Few people know that before Ivan Vazov was proclaimed a “people’s poet,” Petko Rachov Slaveykov was called that. In his memoirs, Mihail Madzharov notes that around 1869–1870, Slaveykov was the most popular poet in our country and the appearance of each of his poems became an event.
Today, his name in Plovdiv is not just part of literature textbooks, but can be found in a Renaissance house, in the school where he taught, and even in the cafe where the poet stopped by almost every morning.
At the foot of the Old Town, near the Monday Market, there is a beautiful Renaissance house that once belonged to the wealthy merchant Bedros Basmadjiyan. Its address today is 4 Petko Rachov Slaveykov Street. Opposite it begins the steep alley to the Lamartine house, opposite the building of the Geo Milev school, and from the windows you can see the rocks of Dzambaz Tepe.
In 1881, Petko Rachov Slaveykov arrived in Plovdiv to teach at the then First Boys' High School (today's Humanitarian High School). He needed to be accommodated, and Bedros Basmadjian offered his home. Thus, the poet spent three years here, together with his wife and eight children.
After World War II, the house was purchased by the Chalakovi family. Later, with the beginning of the restoration of Old Plovdiv, the building was converted into the Teacher's House, a function it carries to this day.
Although its facade creates a feeling of symmetry, the house is actually asymmetrical - a typical feature of Renaissance architecture. You enter through a small corridor that leads to two narrow rooms. One has a kiosk - a kind of "gossip corner", protruding outwards in a bay window. It is reached by steep wooden stairs, and the view of the cobblestone street takes you back to the time of Plovdiv's "cobblestone cocoons".
A large carved door leads to a spacious room, restored and used for meetings of teachers' groups and pensioner associations. A steep two-flight wooden staircase rises between the first and second floors, and the high windows overlooking the courtyard fill the space with light.
Several carved doors stand out on the landing above. One, framed by two small alafrangs, leads to a room used as an office. It is believed that the rooms were once bedrooms, and one of them impresses with a beautiful carved ceiling.
The courtyard, tucked away behind the building, is reminiscent of that of the Baltova House. A small garden, an old pine, a large chestnut tree and the characteristic boxwoods form the green oasis. Floral ornaments can be seen on the walls, and the carvings on the gate add to the feeling of authenticity.
Not far from the house is Slaveykovo's cafe, known today as the "Starinno" cafe. Built at the end of the 19th century by Georgi Moraliev, it has preserved its appearance.
Located opposite the "Geo Milev" school (Marazliyata), on "Vazrazhdane" square, between Ponedelnik market and the Old Town, the cafe impresses with its open canopy with wooden columns. Inside, you can still see the fireplace and the coffee chimneys.
During his stay in Plovdiv (1881–1883), Slaveykov drank his coffee here every morning or simply stopped by. \Thus, the place naturally began to bear his name.
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