Exposition in the “Dimitraki Hadjitoshev” museum
The house of Dimitraki Hadjitoshev was built in 1812 and represents a splendid example of the Bulgarian National Revival architecture. The exposition it accommodates has two aspects. One of which is the ethnographic exposition, representing the interior design of a typical Bulgarian town house in the 19th c.. The other is the historical aspect, dedicated to the versatile patriotic activity of Dimitraki Hadjitoshev.
The Hadjii’s family, and Dimitraki Hadjitoshev in particular, played an important role in the economic, public and political life not only in Vratsa, but also in the whole North-West part of Bulgaria during the National Revival period.
The Hadjii’s family owed their material affluence mainly to trading in cattle and in agricultural products – wool, hides, butter, cereals, cotton, honey, wax and mostly silk. The Hadjii’s family trading went beyond the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan peninsula and it included a number of European countries.
In the end of the 18th c. and the beginning of the 19th c. Hadji Tosho Tsenov, and subsequently his eldest son Dimitraki, were amongst the notables in the town. They were among the people who during the National Revival period initiated the sending of the first diplomatic mission “Zambin-Nekovich” in Russia, whose goal was to alleviate the plight of the Bulgarian people and to pave the way for its liberation from the Ottoman rule.
Dimitraki Hadjitoshev took the lead in the struggle for an independent Bulgarian church that was incipient at the beginning of the 19th c. and eventually grew into a national movement culminating in the establishment of the Bulgarian exarchate.
It was Dimitraki Hadjitoshev who initiated the opening of the first secular school in Vratsa in 1822.
Of special importance are the efforts of Tosho Tsenov and Dimitraki Hadjitoshev. Focused on the political liberation of Bulgaria, they firmly believed it would come along with the assistance of Russia. Both of them actively supported the Russian headquarters during the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. On the eve of the subsequent Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829, he built on his farm near the village of Kunino, a tower with battlements, a furnace for the manufacturing of metal, and an armory. The Turks discovered his surreptitious preparations and in 1827 the Sultan issued a decree for the beheading of this brave and patriotic man of Vratsa.
Dimitraki Hadjitoshev’s deed was continued by his sons Zamfiraki, Alexander and Todoraki. Zamfiraki moved to Sofia and took part in the struggles for an independent church and national freedom. Alexander devoted himself to diplomatic activities for the liberation of Bulgaria and in 1856 was poisoned by the Ottoman authorities in Sofia.
The youngest son, Todoraki, remained in Vratsa and took up governing positions in the Vratsa Municipality and the movement for an independent Bulgarian church. After the liberation he was a member of the Constituent Assembly.
The exposition in the museum features various icons, a triptych, some traditional copper vessels, and personal belongings of the Hadjii’s family. Such as: a box of writing accessories, a flintlock gun inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a silver spoon, filigree pieces, a spoon made of mahogany and mother-of-pearl, a rosary brought over from the Holy Sepulcher, a silver reliquary, an application showing an image of a two-headed eagle, some photographic documents and archive materials related to the Hadjitoshev’s family, and an original specimen of the first edition of “Kiriakodromion” i.e. “Nedelnik” – which was the first printed modern Bulgarian book, published in 1806 by St. Sofronii, bishop of Vratsa.
The economic prosperity of the Hadjitoshevs is also evident in the spatial arrangement and decoration of the house. It is a two-storey building, with a basement and three picturesque balconies (two external and one internal.)
The first floor catered primarily to the needs of the family. It consists of a kitchen with a hearth and built-in cupboards, a dining room, a bedroom, and a working room for the women. In this room there is exhibited a silk weaving loom as well as various silk products which illustrate the silkworm breeding that was traditional not only for the Hadjitoshevs family, but also for the whole of Vratsa. The second floor was reserved for more formal occasions like appointments or visits from friends.
Here there is a drawing room and a smaller storeroom adjacent to it. These rooms were heated by an original fireplace, called a “dzhamal”. The other big room is the guests’ bedroom that has now been turned into a museum exhibition. Next to it there are two small rooms, one of which was used as a pantry and the other one as lodging for the servants. The construction and installation of many of the house’s interior features – ceilings, columns, railings, wall cupboards, and window shutters – has been implemented with a fine artistic insight.
The sun, being the source of life and light, has been reproduced with a remarkable craftsmanship in the magnificent wood-carvings on the ceilings. The beautiful balconies also contribute to the house’s unique appearance.