Алеко Константинов’s Followers (61)

Алеко Константинов

Born

in Bulgaria

January 01, 1863

Died

May 11, 1897

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Travel, Nonfiction

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Aleko Konstantinov was a Bulgarian writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction.

Born to an affluent trader in the Danube River town of Svishtov, he attended the Faculty of Law of the University of Odessa, graduating in 1885. He worked as a jurist in Sofia before embarking on a writing career. His first novel (in fact, a collection of relatively independent short stories), Bay Ganyo ("Uncle Ganyo"), describes the travels through Western Europe of an itinerant peddler of rose oil and rugs. Though impertinent and clumsy, the nevertheless ingenious Bay Ganyo has been seen as a mirror for a modernizing Bulgaria. At the beginning of the novel Bay Ganyo is seen mainly as trading rose oil w Aleko Konstantinov was a Bulgarian writer, best known for his character Bay Ganyo, one of the most popular characters in Bulgarian fiction.

Born to an affluent trader in the Danube River town of Svishtov, he attended the Faculty of Law of the University of Odessa, graduating in 1885. He worked as a jurist in Sofia before embarking on a writing career. His first novel (in fact, a collection of relatively independent short stories), Bay Ganyo ("Uncle Ganyo"), describes the travels through Western Europe of an itinerant peddler of rose oil and rugs. Though impertinent and clumsy, the nevertheless ingenious Bay Ganyo has been seen as a mirror for a modernizing Bulgaria. At the beginning of the novel Bay Ganyo is seen mainly as trading rose oil while at the end he is portrayed as a political man. His prototype is the Karlovo tradesman Ganyo Somov.

Konstantinov, a cosmopolitan traveler, was the first Bulgarian to write about his visits to Western Europe and America. His visits to the World Exhibitions in Paris in 1889, Prague in 1891 and Chicago in 1893 provided Bulgarian readers, who had recently gained independence from nearly 500 years of Turkish Ottoman oppression, with a portrait of the developed world. To Chicago and Back (where Bay Ganyo appears once again, but only as a third plan person), his travel notes from his American trip, spurred a lasting interest in Chicago, which today boasts the largest concentration of Bulgarian immigrants in the United States. Nowadays there's a bust of the writer in the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library. [1]

Hе was assassinated in 1897 near Radilovo while traveling to Peshtera, most likely by mistake with the intended target being his friend (a local politician), with whom he had changed places in their coach shortly before the fatal shot. However, there exists also a version that his essays, exposing the hidden insidious intentions of the rulers of his day, led to his assassination.

Aleko Konstantinov initiated the tourist movement in Bulgaria. This is why two of Vitosha's hotels are named after him - "Aleko" and "Shtastlivetsa" ("The Lucky Man", the nickname he gave to himself in one of his short stories). ...more

Combine Editions
Алеко Константинов’s books

Average rating: 3.83 · 8,931 ratings · 171 reviews · 30 distinct works • Similar authors

	Бай Ганьо by Aleko Konstantinov, Алеко Константинов 3.87 avg rating — 4,404 ratings — published 1894 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	До Чикаго и назад by Aleko Konstantinov, Алеко Константинов 3.72 avg rating — 2,431 ratings — published 2004 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Бай Ганьо тръгна по Европа 4.46 avg rating — 41 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Бай Ганьо се върна от Европа 4.05 avg rating — 39 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Пази боже сляпо да прогледа 4.52 avg rating — 25 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Бай Ганьо 4.56 avg rating — 18 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	До Чикаго и назад 3.52 avg rating — 21 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Пътеписи by Алеко Константинов, Звезделин Минков (Narrator) 4.60 avg rating — 10 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Красотите на България: пътни бележки на велики българи by Алеко Константинов, Иван Вазов, Елин Пелин 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Бай Ганю в Европа 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Алеко Константинов (?)

“Ребята, мирише вече на пролет, стягайте си опинците за всеки случай.”
― Алеко Константинов

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“Ний не умеем да ценим и не сме привързани страстно към нашата хубава природа. Защото не я знаем, защото живописната природа не се изучава нито в кафенетата, нито в кръчмите.”
― Алеко Константинов

tags: българия, природа

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“Отношенията на мъжете към жените представляват някакъв си печален остатък от рицарските отношения към нежната, беззащитна жена. Но сегашната американка счита, че има неотемлимо право на непременно уважение от страна на всякой мъж; тя вече не се старае с нежност, с женственост да заслужва при всякой даден случай действителното уважение на мъжа, а реализира даже намръщено своето право на уважение. Опитай се да не отстъпиш веднага място във вагон, в параход, в трамвай, в омнибус на някоя американка, тя е готова да те стрелне с очи и даже да изръмжи нещо под носа си. Е, друго нещо е европейката! При такъв един случай, колкото ти и да си недогадлив и нелюбезен, тя само като те погледне с този ясен, сдържано-умиляющ и нежно-укоряющ поглед, не място да й отстъпиш, ами и на ръце да я носиш.”
― Алеко Константинов, До Чикаго и назад

tags: българска-литература, български-език, български-цитат, пътепис, пътешествие

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