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The information in this section is taken out from the book “Historical Calendar of Vratsa Region”, which is part of the scientific archive of the Regional Historical Museum – Vratsa.  The data relates to the time before September 1986 when it was completed, so that someone who is into the study of this period would expect and understand the eclecticism that is characteristic for its topical range.  During that time, the regional studies of the modern history period were primarily concerned with the past of the Bulgarian Communist Party and the Bulgarian Agricultural Popular Union.  What is more – not only the regional studies, but also the national science refrained from enlightening topics from the political, socio-economic and cultural life after the Liberation in 1878 that were out of the scope of the commonly accepted landmarks or imposed directives.  It is natural that making up such a pretentious calendar would reflect the spirit of that time and the existing state of the research work, as the readers will inevitably see for themselves.  We are convinced that in the near future,  through conscientious and profound research work, while also taking into account the established omissions, our historians who specialize in general and local history will fill in the gaps in the Historical calendar of Vratsa region.

 

MILLENIUMS AND CENTURIES

40,000 BC – First traces of human labour activity and human dwelling places in the “Samuilitsa I” and “Samuilitsa II” caves near Kunino, the “Pesht” cave near Staro selo and the “Peshketo” cave near Lilyache.
6th Millenium BC – Neolithic settlements were evidenced near Brenitsa, Gradeshnitsa, Kunino, Mihaylovo, Ohoden, Rebarkovo, and Tlachene.
5th Millenium BC – marks the existence of a settlement near Brenitsa and the transition from the Neolith to the Halcolith (The Copper Age).  In the settlements near Brenitsa and Gradeshnitsa there is record of the existence and the use of writing – the oldest writing known hitherto in Europe.
4th Millenium BC (3495 – 3345 BC) – The Halcolith settlement near Krivodol was dated through the radiocarbon analyses method – synchronous to it are the settlements near Barkachevo, Galatin, Gorna Kremena (“Zaminets”), Kameno pole, Krushovitsa, Lipnitsa, Miziya, Ohoden, Sofronievo, etc.
5th c. (424 BC) – marks the death of Sitalk, the tsar of the Odrisi tribe after he was defeated in a battle with the Tribali tribe.
4th c. (376 BC) – The thirty thousand warriors army of the Tribali undertook a campaign in the lands of the Abdertsi tribe.
        (spring of 335) BC – Alexander of Macedon marched against the Tribali tribe ( supposedly it was during those same days that the Silver Treasure of Rogozen was buried in the ground).
1st c. (28 BC) – The German tribe Bastarni crossed the Danube river and that created the opportunity for the Roman proconsul Mark Licinius Kras to assault the lands of the Mizi and the Tribali tribes and to devastate them.
2nd c. – The Roman Mausoleum near Urovene was built.
There is record of the existence of a Roman settlement in the region of Drashan.
There is record of the existence of the Thracian settlements Trolensis near Kunino and Vorovo Minore near Kravoder.
The ancient stronghold Kaleto was erected near Mezdra.
Augusta near Harlets, Pedoniana near Ostrov and Regiana near Kozloduy were mentioned in the Peutinger map as travel stations on the route from Belgrade to Byzantium (Istanbul).
3rd c. (Middle) – The Roman province Miziya was devastated by the first Goths’ invasions.
Augusta near Harlets, Variana near Leskovets and Valeriana near Dolni Vadin were mentioned in the Guide-book of the Roman emperor Antonin as travel stations on the route from Kostalats to Constantinopole (Istanbul).
4th c. (Middle) – There is record of the existence of an antique settlement near Manastirishte.
The Goths made their second invasion in the Roman provinces on the Balkan peninsula.
5th c. (First Quarter) – Augusta near Harlets and Variana near Leskovets were mentioned in the “List of office ranks” as a camp for a detachment of equestrians- the Dalmatians.
6th c. (Beginning). The book “Zemeopisanie” /Geographic description/ by an unknown author from Ravena mentioned Regianum near Kozloduy, Augusta near Harlets, Viko Bapeni near Selanovtsi and Pedoniane near Ostrov.
(Second Quarter) – During the time of the emperor Justinian I the stronghold defenses of Variana near Leskovets and of Valeriana near Dolni Vadin were renewed, and Augusta near Harlets was re-surrounded with a fortified wall.
(Middle) – An early Slavonic settlement came into being in the region of Kozloduy, its necropolis was discovered at the time when the Powerman Center was being built.
(582 BC) – The Avars demolished the late antique and early-Byzantium stronghold Augusta.
(5th c.) – The ramparts of Ostrov and Hayredin were built – these were border defenses of the Slavonic-Bulgarian state.
(4th c.) – The Middle Ages stronghold “Kamaka” was erected near Oryahovo.
(8th c.) (1243-1256) – The first written record of the name of the Medieval town Vratitsa (Vratsa)
(1243 – 1256) – The column from Dolna Beshovitsa with a sepulchral inscription of the time of Mihail-Asen.
         – The North-Western Bulgarian territories came into possession of Boyar Shishman of Vidin.
14th c. – The Gospel of Vratsa was created.

