Todor Burmov

Todor Stoyanov Burmov (Bulgarian: Тодор Стоянов Бурмов) (14 January 1834 – 7 November 1906) was a leading Bulgarian Conservative Party politician and the first Prime Minister of an independent Bulgaria.

Todor Burmov
Тодор Бурмов
1st Prime Minister of Bulgaria
In office 17 July 1879 – 6 December 1879
Monarch	Alexander
Preceded by	New Office
Succeeded by	Vasil Drumev
Minister of Interior
In office 17 July 1879 – 6 December 1879
Premier	Himself
Preceded by	New Office
Succeeded by	Dimitar Grekov
Minister of Education
In office 17 July 1879 – 7 August 1879
Premier	Himself
Preceded by	New Office
Succeeded by	Georgi Atanasovich
Minister of Finance
In office 18 March 1883 – 19 September 1883
Premier	Leonid Sobolev
Preceded by	Leonid Sobolev
Succeeded by	Grigor Nachovich
In office 21 August 1886 – 24 August 1886
Premier	Vasil Drumev
Preceded by	Petko Karavelov
Succeeded by	Ivan Geshov
Personal details
Born	14 January 1834 Gabrovo Province, Ottoman Empire
Died	7 November 1906 (aged 72) Sofia, Bulgaria
Political party	Conservative Party (until 1885) Progressive Liberal Party (1885–1906)
Alma mater	Imperial Moscow University

Burmov was a graduate of the Kiev Theological Academy[1] and subsequently worked as a teacher in Gabrovo and newspaper editor.[2] During the period of Ottoman rule Burmov, along with Gavril Krastevich, came to attention as part of a moderate faction that sought an independent Bulgarian Orthodox Church that would remain linked to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in opposition to more hardline nationalists who advocated a complete schism.[3]

Burmov was a close associate of Alexander of Bulgaria and so was chosen as the Prime Minister of the newly independent country on 17 July 1879 despite the relatively weak position of the Conservatives.[4] Burmov's regime was mostly involved in trying to stabilize the new country, including placing Varna and other areas of Muslim insurgency under martial law. The government largely proved a failure due to the lack of support for the Conservatives in the Assembly and it fell that same year.[5]

Burmov remained a leading political figure after his spell as Prime Minister, serving as Finance Minister in the government of Leonid Sobolev and the second regime of Archbishop Kliment Turnovski.[2] Returning to journalism, Burmov would later leave the Conservatives and become a member of Dragan Tsankov's Progressive Liberal Party.[2]

References

1. Ivan Ilchev, Valery Kolev, Veselin Yanchev, Bulgarian Parliament and Bulgarian Statehood: 125 years National Assembly 1879-2005, St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 2005, p. 33
2. Ministry of Finance profile
3. R. J. Crampton, Bulgaria, Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 72
4. Crampton, Bulgaria, p. 102
5. Crampton, Bulgaria, pp. 102-103