THE SAN-STEPHANО PEACE TREATY АND THE FATE OF THE BULGARIAN EXILES

Abstract

On April 12/24, 1877 a Manifesto of Emperor Alexander II (1855–1881) was issued, with
which Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire. This act caused great concern among the
Ottoman authorities who fear of serious disturbances and riots in places. Strict measures are
being taken – Bulgarians, prominent with their revolutionary attitudes and influential among
the population, were sent into exile in more distant provinces of the empire. The study presents
two documents in Ottoman Turkish language preserved in the Ottoman Archives in İstanbul (İ.B
185), dated Rebiülevvel 19, 1295 (March 23, 1878). They reveal the names of 74 prominent Bulgarians
arrested and exiled after the declaration of the war and released under the San-Stephano
Peace Treaty of February 19 (March 3), 1878. The persons are from different settlements located
in the vilayet of Edirne: Sliven, Yambol, Burgas, Chirpan, as well as five people imprisoned in
the capital.