The monastery “Sveta Troitsa” (Holy Trinity) was built near Vratsa.
(second half) – The territories of the present Vratsa district became an arena of internecine battles between Ivan Shishman and Ivan Sratsimir.

15th c. (first half, probably year 1430) – An Ottoman document on the Nikopol “sandjak” ( Turkish for administrative district) mentioned for the first time the following names of settlements: Altimir, Babino (Golyamo Babino), Bistrets, Bodenets, Vrabeshnitsa (Varbeshnitsa), Vratsa, Galash (Galatin), Galiche, Golyamo Vlashko (Tsarevets), Gabari (Gabare), Gorna Belovnitsa (Beli Izvor), Gorna Beshovitsa, Devyani (Devene), Darmantsi, Dolna Beshovitsa, Dolna Kremena, Zverino, Kalen, Kameno poli (Kameno pole), Kreta, Krivodol, Kostalevo, Krushovitsa, Karpets (Krapets), Lik, Lyut dol (Lyuti dol), Moravitsa, Oslen (Oslen Krivodol, Oselna), Pavlitsa (Pavolche), Peshte (Gorno Peshtene and Dolno Peshtene), Peshtene (Tsakonitsa), Pudriya, Radovyan (Radovene), Rahovo (Oryahovo), Rebarkovo, Rogoz (Rogozen), Roman, Selanovtsi, Strupovets (Strupets), Staro selo, Torbaritsa (Darmanitsa, Mezdra), Chelopek and Yanitsa (Enitsa).

(middle) – An Ottoman document on the Nikopol “sandjak” (administrative district) mentioned villages whose dwellers were “mustahfazi” (defenders, protectors) of the Turkish strongholds on the right riverbank of the Danube: Kameno poli (Kameno pole), Kremena, (Gorna Kremena and Dolna Kremena), Kreta, Kunino, Sine bardo (Sinyo bardo).
(middle) – An Ottoman document on the Nikopol “sandjak” (administrative district) mentioned settlements which disappeared at a later period of time: Glogovik (South-East of Vratsa), Golema laka (near Sofronievo), Darvodeltsi (East of Vratsa), Koriten (near Lyuti brod), Krushovitsa (West of Pavolche), Kasnets (near Vratsa), Metkovets (Vratsa), Patleyna (near Vratsa) and Prodankovitsa (near Sofronievo).
(end) – I an Ottoman document on the nahiyes (administrative unit) Visoka and Znepol the villages Bukovitsa (Bukovets) and Ochin dol were mentioned for the first time.

16th c. – The church of the Matnishki monastery was built.

(middle) – The first written record in the soldiers register of the settlements Ignatiche (Igntitsa) and Izludol (Zli dol).
(the 60s) – A Turkish register of the Nikopol administrative district pointed out the following settlements with falconers and hawkers: Ivrazhda (Vratsa), Sokolar – ex Monomir (Sokolare), Drobali Senokos (Dobrolevo), Malorad, Drashkan (Drashan), Byala Slatina, Altimir, Baniche (Banitsa), Rahova (Oryahovo), and Kunino.

18th c. (end) – The residential-defensive towers of the Meschii’s family and Kurtpashovi’s family were built in Vratsa.