Ilyo Voyvoda

Infobox Person
name = Ilyo Voyvoda

---

caption = Portrait of Iliya Markov Popgeorgiev
birth_date = birth date|1805|5|28|mf=y
birth_place = Berovo, Ottoman Empire (present-day Republic of Macedonia)
dead=dead
death_date = death date and age|1898|4|17|1805|5|28|mf=y
death_place = Kyustendil, Kingdom of Bulgaria)

Iliya Markov Popgeorgiev, better known as Ilyo Voyvoda or Dedo Iljo Maleshevski, was a Bulgarian [A certificate, issued by the Field Quarters of the Russian Army in the field, decorating the Bulgarian voyvoda Iliya Markov (Grandfather Ilyo) with a Russian medal. December 4th, 1878 [http://www.kroraina.com/knigi/en/ban/ls1.html#15] ] ["A number of Bulgarian volunteers took part in the 1877-1878 war...their voivods were: Ilyo Markov, D Trifonov, G. Pulevski..." a document of a Russian officer in the 1877-1878 Russo-Turkish war (1904) Болгарское ополчение и земское воиску (in Russian), p.56-59. ] [Панайот Хитов, "Моето пътуване по Стара планина и животопис на някои български стари и нови войводи", II изд., с. 85-87(English: Panayot Hitov, "My journey along Stara planina and biographies of some Bulgarian old and new voivods" p. 85-87) [Коте Попстоянов "Тридесет години назад. Исторически записки по първото македонско въстание през 1876 г." (English: Kote Popstoyanov, "Thirty years ago. Chronicles of the first macedonian uprising in 1876")] revolutionary from the region of Macedonia, who is considered a national hero in both Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. He was born on 28 May 1822 in Berovo, today in the Republic of Macedonia, in the poor farmer family of Marko Popgeorgiev. He was a Komitadji with "chetas" in Rhodopi, Rila and Pirin. Later he worked as a keeper in the Rila monastery. In 1861 he participated in the Bulgarian Legion in Belgrade. He was the father-in-law of Dimitar Pop Georgiev - Berovski.

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)

Ilyo used every chance to make a contribution in any war against the Ottoman Empire. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 he operated with a band near Lovech. His band joined the Western divisions of general Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko and participated in the liberation of Sofia, Radomir and Kyustendil. Illyo was one of the Bulgarian representatives at the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano which marked the restoration of Bulgaria in its ethnic borders. It was there he was awarded a medal for bravery. [Petrinska, M., Illyo Voivoda zhitie-bitie, Sofia, 1988, Narodna Mladezh, p. 76]

The joy from the liberation was short-lived though, as the Treaty of Berlin (1878) soon partitioned the newly liberated country. Bulgaria was divided into three parts: the Principality of Bulgaria, the autonomous province of Eastern Rumelia and Macedonia given back to the Ottomans. The discontent among the people erupted in the Kresna-Razlog Uprising (1878 - 1879) in which Illyo took active participation.

Serbo-Bulgarian War

Illyo Voivoda and his band took part in Serbo-Bulgarian War despite the advancing age of the leader. As part of the Radomir squad they participated in the battles of Breznik, Slivnitsa and Vranje among others.

Legacy

He fought in battles all his life, and died from old age at the end of the 19th century in Kyustendil. He is a near-mythical figure of the region and has been the subject of many folk songs. Ilyo Voyvoda is considered an ethnic Macedonian by historians from the Republic of Macedonia. Some of his personal belonging are kept in the monastery “St Archangel Michael” which serves as the city museum of Berovo [cite web|url=http://www.zivonasledstvo.org.mk/project.asp?p=28|title=Living Heritage|date=2007-09-11|accessdate=2007-09-11] .

References

External links

* [http://www.archives.government.bg/tda/docs/akt_smurt_ku.jpgDeath certificate of Ilyo Voyvoda] bg icon

* [http://www.kyustendilmuseum.primasoft.bg/bg/mod.php?mod=calendar&op=show_event&event_id=32 29 January 1878 The liberation of the town of Kyustendil] bg icon