Voivode Dyado Tsonyo

Dyado Tsonyo Voivode was a Bulgarian hajduk born in the village of Dragodanovo. There is no precise information about his life before 1810. He is also known as Dyado Chonyu or the Bearded Voivode.

His rebellious activities are believed to have begun in the late 18th century. He formed a very well-armed detachment of 10 to 15 men. He selected its members carefully, seeking healthy, strong and resilient men. He also required prospective members to be intelligent and sensible, ready to fight in the Sliven, Kotel, Elena and Tryavna sections of the Balkan Mountains. Dyado Tsonyo Voivode insisted on unquestioning obedience and military discipline. Together with demanding physical and mental effort, this made the company a mobile and effective fighting unit for its time.

Initially, Dyado Tsonyo’s detachment fought the kardzhali brigands, but it later directed its operations against the Ottoman Empire as a whole. Accounts survive of more than a hundred victories in battles and clashes with Turkish pursuit forces and regular troops over a period exceeding twenty-five years. Around 1825, Dyado Tsonyo Voivode withdrew from the struggle for freedom and settled in Wallachia.

Among Dyado Tsonyo Voivode’s hajduks was Boycho Voivode Tseperanski, who later became famous.