Revolutionary Matey Preobrazhenski

Father Matey Preobrazhenski, also called Mitkaloto,  was a Bulgarian monk and National Revival figure known as an educator and revolutionary. He was a member of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation (IRO) and a close friend and confidant of Vasil Levski, being called the "first associate of the Apostle of Freedom".

In 1862, Matey Preobrazhenski laid aside his monastic robes and joined the First Bulgarian Legion. The following year he led a small detachment that entered Bulgaria and won a battle against an Ottoman unit. After this success, he became actively involved in public work, preaching and distributing Bulgarian books, including those that awakened national consciousness.

In 1869, Father Matey Preobrazhenski accompanied Vasil Levski on his tour of the Tarnovo region and other towns and villages south of Bulgaria. He had longstanding relationships with people in the region and successfully organised local revolutionary committees of the IRO.

After Levski's death in 1873, Father Matey Preobrazhenski continued his active role in organising the liberation movement. He built the Committee Inn in his native Novo Selo, which served as a meeting place for revolutionary conspirators.

Father Matey Preobrazhenski died of an ear ailment in 1875 in Novo Selo, aged 47. He was buried in the churchyard of St Nicholas in the village, and numerous associates from the Tarnovo region attended his funeral.