Pop Hariton

I am Pop Hariton, or Hariton Stanchev Halachev. I was born in Gabrovo around 1830. I was a priest, but in my heart I was a revolutionary. When the April Uprising broke out in 1876, I led a mixed detachment that defended itself at the Dryanovo Monastery. For nine days, we held off the Turkish attacks. Ultimately, the monastery was overrun and burned, and I was killed. Few people know that my monument in Gabrovo, created by Kancho Tsanev, was unveiled in 1971—almost a century after my death. It is located in Martkoteya Park, near the former “Bury” factory, and serves as a reminder of the heroic deeds of those who died for Bulgaria’s freedom.