Revolutionary Ivan Pophristov

Ivan, or Vankata, Raychev Pophristov, also known as Hristov or Hristovich, whose name was written Иванъ попъ Христовъ before 1945, was a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary who fought to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.

He was born in Gabrovo on 25 September 1843. His father was the local priest Father Hristo Popiliev Raychev, and his mother was Elena Popvelcheva Grudova. He had two brothers, Iliya and Raycho, and two sisters, Maria and Rada. Vankata received his elementary education in his hometown and was one of the most outstanding pupils of his teacher Todor Burmov.

After completing secondary school in Moscow in 1862, Vankata entered the Moscow Slavonic Faculty with financial support from his maternal uncle Ivan Grudov, an active revolutionary. In 1864, he graduated from the military school in Moscow with the rank of ensign and entered service in a regiment in the Western Caucasus. In 1866, he left the service and went to Constantinople, where he unsuccessfully tried to join the Turkish army.

In early 1868, he became an instructor for the Bulgarian volunteers who had enlisted in Hadzhi Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha's detachment. Hadzhi Dimitar quickly noticed the young revolutionary's talent and invited him to join. Vankata accepted and became the detachment's clerk and its third most important figure after the two voivodes. He even drafted the 'Law' governing the detachment.

Vankata was active both as a detachment member and as a publicist. He regularly contributed to the newspaper Народност (Nationality), the organ of the Secret Revolutionary Committee in Bucharest. His uncle Ivan Grudov edited the newspaper together with Ivan Bogorov and Ivan Kasabov.