Revolutionary Nikola Zhivkov

Nikola Atanasov Zhivkov was a Bulgarian educator born in 1847 in Tarnovo. He is known as the founder of Bulgaria's first kindergarten and the author of the song "Shumi Maritsa", which served as the national anthem from 1886 to 1944.

During his school years Zhivkov studied under well-known figures such as Nikola Mihaylovski and Petko Slaveykov. Later, in 1867–1869, he studied pedagogy and mathematics at the American mission in Ruse. He worked in Hristo G. Danov's bookshop and travelled through the Bulgarian lands, publishing his impressions in the newspaper "Право". In 1872–1873 he served as an authorised representative of the Bulgarian Exarchate and the Bulgarian Chitalishte cultural society in Constantinople.

Zhivkov taught in various towns for twelve years and helped edit the first issue of Hristo Botev's newspaper "Нова България". In 1876 he wrote the song "Shumi Maritsa" and took part in the Serbian-Turkish War and the Russo-Turkish War.

After 1878 Zhivkov worked as a school inspector, and in 1882 he opened Bulgaria's first kindergarten in Svishtov. He wrote various textbooks, dramas and comedies and edited several newspapers.

Zhivkov also participated in the Macedonian-Adrianople liberation movement and commanded the first cavalry unit during the Kresna–Razlog Uprising. He was one of the founders of the Bulgarian-Macedonian League in 1880 and began publishing the newspaper "Македонец" in Ruse, which focused specifically on Macedonian issues after the Liberation.