text: sava mutkurov sava mutkurov ( bulgarian : ) ( 16 december [ o.s. 4 december ] 1852 – 15 march [ o.s. 3 march ] 1891 ) was a bulgarian officer ( major general ) and politician . one of only three recipients of the order of bravery 1st grade , he was among the chief architects of the bulgarian unification ( 1885 ) and , as an officer in the young bulgarian army , one of its defendants in the serbo – bulgarian war ( 1885 ) . he also served as one of the regents of the principality of bulgaria after prince alexander of battenberg 's abdication ( 1886 – 1887 ) and was minister of war in stefan stambolov 's government ( 1887 – 1891 ) . early years and bulgarian unification sava mutkurov was born in the city of tarnovo in the central danubian plain ( then part of the ottoman empire , today in north central bulgaria ) in 1852 . he studied for two years at the military medical academy in the imperial capital constantinople ( istanbul ) , but graduated instead from the cadet infantry school in the russian city of odessa in 1872 . as a soldier in the imperial russian army , mutkurov participated in the serbo – turkish war of 1876 along with other bulgarian volunteers . he was also involved in the russo – turkish war of 1877 – 1878 which brought about the liberation of bulgaria . during that war , he was the commander of a company in the 54th minsk infantry regiment of the russian army . after the liberation of bulgaria and the establishment of the principality of bulgaria and eastern rumelia in 1878 , mutkurov settled in eastern rumelia , where he joined the provincial police or militia . he served first with the 1st plovdiv battalion and thereafter with the general staff . as an eminent man of arms in eastern rumelia , mutkurov was one of the main leaders of the bulgarian unification on 6 september 1885 , the bloodless revolution that united the principality of bulgaria and eastern rumelia . mutkurov joined the bulgarian secret revolutionary central committee which stood behind the unification . at the time a captain , along with dimitar he was to the bulgarian monarch prince alexander of battenberg . the two were received by the prince in shumen , where they notified him of the forthcoming events and requested his approval . the prince did not wish to be publicly involved in an anti - ottoman revolution , and is unclear whether he at all believed a revolution was likely to break out in eastern rumelia so soon . during the revolution , mutkurov commanded some of the troops that surrounded the residence of the provincial governor gavril and demanded his resignation . serbo – bulgarian war and regency following the unification , from 6 to 8 september , mutkurov was a member of the interim provincial government presided by the commissar of south bulgaria , georgi . mutkurov was one of the commanders of the bulgarian army in the serbo – bulgarian war of 1885 caused by the kingdom of serbia 's disapproval of the bulgarian unification . in the conflict , a bulgarian victory that defended the revolution , mutkurov headed the troops fighting at on 13 november and was also in charge of the central and right wing forces during the pirot offensive on 14 and 15 november . after the war mutkurov was appointed chief of the plovdiv garrison and commanded the 5th infantry brigade . sava mutkurov also played an important part in the turbulent events of 1886 . in the wake of a pro - russian coup d 'état aiming to dethrone prince alexander , mutkurov and stefan stambolov organized a counter - coup which was widely supported by the population . mutkurov was appointed by stambolov as the commander - in - chief of the troops loyal to prince alexander , and soldiers from his plovdiv garrison were transferred to the capital sofia to arrest or drive out the plotters . the events nevertheless led to prince alexander 's abdication on 7 september 1886 under russian pressure . until the election of another bulgarian monarch , prince ferdinand of saxe – coburg and gotha , on 14 august 1887 , mutkurov was one of the three regents of bulgaria , along with stambolov and karavelov ( soon replaced by georgi zhivkov ) . he was also part of the delegation that welcomed the new prince as he arrived in svishtov to assume the throne . minister of war and death on 1 september 1887 that year , mutkurov became minister of war in stefan stambolov 's popular liberal party government . mutkurov was a loyal friend and trusted man of the premier stambolov , who even made him his brother - in - law . he was not , however , favoured by prince ferdinand . the monarch 's desire was to replace him with his own confidant , mutkurov 's enemy hristo popov , as minister of war . mutkurov served in the government until 16 february 1891 , when he withdrew due to deteriorating health and was promoted to major general . he died of a heart attack on 15 march on a visit to naples , kingdom of italy , and was interred at the church of the holy saviour in sofia . despite his active involvement in practically all major events in bulgarian history during his lifetime , mutkurov has been described as " very reserved and taciturn " even though he was also " honest and firm " . writer simeon radev regards mutkurov as a " phlegmatic person " and his contemporary and accomplice in the unification would go as far as to say that " by the time mutkurov opened his mouth , the market would close up " . together with the other two long - serving regents of 1886 – 1887 , stambolov and zhivkov , mutkurov was one of only three persons to receive the order of bravery 1st grade , the oldest and highest bulgarian military decoration .