Revolutionary Marin Poplukanov

Marin Poplukanov Lilov was a Bulgarian national revolutionary and a politician of the People's Liberal Party, the Stambolovists, born on 25 May 1845 in Lovech. He belonged to the family of the priest Lukan Lilov and was the brother of Iliya Lukanov, Hristo Lukanov and Velichka Hashnova.

Marin completed primary school in Lovech and continued his education at the graded school in Tarnovo, where he also practised shoemaking. On returning to Lovech, he became actively involved in the struggle for the Bulgarian Church, opposing Metropolitan Ilarion of Lovech.

Marin Poplukanov became one of the founders and chairman of the Lovech Local Revolutionary Committee. He was a member of the Provisional Government of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation and a close collaborator of Vasil Levski. Marin Poplukanov was also known by the nicknames Kavedzhiya, Marin the Coffeehouse Keeper, Marin Handzhi and Gruyu.

On 28 October 1872 he was arrested in Lovech in connection with the Dimitar Obshti case, together with his sister Velichka Hashnova and Dimitar Pashkov. After a brief investigation, Marin Poplukanov was sentenced to exile in the Sofia case against the Internal Revolutionary Organisation and spent the period from October 1872 to July 1876 in Turkish prisons. With the help of local Kurds, he escaped on 6 July 1876 together with Dimitar Pashkov and Georgi Minchev. After his escape he settled in Bucharest, Romania.