Dimcho Debelyanov

Dimcho Debelyanov was born on March 28, 1887, in Koprivshtitsa. Moving to Sofia, he lived in bohemian poverty, translating French and Russian authors while publishing exquisite, melancholic poems exploring human fragility, sorrow, and memories of childhood innocence.

When Bulgaria entered World War I, Debelyanov volunteered for the front line, serving as a second lieutenant in the 22nd Thracian Infantry Regiment. His frontline poems, including 'The Quiet Spring Rain' and 'Sirotna Pesan', captured the profound pathos of the trenches. On October 2, 1916, he fell in battle near Demir Hisar. His mother's statue sitting in eternal vigil by sculptor Ivan Lazarov in Koprivshtitsa is a national treasure.