# Konstantin Fotinov

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**Konstantin Georgiev Fotinov** ([Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language): Константин Георгиев Фотинов; c. 1790 – 29 November 1858) was a [Bulgarian](/source/Bulgaria) writer, translator and enlightenment figure of the [Bulgarian National Revival](/source/Bulgarian_National_Revival) period. The publisher of the first Bulgarian-language [magazine](/source/Magazine), he is regarded as the founder of the Bulgarian press.[1][2]

Fotinov was born in the town of [Samokov](/source/Samokov) around 1790 to the family of a small-time merchant from [Plovdiv](/source/Plovdiv).[3] He studied at a local monastical school before continuing his education in Plovdiv in [Thrace](/source/Thrace) and in [Kydonies](/source/Ayval%C4%B1k) in [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia); he was tutored by the [Greek](/source/Greeks) humanist [Theophilos Kairis](/source/Theophilos_Kairis). He worked on [a translation of the Bible into Bulgarian](/source/Bible_translations_into_Bulgarian) for the [BFBS](/source/British_and_Foreign_Bible_Society), but they did not approve it. From 1828 on, Fotinov worked as a teacher and man of letters. He founded a private mixed Hellenic-Bulgarian school in [İzmir](/source/%C4%B0zmir) ([Smyrna](/source/Smyrna)) and employed the [Bell-Lancaster method](/source/Bell-Lancaster_method). The school's programme included Bulgarian, Greek and [French](/source/French_language) classes. It had around 200 pupils from all around the Bulgarian lands.

Fotinov was the editor and publisher of the first Bulgarian magazine, *Lyuboslovie* ("[philology](/source/Philology)", "love of words"), which he issued in Smyrna from 1844 to 1846.[4] The magazine was richly illustrated and included articles on [history](/source/History), [geography](/source/Geography), [religion](/source/Religion), [morale](/source/Morale), [medicine](/source/Medicine), [hygiene](/source/Hygiene), ansd [language](/source/Language).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Fotinov also published a [Greek grammar](/source/Modern_Greek_grammar) book (1838) and a Bulgarian [phrasebook](/source/Phrasebook) (1845) and translated a geographic book from Greek to Bulgarian (1843). It was Fotinov that first addressed the issue of [female education](/source/Female_education) in the Bulgarian press.

From 1852 on, Fotinov worked on a [Bulgarian translation](/source/Slavic_translations_of_the_Bible#Bulgarian) of the [Bible](/source/Bible). He managed to translate the [Old Testament](/source/Old_Testament): the [Book of Psalms](/source/Book_of_Psalms) was published in Smyrna in 1855 and the [Book of Genesis](/source/Book_of_Genesis) was issued in [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul) ([Tsarigrad](/source/Tsarigrad)) in 1857.[5]

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Wiener, Leo](/source/Leo_Wiener) (February 1898). ["America's Share in the Regeneration of Bulgaria (1840-1859)"](https://archive.org/details/jstor-2918140/page/n3). *Modern Language Notes*. **13** (2): 38–39. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2307/2918140](https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2918140). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [2918140](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2918140). Retrieved January 4, 2020 – via Internet Archive.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Crampton, R. J.](/source/Richard_J._Crampton) (2005). *A Concise History of Bulgaria* (2nd ed.). Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo: Cambridge University Press. p. 63.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [MacDermott, Mercia](/source/Mercia_MacDermott) (1962). [*A History of Bulgaria 1395–1885*](https://archive.org/details/historyofbulgari00macd). New York: Frederick A. Praeger. p. [138](https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.36048/page/138/mode/2up). Retrieved 18 June 2021 – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Riggs, Elias](/source/Elias_Riggs) (1844). [*Notes on the Grammar of the Bulgarian Language*](https://archive.org/stream/notesongrammarof00rigg#page/n9/mode/2up). Smyrna. Retrieved 1 September 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [*Reminiscences for My Children by Elias Riggs, Missionary of the A.B.C.F.M. in Greece and Turkey (not published)*](https://web.archive.org/web/20160921001026/http://www.dlir.org/archive/items/show/11472). 1891. p. 17. Archived from [the original](http://www.dlir.org/archive/items/show/11472) on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2018 – via Digital Library for International Research.

## References

- Бакалов, Георги; Милен Куманов (2003). "ФОТИНОВ, Константин Георгиев (ок. 1790-29.XI.1858)". *Електронно издание "История на България"* (in Bulgarian). София: Труд, Сирма. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [954528613X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/954528613X).

- Константинов, Георги (2003). ["Константин Фотинов"](http://liternet.bg/publish7/gkonstantinov/kfotinov.htm#1) (in Bulgarian). LiterNet. Retrieved 2008-10-05.

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