Kolju Ficheto

Nikola Ivanov Fitschew (also Nikola Ivanov Fichev written Bulgarian Никола Иванов Фичев * 1800 in Dryanovo , then Ottoman Empire ; † 2 November ^{. Jul} / 15 November ^greg. 1881 in Veliko Tarnovo , Bulgaria ), but usually with the diminutive of his First name Kolju Fitscheto (Bulgarian Колю Фичето) was a Bulgarian-Ottoman builder ( Usta , short from Ustabaschija), architect and artist from the time of the National Revival , who was also active in Wallachia (now southern Romania ). The Bulgarian general Ivan Fachev is his grandson. In 2007 Kolju Fitscheto was included in the list of the 100 most important Bulgarians .

Life

Nikola Fitschew was born in 1800 in the poor city of Drjanowo in the Balkan Mountains . His mother Maria came from a family of artists (wood carvers and sculptors) from Martscha , his father Iwan (also Jowan in literature) died in 1803 or 1804.

At the age of 10, Maria sent her son as a chirak (Bulgarian чирак, to German apprentice) away with migrant construction workers to learn their trade. At the time of the national rebirth, every budding craftsman ( Esnaf ) had to go through four stages (Tschirak, Kalfa (Bulgar. Калфа), Bash Kalfa (Bulgar. Баш калфа) or Kalfabashija (Bulgar. Калфабашия) and Baschkalija (Bulgarian. Башка) Mittel, Junge Meister)) before he got the master craftsman's certificate and was recognized as a master (Ustabaschija, or Usta for short). It is believed that Fitschew became Kalfa around 1817/18, returned home and worked for an unknown master in Drjanowo. With him Fitschew was also active in the Dobruja and Wallachia in the construction of buildings.

Around 1822/23 Nikola married Marinka from Drjanowo. In 1823/24 Fitschew started as Kalfabaschija in the studio of his maternal relative Stanju Marangozina in Tarnowo (today Veliko Tarnowo ), where he learned the craft of woodcarving. He practiced this activity mainly in the winter months, in summer he worked in construction with master Velju from Drjanowo. In 1825 his son Ivan (1825–1877) was born. In 1830 Nikola Fitschew bought a house and finally moved to Tarnovo with his family.

In 1833 Fitschew received the master craftsman's certificate from the Tarnovo craft guild, became a young master (Baschkalija) and worked as such with master Dimitar Sofianlijata . As early as 1831 he was working with him on the construction site of the Preobraschenie monastery . Under the direction of Fitschew the main monastery church, the east wing and the iconostases in all monastery churches were built. After a break in 1835, when some of the construction workers in the failed Weltschowa-Zawera uprising were arrested and murdered by the Ottomans, Fitschew took over not only the management of the monastery construction under the master Ivan Dawdata, but also the completion of the Sweti Nikola Church in Tarnowo.

Fitschew as a master

It is not known exactly when Fitschew received the master craftsman's certificate. The first written mention of Fitschew's master's title (Usta) is from 1839, but without him he could not take over the management of the construction of the Sveti Nikola church in 1836, which is why 1836 is assumed to be the earliest possible appointment of a master.

In the summer months between 1837 and 1840 Fitschew worked as an independent master builder and with various master builders from Brazigowo in Thrace , Edirne and Constantinople and in the winter months as a wood carver with Stanju Marangozina in Tarnowo.

