Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

"Where art thou, faithful love of the people"

The story of this song goes back to Bulgaria’s struggle for independence of the Ottoman Empire. It was created by Dobri Chintulov, teacher, poet and composer of the Bulgarian Revival period, who worked for the enlightenment and national self-awareness of his compatriots. Graduate of the Theological Seminary in Odessa, he was an advocate for national and church freedom.

Dobri Chintulov wrote the lyrics of the song "Kude si, vyarna ti lyubov narodna" ("Where art thou, faithful love of the people") while he was in Odessa. The tune, however, was probably the melody of another song, popular at the time, but whose title is now forgotten. Forgotten is the last word one can say about "Kude si vyarna ti lyubov narodna". The song became a symbol of the awakening of a nation. An awakening that started from a "spark of love" and turned into a "raging flame".


Together with “Stani, stani yunak balkanski” ("Wake up, wake up, Balkan hero"), “Viatar echi, Balkan stene” ("Wind is howling, Balkan is moaning") and several other revolutionary songs by Dobri Chintulov, it raised the spirit of the Bulgarian patriots during the April Uprising (1876) and the Russo-Turkish War that brought the Liberation of Bulgaria (1878-1879).

Photos: archive



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Portrait of Vasil Levski, artist Dionisiy Donchev

Vasil Levski bid farewell to life with a song

"It's bitter cold, wood and stone are cracking, we've been with no food for two or three days, yet he sings and is always cheerful! In the evening - before we go to bed - he sings; in the morning, as soon as he opens his eyes, he sings again" - this is..

published on 2/19/25 10:35 AM

Carmina Burana brings together orchestras from Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia in Sofia

A concert performance of the stage cantata Carmina Burana by Carl Orff in Sofia has turned into a celebration for music lovers and a testament to the power of music to melt ice in diplomacy. For the first time, three orchestras from three..

published on 2/18/25 5:05 PM
Bulgapeya Choir

Bulgapeya choir - Bulgarian voices in Brussels

Six years ago, on the day of the first day of spring, several Bulgarian women living in Brussels, driven by their love for their native folklore and the strength of their roots, decided to create their own creative corner , where this love would find..

published on 2/18/25 11:31 AM