore the city’s fund for low-income students. The park near Gabrovo’s Regional Library features a brass bust of the doctor in memory of his generosity.
Dr. Tsonchev’s philanthropy inspired his own family to follow suit. His wife, Stoyanka Tsoncheva, the daughter of a noted 19th-century industrialist, donated a quarter million Bulgarian levs of her own fortune to the Vasil Aprilov High School.
Read more about Dr. Tsonchev (in Bulgarian) HERE.
Photo: Personal archive of Elena Koleva and Ivelina Koleva
