This digital guide under the hills reminds you of a few colorful characters and their stories, which are still retold and are an inseparable part of the urban folklore of Plovdiv. Two of them are even immortalized with monuments, often appearing in photos taken by locals and tourists alike.
Milyo
Plovdiv's bohemian Milyo Ludiya (the Madman) is one of the most famous eccentrics under the hills. His birth name was Mihail Dimitrov Todorov, but today, no one remembers him by that name. Instead, he's remembered for his madness and good-naturedness. The locals aren’t unanimous about the cause of his lost sanity. Some say he was too intelligent—he could speak several languages—but went mad from reading too many books. Perhaps a more credible version is that he contracted meningitis in childhood, leading to delayed mental development.
There are legends about his male genitalia, and many stories describe how not only men but also women tried to verify these tales. He was well-known to everyone on the Main Street (Glavnata), where he often teased young girls and casually catcalled them. Of course, not everyone treated him kindly, and he sometimes became the target of cruel jokes.
It is known that he died in poverty due to an illness caused by the flu.
Sasho Sladura
Aleksandar Georgiev Nikolov, nicknamed Sasho Sladura (the Sweetheart), was a famous Bulgarian jazz musician. Although he became an iconic figure in Sofia and Plovdiv, he was actually born in Pleven on September 15, 1917.
His family moved from Pleven to Plovdiv, where his father was appointed director of the Simeon Garden in the city center. Aleksandar graduated from an Italian school in Plovdiv, then attended the French College in Plovdiv, "St. Augustine," and later studied music at the conservatory in Prague.
After returning to Bulgaria and following the disbanding of the Royal Symphony Orchestra, he began playing as a solo violinist in the orchestra of the restaurant at the "Bulgaria" Hotel, where he became a favorite of the audience. Due to his cheerful and humorous nature, he earned the nickname Sasho the Sweetheart.
Sasho wasn’t afraid to tell jokes and make fun of socialism and those in power. However, the time after 1956, when Todor Zhivkov came to power, became especially dangerous for him. The State Security began monitoring Sasho, and agents listened in on and reported about him daily and everywhere. The file on the "Subject," as the cops referred to Sasho in his dossier, kept getting thicker. However, the joker didn't spare his jokes, even with the new rulers.
He was sentenced several times, and during his last arrest, he was detained and, after spending eight nights in the State Security cells, was sent to the "Sunny Beach" labor camp near Lovech. The instructions to the camp commander, Nikolai Gazdov, and his assistants were clear—Sasho had to die a "natural death." According to some accounts, Sasho was killed on the day of his arrival in Lovech, while others say he survived only 11 days. After beatings, mistreatment, humiliation, and ridicule, he was killed. The death certificate listed the cause of death as angina.
Many of his jokes are still told today, while other anecdotes have been adapted and shared with a contemporary twist.
Bai Ivan Karachomaka
He is also known as the Plovdiv Baron Munchausen. His fantastic tales are still told and retold over the years. No one can say for sure which parts of them are true and which are fiction, owhether behind all this there wasn’t a man with exceptional and diverse talents. He was also called the King of Tall Tales.
It is known that he was a person who loved to joke about himself and had a great sense of humor. He often played the role of a guide, as he was well acquainted with the history of the ancient city of Plovdiv and enjoyed gathering people around him to tell his stories.
People online share that he read a lot and could engage in well-argued debates with specialists from various fields.
One of the stories claims: "Bai Ivan was close to the royal family. One day, Boreto (Tsar Boris) invited him to accompany him on his trip to Germany at Hitler’s invitation. They also took a backgammon board so they wouldn’t get bored. The negotiations ended, and the Bulgarian guests sat down to teach the Führer how to play the oriental game. While they were playing, Dolfi (Adolf) started cheating. Then Bai Ivan slapped him and gave him a lesson in backgammon morality."
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