Vardun

Until the 1980s, Vardun had over 300 Bulgarian and several Romani dwellings. It was separated from the village of Cherkovna. In the 1980s, urbanization processes encouraged many inhabitants to move to larger Bulgarian towns. Gradually, Romani people began to settle in Vardun and now form the majority of the population.

Vardun survived as a solely Bulgarian settlement during several waves of prosecutions against Bulgarians. After the disastrous Tarnovo rebellions (1593 and 1680), Turks converted many villages in the region to Islam. Many people from Vardun were killed or banished.

The Turkish Empire moved Muslim nomadic tribes from Asia to this region to replace its Bulgarian population and culture. Due to their statute of "Voynugans" (Войнуци), Vardunians had a privilege and advantage – they could own land. During the Turkish rule, the amount of Vardunian-owned land was greater than that owned by its neighbouring Muslim villages, with many Muslims working as farmhands on Vardunians' land.

In his History of Gabrovo as a settlement with a special martial statute, 12th to 19th centuries, Boris Stanimirov pointed out how freedom-loving and confident Vardun Bulgarians were. Having such virtues, they managed to put fear on Deliorman and Gerlovo Turks, demonstrating superiority to them.

In an Ottoman tax register from the 16th century, some men from Vardun were recorded with their titles. One of them was logotur (logotet) Bahno. With regard to this is the interpretation of Stefan Chureshki in his publication "The List of Bulgarian Princes", where he talks about a tzar’s inscription from 1281 found near Vardun. Two boyars were mentioned there – Pagan (or Gagan after another reading) and Hinto – according to their rule over "the mountain" (it is supposed to be the near Preslavska mountain).

Vardun is in the north of the Gerlovo area, a valley enclosed by the Balkans from the south, and by the Preslavska mountain from the northeast. Westward is the hilly Tozluk area and the Lisa mountain. Gerlovo was one of the most guarded regions in medieval Bulgaria: on the Preslavska mountain alone (about 20km away), remains of more than 10 strongholds have been found.