Revolutionary Sava Penev

Sava Penev Rashev was a Bulgarian national revolutionary known for participating in Botev's detachment and the Serbo-Bulgarian War. He was born around 1851 in Tarnovo. His father owned an inn where revolutionaries held secret meetings.

Sava Penev became a member of the Tarnovo Local Revolutionary Committee of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation (IRO) and worked with Vasil Levski. He actively participated in preparations for the Stara Zagora Uprising of 1875, but after its failure he was captured by the Turkish authorities. He managed to escape to Romania.

During his time in Romania, Sava Penev became involved in organising Botev's detachment, raising funds and securing provisions. He actively participated in its battles, including those at Milin Kamak and Okolchitsa, where he was also present at Hristo Botev's death on 20 May 1876.

After Botev's death, Sava Penev joined Nikola Voynovski's group, which continued the struggle eastwards through the Balkan Mountains. On 13 June 1876, during an ambush, Voynovski was mortally wounded and died at Kash Kara near the village of Chiflik in the Troyan Balkan Mountains.

Sava Penev and other members of the detachment continued seeking safety and surrendered to the Turks between the villages of Shipkovo and Beli Osam. They were tortured and imprisoned in Troyan and Lovech, and later sent to Saint-Jean d'Acre as prisoners sentenced to lifelong chains. They were released on 19 May 1878.

After the Liberation in 1885, Sava Penev served as a volunteer in the Serbo-Bulgarian War. He married in 1884 and had five children, including two generals, one of whom was Major General Georgi Penev.

Sava Penev died in Svishtov on 25 January 1916. His photograph of a portrait of Vasil Levski was discovered in 1959 in the family archive of Bogdan Penev of Svishtov and is held in the regional museum in Veliko Tarnovo.