This eminent Bulgarian is known for his fights for the liberation of Macedonia, once a territory within Bulgaria but later left under the supervision of the Ottoman Empire. He was one of the most loved revolutionary and character in dozens of folklore songs, stories and fairy tales…
He was born in the small village of Vlahi, on the west slopes of the Pirin Mountain, on May 18th 1872. In April 1901 he founded his first military detachment thus staring an almost 15-year revolutionary career. After the death of Gotze Delchev, he became one of the voyvoda leaders of the VMRO Macedonian Liberation Organization.
Sandanski was killed on April 21st, 1915, in the Pirin Mountain, after a quarrel with another revolutionary detachment. He was buried some 200 m away of the Rozhen Monastery and his memorial plate on his grave bears the inscription: “To live means to fight. The slave fights for freedom, the free man – for perfection….”