Revolutionary Todor Banchev

Todor Pavlov Parmakov, also called Banchev and the Hajduk, was a Bulgarian hajduk and revolutionary who played an important role in the April Uprising.

He was born in Gorno Draglishta village or, according to some sources, in neighbouring Banya. He worked as a teacher in Radilovo village in the Plovdiv region. In 1854, he became a hajduk and took command of a band joined by other hajduks, including Beyko, Ivan Malinov and Gogo Angelov from Radilovo. He worked to clear the passes from Batak towards Macedonia and Thrace of bandit gangs. For more than ten years, he carried out hajduk exploits commemorated in many legends.

At the time of the uprising, he actively helped organise and prepare it in the region, playing a significant role in mobilising the local population to fight Ottoman rule. He also assisted Georgi Benkovski and Panayot Volov.

He joined the Flying Detachment at Belyovo station and participated in the struggle in Koprivshtitsa, Panagyurishte, Bratsigovo and elsewhere. He continued fighting for the Bulgarian people's freedom and tried to lead his detachment towards Rila and the Rhodope Mountains after Panagyurishte's defeat, but his plan was rejected. Eventually, he left the Flying Detachment with several comrades and escaped the Turkish military encirclement.