Librarians from "Sava Dobroplodni" regional library
organized an open lesson about Hadji Mina Pashov
I
school in Sliven, Librarians from "Sava Dobroplodni" regional library
together with students from the sixth grades of 1st Secondary
school in Sliven organized open lesson, dedicated to 175th anniversary of
the famous resident of Sliven and patron of the school Hadji Mina Pashov on
March 4, 2013. The lesson was organized on the initiative of the library and
it is a part of the launched in early 2013 program for promoting the life
and work of prominent figures from the Sliven region among students from
different schools in Sliven.
The most important moments in the biography of this famous Renaissance figure, philanthropist, socially, financier and donor were presented through rich photographic and textual material. Students listened with interest the presentation and had the opportunity to share what they know about the patron of the school and its links with Dobri Chintulov, Georgi Sava Rakovski and other Renaissance figures.
Hadji Mina Pashov was born in January 1838 in the city of Jerusalem. His father Yanko Pashov Sliven is a major retailer from Sliven and he has three commercial houses in Sliven, Constantinople and Crimea. His teacher was Dobri Chintulov. His knowledge and personal qualities opened him many doors and he was invited to be a secretary for Sliven at the Romanian shopping center Focsani. There, besides working, he was well educated and learnt very well written and spoken Romanian and Greek. After two years of stay in Romania Hadji Mina Pashov returned to his home town Sliven, but soon after that he went to Constantinople, where he worked as an attorney in the famous trading house of Nikola Brakalov. Then he moved working for 4-5 years at the same position in the commercial house of Nikola Tapchileshtov. In commercial environments people more and more talk about his exceptional abilities. He was preferred because he detected and indicated errors and he offered solutions to the problems.
Parallel to this activity Hadji Mina Pashov is a great patriot and he participated in the struggle of Bulgarian people for an independent Bulgarian church. He got friendly with Dragan Tsankov and supported him for his idea of union with the Pope. At least 26 years old, he, along with Todor Burmov and Nicolas Mihajlovski, began publishing with their own resources the Bulgarian newspaper ''Wizard'' - body of the Bulgarian community in Istanbul. He initiated the establishment of a Bulgarian Community Center, and he became its first chairman.
At the end of 1868 and the beginning of 1869 Hadji Mina Pashov left Constantinople and went to Odessa, invited by the rich Bulgarian Nikolay Tashkovich. An excellent specialist in financial transactions, he managed to win a huge amount of currency course margin and he became a partner of Toshkovich. After the death of Tashkovich, Pashov opened a trading house on his own name. During these years Hadji Mina is one of the closest associates of Rakovski. He helped young people studying in Russia. He sponsored Bulgarian committees, companies, students and merchants. There were also cases in which he supported foreign charities.
He sponsored the national liberation too. He was one of the founders of the Bulgarian Literary Society in Braila in 1869, which later moved its headquarter in Sofia and was renamed BAS. Hadji Pashov Mina was a chairman of the meetings for the drafting of statutes of the Academy.
In declaring the liberation war Hadji Mina was appointed a Chief Quartermaster of “Zadunayski” Detachment. For his merits he was awarded by the Russian Emperor prestigious medals. As a Chief Quartermaster he is closer to the brother of the emperor and he assisted him in keeping the San Stefano negotiations for the release of Bulgarian exiles in Asia Minor. When the Russo-Turkish War began, he joined the transactions with the Supply Department of the Army. Hadji Mina Pashov and Evlogi Georgiev organized the purchase of large quantities of food for the army. The Russian government owed to Haji Mine for the food supply of the army 2,500,000 gold rubles. After the conclusion of the Treaty of San Stefano, he remained in Petersburg until they paid mu the money owed. The Russian government, however, failed to pay the full amount, but only paid a part of it. Hadji Mina Pashov died suddenly on June 12, 1880 although he was in a radiant health and only 43 years old. There were doubts that he was poisoned.
Hadji Mina Pashov died without being married and without having a family and he has no direct heirs. His brothers Mihail and Kostaki Hadji Pashovi and his sister Mary inherited him. They empowered the Russian General Kesyakov, of Bulgarian nationality, to collect the remaining legacy, except his property in Odessa and St. Petersburg, which was equivalent to 650 000 rubles. Kesyakov justified the trust of heirs and the money was paid to him. Sliven municipality found out about the deal, but just managed to get only a part of them and invested money in building a hotel in the city center of Sofia. A small portion of the money was used for the building of a school in the neighborhood “Komluka”, which today bears the name of the donor Hadji Mina Pashov.
In 2006 by a Municipal Council Ordinance - Sliven, Sliven municipality determines annual scholarship named Hadji Mina Pashov, awarded gifted children.
Time is powerless to erase the enormous contribution of this bright personality and Sliven keeps his memory.