Born: 18 January 1856, Bulgaria
Died: 29 July 1917
Country most active: Bulgaria
Also known as: Rayna Popgeorgieva Futekova
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Today few people know her by any other name than “Raina the Princess.” A native of Panagurishte, she was brought up to follow the splendid ideals that inspired the people of those days. Besides, she was richly endowed by nature and conscientiously developed these gifts in the service of her people.
When she graduated from the grade school, the school board in recognition of her great natural intelligence and unusual industry decided to make her a teacher, and offered to send her to the, then, only existing Bulgarian high school at Stara Zagova. Four years later, having won the highest honors as a student, as well as the affection of the citizens through her rare devotion in bettering the condition of the people, seventeen year old Raina returned to her native town to become the head mistress of the school. Those were anxious days in which she taught. The idea of freedom had taken hold of the people and the teachers were, naturally, closely watched and arrested at the least provocation.
Raina was convinced that the only and best means to attain freedom was through education. She never tired in teaching her pupils those ideals that would make them worthy of the impending struggle for freedom, and on Sundays and holidays the grown ups would flock to her inspiring lectures. In 18763 she was called on a day to the house of a teacher, where she found a gathering of citizens. Among them was the great Benkowski who turned to Raina and commanded her to embroider the famous flag. For a month in feverish haste, she secretly, and under constant terror of discovery, plied her needle, tracing on a green field the device “Liberty or Death.” The fatal day arrived and as Raina, fully armed, rode beside Benkowski, bearing the banner, the ranks of the insurgents swelled and they fearlessly shouted, “Long live the Bulgarian Princess! Long live the Voivoda.” But organization won in the end. Men, women and children were massacred and the houses were burned; the dead and wounded covered the streets. Raina escaped the wholesale massacre, but in a few days was arrested and tried by various Pashas at Panagourishte, Pazardjik and Philipopolis. The time was spent in the unspeakable prisons of those days, where she stood waist deep in water. Once confined with a demented Turkish woman, she was maltreated by the Greeks and Turks who crowded to see her pass from one prison to another, hurling stones upon her until the blood ran. She still had strength to refuse a young Turkish pasha’s offer to free her and to marry her if she would renounce her Christian faith. Due to the concerted action of the European diplomatic representatives, she was released, but sentenced to a life long exile. Raina chose to go to Russia, but the church bells pealed the news of liberty and she returned to offer her services to her fatherland. She became the first director of the Tirnova Senior High School, devoting herself to the education of her freed countrymen.