Revolutionary Todor Dochev

Todor Georgiev Dochev was born in Stara Zagora in 1882. His brother Nikola Dochev was also a revolutionary of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organisation (IMARO). From an early age, he joined the revolutionary efforts of the Macedonian Bulgarians.

In 1904, Dochev belonged to Petar Yurukov's detachment in the Kruševo region, and the following year he served under the voivode Ivan Naumov Alyabaka. In October 1905, while in Martoltsi village in the Veles region, pro-Serbian activists betrayed him and he was arrested, but escaped. He later returned to Martoltsi and executed the informer, a brother of the pro-Serbian voivode Jovan Babunski.

In 1906, Dochev joined the detachment of the Veles voivode Second Lieutenant Pancho Konstantinov. He played an important role in strengthening its position in several villages where Serbian propaganda and pro-Serbian activism had been active.

During the battle at the Monastery of St John in April 1906, Dochev successfully led an attack that helped two encircled detachments escape unharmed. After Pancho Konstantinov's death on 25 June 1906, Dochev was elected the detachment's new voivode.

He also participated in the Battle of Nozhot in July 1907 as a member of Ivan Naumov's detachment. By autumn 1907, he led his own detachment operating in the Koreshcha area of the Kastoria revolutionary district.

After the events of July 1908, Dochev was arrested and sentenced to serve time in Prilep Prison. In 1909, he received an amnesty, but before his release he was poisoned by the Turks. Thus ended the life of one of the leading revolutionaries of his time, whose role was crucial to the Macedonian Bulgarians' struggle for freedom and independence.