Revolutionary Spiro Kostov

Spiro Kostov, called Kirpiyata, was a Bulgarian revolutionary and Volunteer Corps veteran who actively participated in Bulgaria's historical events during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

He was born on 28 August 1852 in Veles, now in North Macedonia. Spiro belonged to the Bulgarian émigré community in Romania, where he became involved in revolutionary circles and worked in Lyuben Karavelov's printing house. In 1876, he volunteered in the Serbo-Turkish War, and during the Russo-Turkish War in 1877 he joined the Bulgarian Volunteer Corps and fought at Shipka, receiving the Order of St George.

Following the Kresna–Razlog Uprising, he became involved in the struggle against Ottoman rule. In 1884, with assistance from other revolutionaries, he organised a revolutionary committee in Stanimaka to work for the liberation of Macedonia and the Edirne region. He was also a principal figure in the establishment of the Bulgarian Secret Central Revolutionary Committee on 10 February 1885.

That same year, during Bulgaria's Unification, Kostov played an important role in its preparation and proclamation, becoming leader of the Golyamo Konare insurgents who seized control in Staro Novo Selo.

After the Unification, he participated in the Serbo-Bulgarian War and the armed-detachment campaign, and during the First Balkan War he volunteered in the Macedonian-Adrianople Volunteer Corps.

Kostov died in Sofia on 19 August 1931, leaving a legacy as an active fighter for Bulgaria's freedom and independence.