Revolutionary Tancho Shabanov

Atanas, or Tancho, Velyov Shabanov (1845–15 September 1918) was a Bulgarian revolutionary and national hero, born and deceased in Koprivshtitsa. He was one of the leaders and organisers of the April Uprising of 1876.

Tancho was the youngest child of the prosperous shepherd Velyo. After his father and brothers died, he remained alone with his mother. She sent him to work for a Koprivshtitsa maker of coarse woollen clothing. In 1869, Tancho opened a café at the Bitpazar, becoming known as Tancho the Café Keeper. The café became a meeting place for the revolutionary committee.

In September 1875, Tancho went to Constantinople to explore possible support from Bulgarians for the forthcoming uprising. On returning to Koprivshtitsa, he organised ammunition production for it. He made flags bearing the inscription 'Bulgarian Lion: Freedom or Death'.

On 20 April 1876, when the uprising broke out, Shabanov actively participated as a member of the revolutionary committee. He rang the bells of the town's two churches, rousing the population.

After the uprising was suppressed, Shabanov joined Todor Kableshkov's unit and fought the Turks. He was later imprisoned and tortured in various prisons. In 1880, he was released and married Maria Dobreva, the daughter of Dobri Voivode.

Shabanov is also known as a chronicler of the revolutionary events of 1876. He fought for the Bulgarian people's freedom and remains a symbol of the national struggle for independence.