Slavovitsa, Pazardzhik Province

Slavovitsa (Bulgarian: Славовица) is a village located in the Septemvri Municipality of Pazardzhik Province, Bulgaria. It is the birthplace of former Bulgarian prime minister Aleksandar Stamboliyski. As of 2024 its population is 324.^[1][2]

Slavovitsa
Village
Slavovitsa
Coordinates: 42°19′01″N 24°1′59″E
Country	Bulgaria
Province	Pazardzhik
Municipality	Septemvri
Elevation	560 m (1,840 ft)
Population  (2024)[1]
• Total	324
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	4400
Climate	Dfb

Geography

The chitalishte of Slavovitsa

The Aleksandar Stamboliyski Mausoleum

The village is situated at an altitude of about 600 m in the southeastern foothills of the Vetren Ridge of the Sredna Gora mountain range, facing the westernmost reaches the Upper Thracian Plain. Slavovitsa falls within the transitional continental climatic zone with mild winter and warm summer with frequent droughts. The predominant winds are northwestern. The soils are alluvial and cinnamon forest soils. ^[3]

Administratively, Slavovitsa is part of Septemvri Municipality, located in the central part of Pazardzhik Province. It has a territory of 26.984 km². It is located some 31 km northwest of the provincial center Pazardzhik, and 15 km north of the municipal seat, the town of Septemvri. The nearest settlements are the villages of Tserovo to the north, Lesichovo to the northeast, Vinogradets to the southeast, the town of Vetren to the south, and Gorno Varshilo to the northwest. It is situated close to a junction of the Trakiya motorway.^[3][4][5]

History and culture

There are archaeological traces from the ancient Thracians. There were medieval settlements and fortresses in the vicinity of the village, which were destroyed during the Bulgarian–Ottoman wars of the 14th century. The modern village was founded in 17th century. It participated in the preparation of the anti-Ottoman April Uprising of 1876 and had a representative at the assembly in the Oborishte locality, which took the decision to begin the revolt, and was burnt down in the aftermath of its suppression.^[3]

Slavovitsa was the birthplace of Aleksandar Stamboliyski, who served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria in 1919–1923. After Stamboliyski was ousted during the 1923 Bulgarian coup d'état, he retreated to the village, where he attempted to raise a rebellion against the new government. He was eventually captured and brutally murdered in Slavovitsa by members Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, who blamed him for renouncing the Bulgarian national interests in Macedonia. A few weeks after the murder, the village participated in the Communist September Uprising.^[3]

The local church dedicated to the Prophet Elijah was rebuilt after it was destroyed by the Ottomans in 1876. The school of Slavovitsa was founded in 1850, initially as a monastery school to the church. The local cultural center, known in Bulgarian as a chitalishte, was established in 1921 and named after Aleksandar Stamboliyski. His birth house and his villa are monuments of culture.^[3][6]

Economy

Slavovitsa lies in a fertile area and has well-developed agriculture. The main crops include cherries, sour cherries and grapes. The local vineyards grow the old Bulgarian grape variety Pamid. Livestock breeding is also developed, mainly sheep.^[2][3]