Among the streets of Plovdiv lie stories worthy of novels. Behind every name plate a life marked by courage, self-sacrifice, and inspiration stands. In this text, we present to you the women whose names come to life in our daily routines through the streets and boulevards of Plovdiv.
“Lady Strangford” Street in the Central District
It is exactly 342 steps long, or about 250 meters. It is named after the big-hearted British woman who helped suffering Bulgarians after the brutal suppression of the April Uprising – Emily Anne Beaufort, known as Lady Strangford. A street with the same name also exists in the capital.
Her interest in Bulgaria stemmed from her husband, a long-time diplomat at the British Embassy in Istanbul, an expert on the Eastern Question who actively supported the Bulgarian struggle for church independence. They met under rather unusual circumstances – in connection with his harsh review of a book on Egyptian tombs and Syrian shrines that Admiral Beaufort’s daughter had published. Instead of becoming enemies, they fell in love and married the following year.
The tragedy and grim fate of Bulgaria in 1876 deeply moved her, and she appealed to the British public and Europeans in Constantinople to support the Bulgarian cause. She founded the "Bulgarian Present Relief Fund" which raised over £30,000. The funds were used to equip hospitals in six of the most affected towns. Ivan Vazov dedicated a poem to her, which is included in his collection "The Sorrows of Bulgaria".
“Knyaginya Maria Luisa” Boulevard in the Central District
One of the main roads in the city, it is about 1.67 kilometers long and stretches from “Tsar Boris III Unifier” Blvd. to the Central Post Office, then crosses “Eastern” Blvd. and reaches “Lev Tolstoy” Street near the Central Cemetery.
It is named after Princess (Knyaginya) Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Parma, the first wife of Tsar Ferdinand and mother of Tsar Boris. She came from the Bourbon dynasty, which ruled France, Spain, and Southern Italy for centuries through various branches. Her eldest son, Boris, ruled Bulgaria for a quarter of a century.
Princess Maria Luisa was actively involved in charity work and is buried in the Catholic Cathedral of St. Ludwig at the beginning of the boulevard. Her sarcophagus was crafted by the famous Italian sculptor Prof. Gentile.
During the communist era, the boulevard was renamed after “Lilyana Dimitrova” – a communist functionary involved in underground activities, who committed suicide after a police blockade and shootout.
“Nedyalka Shileva” Street in the Trakia District
Nedyalka Shileva was born in 1867 in Golyamo Konare village, today the town of Saedinenie. She received her primary education in her village and secondary education in Plovdiv. After completing her studies, she worked as a teacher and translator. Like many Bulgarians in Eastern Rumelia, she could not remain indifferent to the division of Bulgaria. At just 18, she actively participated in the Unification. Undoubtedly, she was influenced by her then-fiancé, Prodan Tishkov Prodanov, better known as Chardafon the Great. In 1885, the young woman sewed the flag of the Golyamokonarska militia.
As part of the Flying Squad (Hvarkovata cheta), Nedyalka Shileva performed her duties with dignity and was called by her contemporaries “The Rayna Knyaginya of Golyamo Konare.”
“Rayna Knyaginya” Street in the Northern District
Rayna (Raykya) Popgeorgieva Futekova-Dipcheva, widely known as Rayna Rayna Knyaginya, was a Bulgarian teacher and midwife. She is known for sewing the main revolutionary flag for the Panagyurishte Revolutionary District during the April Uprising. On the day the uprising was declared, she waved it beside Benkovski. After the rebellion, she was captured and tortured in the Plovdiv prison, but thanks to diplomatic intervention, she was released and sent to study in Moscow. There, she dedicated herself to medicine and became the first certified midwife in Bulgaria.
In our article on Panagyurishte, we take you on a virtual tour of her birth house which is now turned into a museum.
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