Before he began to describe the Bulgarian character, Ivan Hadzhiyski got to know its life closely. He was born on October 13, 1907 in Troyan, into a family of a craftsman, and later turned the observation of labor, habits and relationships between people into the basis of his work.
Excellent student, worker and student of philosophy
In 1925, Hadzhiyski graduated from the Commercial High School in Svishtov as the top of his class. He was fluent in German and French. Two years later, he began studying philosophy at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski“.
His student life was not carefree. After his father could no longer support him, Hadzhiyski worked as a waiter, proofreader in a printing house, and stenographer. Between 1932 and 1936, he also graduated in law, after which he established himself as a lawyer and journalist.
His first research began in Troyan
One of the little-known facts about him is that as early as 1931-1932, he conducted a survey among the artisan youth in his hometown. He was interested not in the abstract “people“, but in the concrete person: who reads, how much they read, and what they choose.
Since the early 1930s, he has been publishing in “Philosophski pregled“, “Nauchen pregled“, “Kormilo“ and “Izkustvo i kritika“. From 1937 he began to systematically travel around the country and talk to artisans, peasants, workers and small traders. This field approach distinguishes him from authors who reflect on society only from their offices.
The book that remains unfinished
The first volume of “Life and Soul of Our People“ was published in 1940. In it, Hadzhiyski examines the life and psychology of the Bulgarian peasant, relations in the community, work, family and the pursuit of independence. The second part was published posthumously in 1945, and the third is lost.
His other major work, “Optimistic Theory of Our People“, collects studies written mainly between 1937 and 1942. In it, the author does not idealize the Bulgarians, but he also rejects the explanations that the weaknesses of society are eternal and insurmountable. In the book, he writes: “In a broad historical projection, there are actually no inferior and superior races, great and small nations.“
The Political Choice and the Last Front
Hadzhiyski joined the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1929. His political activity led to arrests and a suspended sentence under the State Protection Act. However, his main work remained focused on understanding society, not party journalism.
In the fall of 1944, he left as a volunteer and war correspondent with the Bulgarian army. He died near Vlasotince, today in Serbia, not yet 37 years old. There is a discrepancy in the sources regarding the date: the Bulgarian National Radio indicates October 3, and other publications and reference materials - October 4, 1944.
His daughter Maria Hadzhiyska later quoted a thought from his study “Personalities and Characters“: “We do not need heroes, because they appear in times of crisis, but a peaceful life in which there is no need for heroic sacrifices.“ However, Hadzhiyski himself died precisely in one of the most critical times of the 20th century, leaving behind books that are still used today as a key to Bulgarian society.
Sources: archives.bnr.bg, old-news.bnr.bg, trud.bg