Gumoshtnik

Gumoshtnik was at its largest in the 15th century, containing over 4,000 people at its height.^[2] As of the 2021 census, the village has around 240 residents.^[3]

The earliest evidence of settlement in Gumoshtnik dates from the 1st millennium BC, as bronze belts and armlets from the period were found in the village.^[4]

Gumoshtnik was an administrative centre in the 15th century, containing seven public houses and eight manufacturing businesses.^[2] Monastic education was introduced into the village in 1829, when a monastery school was founded.^[2]

In 1926, residents built the St. Nicholas Letni Church, which has been declared a site of national significance for Bulgaria.^[2][5][6] A year later, the village established a community center, named after Paisius of Hilendar.^[2] The centre contains a library with over 9,000 books, and a gallery dedicated to artwork by a local artist, Tsanko Marinov.^[2][7] Both have received local recognition as places of historical interest.^[2][6]

Of the 38 to 50 Bulgarian nationals who boarded the ill-fated Titanic in 1912, most of them were from Gumoshtnik.^[8][9] A total of eight men from Gumoshtnik were on board, who died when the boat sank.^[10]

A memorial stands on the grounds of the St. Nicholas Letni Church,^[3][9] and Gumoshtnik residents hold an annual remembrance of the disaster.^[11][12] The Gumoshtnik memorial is the only memorial dedicated to the disaster in Bulgaria.^[11][13]

The Gumoshtnik residents who are presumed to have died on the Titanic are as follows:

• Peyo Kolchev: Also listed as Petr Kolev and Peju Coltcheff; a general labourer who boarded the Titanic aged 36.^[14][10][15]
• Lazar Minkov: First cousin of Peyo, he was 23 years of age.^[15][16]
• Penko Naidenov: Aged 22 at the time of the disaster.^[17]
• Iliya Stoychev: Aged 19 at the time of the disaster.^[18][10]
• Lazar Yonkov: Went by the nickname of “Lalyo,” and was 23 years old at the time of his presumed death.^[19][10][15]
• Marin Markov: 35 years old at the time of his presumed death.^[20][10]
• Stoycho Mihov: 28 years old at the time of the disaster.^[21][15]
• Nedyalko Petrov: Also known as Nedialco Petroff.^[22] Though he is recorded in the British National Archives as having been 19 years old at the time of his presumed death,^[23] he is remembered locally as having been newly 18 years old at the time of the disaster.^[15][10]

Although some sources erroneously record that one of the eight men from the village survived, this appears to be based on a local legend,^[3] as the memorial contains eight names that can be located on the Titanic's passenger list.^[24][25][14]