– When they got married, the future First asked the priest for a short procedure
– The village museum for Dad and his wife keeps the marriage register and the doctor’s office
More than two decades after Todor Zhivkov’s death, the Pavlikeni village opened a second museum of Dad after the one in his native Pravets. Curious photos, exhibits and documents show the residence of the then 27-year-old husband and wife Dr. Mara Maleeva – Zhivkova in Daskot in the late 30s of last century.
With the new collection, the locals hope to attract tourists to the small village and restore its fame from the time when students were taken here on an excursion to show them the museum “Dr. Mara Maleeva”. He was in the house where her office was and he and Zhivkov lived.
The museum exposition was demolished in 1990 and the building was sold,
but the locals kept some of the equipment along with the nostalgic memory of the stay of the future first head of state and party.
The whole village and the surrounding area gathered for the opening of the collection in Dascott. The mayor of Pavlikeni municipality Emanuil Manolov, the chairman of the municipal council Hristo Kavalski, the Olympic vice-champion and honorary citizen of Pavlikeni Vessela Lecheva were present.
The ribbon was cut by Zhivkovi’s granddaughter Evgenia. “We have been postponing the opening of this collection for two years due to the measures against the covid pandemic. Mrs. Zhivkova, I hope that you will be proud of this exhibition, which will also be part of your family history “, the mayor addressed her.
In the former health service she was greeted by a woven tapestry with the image of her mother – Lyudmila Zhivkova. The work not exhibited so far was provided by the Tarnovo archaeologist Assoc. Prof. Mirko Robov. It was inherited from his mother-in-law – the best Kotlen master of woven tapestries.
Jeni Zhivkova also embraced the idea of local museographer Diana Miteva and
donated valuable family photos, coffee set with the initials of Todor Zhivkov,
A doctor’s office from the 1930s can be seen in the museum. PHOTO: Dima Maximova
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which was given to him in the 60s of the last century in Karlovy Vary, a crystal cup with engravings, a gift to the First from Salzburg. However, the handwritten note in Mara Maleeva’s handwriting, which accompanies the donation, is more valuable. It was in Dascott, who had just graduated in medicine, that she began working as a district doctor. Shortly afterwards, Todor Zhivkov settled there. They live together and blow up patriarchal rural customs.
“They were not married then and the locals reproached them that they could not live together without marriage. They got married in Pavlikeni and later left Daskot. Over the years they have come to the village many times because they have established many contacts among the local population. Dr. Maleeva enjoyed great authority, she visited people in their homes, and Todor Zhivkov was active in the community center and even
led the amateur theater troupe “,
Deputy Mayor Nikolay Mitev said.
The marriage took place on February 2, 1939 in the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Pavlikeni according to the marriage register on display in the museum. There is also a photo from their wedding – a donation from the director of the Historical Museum in Pravets. According to the village legend, Todor Zhivkov scared the priest to drive according to the short procedure, to sign so much. The two young men drove from Dascott to the altar in a cart.
At that time, Dr. Mara Maleeva was far more popular among the community. In her honor, the museum collection keeps a doctor’s couch, a desk and a medical cabinet with tools from her office in the village. One room in the former health service has been transformed into the only doctor’s office of its kind in the 1930s with medical instruments, cabinets, books and magazines. It is among the exhibits
working mercury apparatus for measuring blood
pressure and hemoglobin, as well as reusable syringes, flasks and beakers for the preparation of drugs.
The other room is dedicated to the contribution of the Zhivkovi family in the cultural life of the village. The pointer used by Zhivkov as the leader of the theater circle is kept. “As a member of the Chitalishte, Zhivkov heads the amateur theater troupe in the village of Daskot. According to the protocol book of the Napredak Community Center, he was elected a delegate from Daskot at the 19th Congress of Chitalishte in 1939. We also have an assurance to BDZ that he will be voted on free travel expenses, museographer Diana Miteva.
“I came here in the 70s after the opening of the museum exhibition named after Dr. Mara Maleeva. I was on a field trip with my classmates. And this is one of my memories of Dascott. I heard mostly from my grandfather interesting things about the period when they were here. What I know from him is that my grandmother helped a lot of people not only from Dascott, but also from the neighboring villages. She was a very principled woman and she loved to be useful, “said Evgenia Zhivkova.
Neli Tsoneva, the long-time director of the Pavlikeni Museum, testified to her granddaughter about her authority and respect for Dr. Maleeeva. “My father used to say that
for a matchbox full of killed flies,
Dr. Mara Maleeva gave 1 lev each
Now it sounds ridiculous, but this reception was to educate children from an early age not to allow flies in the houses, “said Nelly Tsoneva.
The 78-year-old Nikolinka Dyavolova recalled how Zhivkov played in the play “Three Chains of Slaves” together with local amateurs. The couple left the village in 1939. Almost 4 decades later, Nikolinka met him again in Dascott. “In 1976, we celebrated 70 years of party organization. We then invited the entire Politburo, headed by Todor Zhivkov. I was giving a report that was broadcast on the radio. There was also a page about Mara Maleeva, she had already died. The party passed and then – lunch at the restaurant. Todor Zhivkov was sitting next to me. Extremely modest, eats very little, and I haven’t eaten at all. From “Balkantourist” served. At that time the security was already stronger, they did not allow us to prepare food here and until they put it on, they immediately took the plates. It doesn’t matter if you ate! ”The pensioner recalls.
Before that, in 1973, the museum collection of Mara Maleeva was opened. “Then he gave a speech on how he came here, how he went to mow the fields with friends. Lyudmila Zhivkova and Ivan Slavkov were also present at this opening “, Dyavolova ordered.
“I have met Zhivkov three times – at the opening of the community center in 1979, when I was a first year teacher in Daskot, on the anniversary of the party organization and the 100th anniversary of the school. The meeting at the school was very exciting “, says the former director of the already closed rural school Milka Mihailova, while waiting for her turn to look into the museum.
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