Ivan Vazov
1850–1921 (age 71)
Biography
Ivan Vazov, born 1850, became the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature by chronicling the nation's struggles and triumphs in novels, poems, and plays, with works such as Under the Yoke forging a common cultural memory. Though he served in various civic roles, including a period as a judge, he remained foremost a storyteller whose words gave voice to the hopes and sorrows of the Bulgarian people.
He championed the literature of the new kingdom through his editorships, public lectures, and generous encouragement of younger writers, leaving behind a vast body of work honored today in Saint Sofia Church where he is laid to rest.