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As part of a long-lasting series, the "Focus" news agency presents the flag
used by Ivan Tsonchev's Detachment in 1895-1903. The flag is green with yellow
charges, an Orthodox cross, a writing and the year "1895".
Quoting Focus:
"The flag of the detachment of General Ivan Tsonchev [1859-1910] was made in
1895 and has consecutively been the flag of several bands. Originally intended
for the detachment of Nikola Mutafov and Peter Nachev, but ahead of the armed
operation in the summer of that year was delivered to the detachment of Stoyu
voivode. Rebels with their flag fought in Dospat. For standard-bearer is
determined officer as known as Chelkasha from Sliven, for his assistant rebel
Nikola Ivanov. In the autumn of 1902 the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee
organized an uprising in Eastern Macedonia (Gorna Dzhumaya), which was
suppressed with great brutality. In 1902, General Ivan Tsonchev left the army to
devote himself entirely to the liberation of the Bulgarians in Macedonia. Led by
the flag worn by Nicola Vinarov, his band took part to the Eastern Macedonia
Uprising (1902), and participated in heavy fighting against Turkish troops near
the village of Bistrica and Chatal peak. During the Ilinden Uprising (1903), the
detachment of General Tsonchev fought in Razlog on 14-15 September and by the
village of Belitsa on 18 September. As result the band was transferred to the
territory of the Principality of Bulgaria."
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=f2365
A black-and-white photo,
dated 1903, shows the Australian novelist and war correspondent Alfred Hales
(1860-1936), who fought in Tsonchev's troops, "taking the oath on General
Tsonchev's revolutionary flag". The said flag, as far as it can be seen on the
photo, seems to be different from the flag presented by "Focus".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tsonchev-Hales-Tageev.jpg
Ivan Sache,
26 July 2010
