Revolutionary Atanas Kelpetkov

Atanas Kelpetkov, or Kelyuvski, was a Bulgarian priest, teacher and revolutionary born in 1856 in Ustovo village, now a district of Smolyan, Bulgaria.

After completing the Plovdiv Graded School, he joined the revolutionary movement and became secretary of Petko Voivode's detachment in 1878. In 1898, he joined the revolutionary committee in Ustovo founded by Iliya Hadzhitoshev.

In 1901, during the Pashmakli Affair, Kelpetkov was sentenced to 101 years in prison, but was amnestied at the end of March 1904. Despite his failing health, he endured the swaggering threats, torment and suffering in prison.

Atanas Kelpetkov died in 1926, and a commemorative plaque was installed in his honour in his native Ustovo.

Hristo Karamandzhukov described him as a calm, fearless and patient man who played an important role in the revolutionary movement in Ustovo and the surrounding area.