In 1840 Fitschew had his first master stamp made as a Ustabaschija in Constantinople. Between 1840 and 1847 he worked in Tarnowo and the surrounding area together with Usta Welju and Stanju Marangozina. In 1840 he was given the task of rebuilding the Kilifarewo monastery . Over the next two years, a new residential wing for the monks and a larger monastery church were built under his direction. Both buildings with their architecture and functional solutions mark a new stage in Bulgarian architecture. In 1848 Nikola Fitschew worked again with Maister Welju in Wallachia, after which he stopped working with the woodcarver Stanju and devoted himself only to architecture. Around 1854 Fitschew became chairman of the building guild in Tarnowo and a year later chief architect (beledije ustasi ??, Bulgar. Беледие устасъ) of Tarnowo. Around 1856 Fitschew met the Ottoman administrator of the Bulgarian lands between the Balkan Mountains and the Danube, Midhat Pascha , who commissioned him with several state projects in the following period. In 1868 Nikola Fitschew was honored with the Ottoman order Mecidiye (Bulgarian Меджидие), 50,000 gold pieces and a piece of land in Tarnowo for his services, which he had rendered for the Ottoman imperial government .

Between 1870 and 1876 Fitschew planned and realized his last major projects. In 1873 he was elected honorary chairman of the church council at the Church of St. Constantine and Elena in Tarnowo. From 1877 to 1881 he planned several village churches that were built by builders close to him. From 1878 he changed his signature from Usta to Architect.

Nikola Fitschew died on November 2nd ^July / 15. November ^greg. 1881 in Veliko Tarnovo.

Famous works

The Trinity Church in Swishtow

The Bjala bridge over the Jantra river near Bjala

• Monastery church and east wing of the Preobraschenie Monastery (1831–1848)
• Sweti Nikola Church in Tarnowo, (from 1835)
• Solak Mosque in Kazanlak (1837)
• Kilifarewo Monastery (1840–1841 / 2)
• Sveti Ilija Monastery Church of the Platschkowo Monastery (1841–1845)
• Church of the Holy Mother of God in Tarnowo (1842–1844, destroyed during the 1913 earthquake )
• Church of the Holy Mother of God in Prisowo (1845–1846)
• Monastery church of the Trinity Monastery in Tarnowo (1846–1847)
• Sveti Dimitar Church in Lyaskovets (1848–1849)
• The house with the monkey (1849) in Tarnowo
• Saint Marina Church in Tarnowo (1849–1850)
• Han Mintscho Chadschizachev (1849-1850)
• Sweti Nikola Church in Drjanowo (1849–1851)
• Church of Sweti Nikola in Gorna Orjachowiza (1849-1852)
• Bell tower of the Plachkovo Monastery (1856)
• Rosiza Bridge (1857–1858, 110 m long) near Sevlievo on behalf of Midhat Pasha
• Han Hadschi Nikoli in Tarnowo (1858)
• Sweti Spas Church in Tarnowo (1858-1859)
• Church of the Holy Brothers Kiril and Methodius in Veliko Tarnovo (1860–1861)
• Fountain in the Sokolski Monastery (1865)
• Trinity Church in Swishtow (1865–1867)
• Bjala Bridge (1865–1867, also Belensky Bridge, 276 m long and 9 m wide)
• Church of St. Constantine and Elena in Veliko Tarnovo (1872–1873)
• Konak (1873–1874), later the town hall and meeting place of the First Bulgarian National Assembly in Tarnowo
• Sveta Parashkeva Church in Bryastovets (1873–1879)
• Covered bridge in Lovech (1874–1876) (bulg .: Покритият мост в Ловеч)
• Drjanowo Bridge , near Drjanowo
• Ikonomow's house in Drjanowo
• Karagizov silk factory in Veliko Tarnovo

Miscellaneous

The Ficheto Point , a headland of the West Antarctic Livingston Island is named after kolyu ficheto since of 2006.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Николай Тулешков: Архитектурното изкуство на старите българи. Volume 3: Приложение Късно средновековие и възраждане. Академично издателство "Проф. Марин Дринов “, София 2006, ISBN 954-322-109-X , p. 14.
2. ↑ Първият парламент бил в сграда на Колю Фичето ( Memento of the original from May 17, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on www.trud.de 

Web links

Commons : Kolju Fitscheto  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Biography of Kolju Fitscheto in the orthodox portal www.pravoslavieto.com
• Първомайстор Никола Фичев - живот и творчество (Bulgarian) on www.arch-art-bg.com, July 2, 2010