Revolutionary Boris Sarafov

Boris Petrov Sarafov was a Bulgarian military officer and revolutionary, a voivode and leader of the Supreme Macedonian-Adrianople Committee and the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organisation. He was one of the controversial figures in the Macedonian-Adrianople liberation movement, a bohemian, extravagant and changeable in his views. Boris Petrov Sarafov used numerous pseudonyms, including Alexander Ivanovich, Begot, Bogdan Petrov, Boris Ivanov, Vladimir Nikolaev, Kerim Pasha, Krum, Krum the Voivode, Krumski, Maystor, Oynak, Printsa, Tvoyta Hubost, Toros and Hubostta.

In 1893, Boris Sarafov was promoted to second lieutenant and served in the 15th Lom Infantry Regiment in Belogradchik. There he attracted associates to support the revolutionary cause in Macedonia, including Hristo Chernopeev, Tane Nikolov, Toma Davidov, Bobi Stoychev and others. In 1895, by then a lieutenant, Sarafov became voivode of a detachment in the Macedonian Committee's armed-detachment campaign. He led the Fourth Unit, comprising the detachments of Kolyo Rizov, Kocho Mustruka and Ango Kostadinov. The detachment successfully captured Melnik in July 1895.

After the campaign failed, Sarafov studied at the General Staff Academy in Saint Petersburg and wore his First Sofia Regiment uniform while promoting the revolutionary struggle. In 1896 he visited Constantinople, Zograf Monastery and Hilandar Monastery to raise funds for the Supreme Committee. In Thessaloniki he met IMARO's leaders and supported joint action to supply arms to the revolutionaries in Macedonia.

In 1897, Sarafov supplied information about the Turkish army and military topographical maps to Racho Petrov, Bulgaria's minister of war and prime minister. He also attempted to obtain money and weapons from Russia, Austria-Hungary and the United States, as well as in Serbia and Romania.

In May 1899, Sarafov was elected chairman of the Supreme Committee at the Sixth Congress of the Macedonian Brotherhoods in Bulgaria. During this period he signed a protocol with IMARO's representatives, Gotse Delchev and Gyorche Petrov, allowing Bulgarian officers into all IMARO structures. Sarafov supported more active work both among emigrants and inside the region.

In October 1900 he helped dissolve the Bulgarian Secret Revolutionary Brotherhood in Thessaloniki and integrate its members into IMARO. As the new chairman of the Supreme Committee, he established a barracks in Sofia's Yuchbunar quarter, where he kept about a hundred armed detachment members. This force intimidated Macedonian emigrants in Sofia and collected funds.

Boris Petrov Sarafov was one of the key figures in the Macedonian-Adrianople liberation movement, playing an important role in supplying and coordinating revolutionary forces in the region.