Born: 1812, Bulgaria
Died: 27 March 1893
Country most active: Bulgaria
Also known as: Baba Tonka, Тонка Обретенова, Tonka Postavchiyata
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
One of the most imposing figures among those who helped to free Bulgaria is that of Tonka Tihovitza Obretenova — popularly known as Baba Tonka — the mother of the revolutionists. Early in life, when urged by her parents to marry a rich suitor, she demonstrated her spirit of independence when she married a learned but poor church singer, Tiho. She became the mother of his twelve children, seven of whom grew up to give their lives for their country. During the Crimean War, the few possessions Tonka and her husband had acquired were pillaged.
At fifty years of age Baba Tonka turned revolutionist, the result of a personal meeting with the fiery apostle of freedom — Rakowski. In spite of poverty and hardships she devoted herself with great zeal to the cause. She saved her townspeople from the skillful trap set by a Servian spy in Turkish service; she obtained from the police the release of the school boys. She crossed the Danube to take clothing and food to her two sons and to the “boys” joining the “cheta” of Stefan Karadja, wishing them godspeed on their errand of death, her heart bleeding, but with smiling face. It was Baba Tonka who marked the grave of Stefan Karadja and saved it for future generations. She became a member of the revolutionary committee founded by Angel Kuntcheff in Russe in 1871. Her home became the meeting place of all revolutionists, her cellar the storage place for their arms, her secret closets the hiding place of all the passing apostles of freedom. At night she watched from the bank of the Danube for the mysterious boat that brought the arms which she dragged with ropes into her house. Again in 1875 she smuggled twdce daily through heavily guarded gates of the town, the necessary arms for the revolt in Tcherna Voda. She cared for the im- prisoned revolutionists, as well as for the emigres beyond the Danube. During the April revolt one of her sons was killed and his head was carried around on a pike, another son from Boteffs “cheta” fell prisoner and was exiled. After the liberation, when the exiles returned hungry and almost naked, it was Baba Tonka, again, who first ministered to their needs, feeding and clothing them. And when the government of free Bulgaria, in recognition of her countless services, allotted her a thirty leva monthly pension, she gave it all to help poor girls through school. At her funeral Bishop Grigorii very fittingly observed: ”Baba Tonka had rolled up the scroll of her life, for history to unroll later on.”