The great Bulgarian writer Anton Donchev passed away at the age of 92 after a serious illness, BTA has reported. Known in this country and around the world for the historical novel "Time of Parting"(Vreme razdelno), Anton Donchev was sad to watch the political events in Bulgaria in recent years and the crisis in the governance of the country. "You cannot have a Bulgarian heart and not feel sorry for what is happening," he pointed out some time ago in an interview for bTV. "We speak badly, coldly, heartlessly, and this is not our language," the writer commented.

He was born on September 14, 1930 in Burgas. In 1948, he graduated from high school in Veliko Tarnovo and later studied law in the Sofia University. He graduated in 1953 but after working for a short time as a judge in Veliko Tarnovo he quit and devoted himself to writing. His first historical novel “Samuel's Testimony" was published in 1961. His second book, "Time of Parting", was published in 1964 and was written for just 41 days, as the author himself said. The novel, which tells a story about the forced Islamization of a significant part of the Bulgarian Christian population in the Rhodopes in the 17th century, was translated and published abroad. In 1987, the film "Vreme Razdelno", directed by Lyudmil Staykov, was also created based on the book. In June 2015, in a large-scale survey among the audience of the Bulgarian National Television, "Vreme Razdelno" was chosen as the most favorite film of the Bulgarian viewers.

"Master of the word, knight of the book, keeper of wisdom - Academician Donchev was present in our world with a light of his own, as an erudite, writer and public figure", President Rumen Radev wrote in a condolence address to the family and relatives of the renowned Bulgarian writer.

The head of state also points out that Bulgaria was parting with a bright person whose poetic world is an example of perseverance in defending the spiritual foundations of Bulgaria. "Our personal meetings and his trust in me will be another inspiration for me to continue defending the dignity of Bulgaria," the head of state also said.