Tsvetan Radoslavov

Radoslavov was born in Svishtov in 1863. He came from families connected with the Bulgarian National Revival; his mother was related to the Pavlovich family, and he grew up in the household of Tsvyatko Radoslavov, whose surname he later used. He studied in Bulgaria before continuing his education abroad, including in Vienna and Leipzig. In Leipzig he studied philosophy and psychology and was associated with the intellectual circle of Wilhelm Wundt, one of the founders of modern experimental psychology. In 1885, while travelling back to Bulgaria to volunteer in the Serbo-Bulgarian War, Radoslavov wrote the song Gorda Stara Planina ("Proud Old Mountain"). Bulgarian National Radio states that he composed it spontaneously in 1885 aboard the Austrian ship Maria Theresia, while travelling from Vienna to Bulgaria to take part in the war. The song was later revised and harmonised; an early musical treatment was made by Dobri Hristov in 1905. After his studies abroad, Radoslavov returned to Bulgaria, rejecting opportunities to work in cities such as Vienna, Leipzig and Prague. He taught at the Third High School for Boys in Sofia, where he taught languages, psychology, ethics and logic. He was also active in Bulgarian cultural life: he worked for the development of Bulgarian theatre and opera, wrote reviews of productions at the National Theatre, authored plays, translated opera librettos and participated in the work of the Archaeological Society in Sofia. He also took part in efforts connected with the creation of a state music school in Sofia, later the National Music School "Lyubomir Pipkov". Radoslavov lived in a small apartment at 3 Angel Kanchev Street in Sofia, where he is commemorated by a plaque by Georgi Chapkanov. He died on 27 October 1931 in Sofia, Tsardom of Bulgaria.