Aleksandr Burago

Aleksandr Petrovich Burago
monument to Aleksandr Burago in Plovdiv city garden
Native name	Александр Петрович Бураго
Born	calc. abt. 1853
Died	1883, aged 30
Place of death	Madeira
Buried at	Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Saint Petersburg
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Army
Rank	captain colonel
Battles/wars	Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
Awards	Order of St. George (4th deg.)

Aleksandr Petrovich Burago (Russian: Александр Петрович Бураго) was an officer of the Russian Imperial army. Serving as a captain under Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko, he commanded the force that liberated Plovdiv from the Ottoman rule on January 16, 1878. Later on Burago became a colonel. He died of tuberculosis at the age of 30, in 1883, on Madeira, and was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in Saint Petersburg.

In recognition of his "excellence demonstrated in the battle ... whereupon, together with a squadron of dragoons, having crossed the Maritsa river ... entered the city, still occupied by the Turkish division ... an almost 25 times greater in numbers enemy force", Burago was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree.

Citizens of Plovdiv traditionally honour captain Burago annually on January 16, the anniversary of the liberation of the city. Wreaths and floral tributes are brought to the monument to Burago in the Plovdiv City Garden. A street in Plovdiv was named after captain Burago. In November 2006, along with several other prominent personalities, Aleksandr Burago was, "for exceptional service in development of the city of Plovdiv" posthumously awarded the title of "Honorary citizen of Plovdiv", by decision of the local community council.

See also

• Battle of Philippopolis

References

• "Plovdiv personalities" (in Bulgarian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061023131703/http://www.plovdivguide.com/figures/fig.php?id=463&lang_id=2&alpha=. Retrieved 2006-09-15. 
• "Plovdiv streets" (in Bulgarian). http://www.plovdivguide.com/streets/index.php?page=1&lang_id=2&alpha=K&page=2. Retrieved 2006-09-15.  — Captain Burago street
• Genov, Tsonko (1979). "X. The last battles" (in Russian). Russo-Turkish war of 1877–1878 and the heroic deed of the liberators. Sofia: Sofia Press. http://militera.lib.ru/h/genov/10.html. Retrieved 2006-09-15.  — account of the liberation of Plovdiv
• "Plovdiv's Liberation from the Turkish rule". 2004-01-16. http://www.plovdivguide.com/Current-News/Plovdivs-Liberation-from-the-Turkish-rule-378. Retrieved 2006-09-16.  — citizens of Plovdiv at the traditional annual celebration commemorating the liberation, laying wreaths at the monument to captain Burago
• "Holders of the St. George Order 4th degree" (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2005-01-20. http://web.archive.org/web/20051221225120/http://george-orden.nm.ru/ordgrg4stb1871_4.html. Retrieved 2006-09-17. "Бураго Александр Петрович капитан Лейб-Гвардии Драгунского полка В воздаяние за отличие, оказанное в сражении под Филиппополем, 3 Января 1878 года, где с эскадроном охотников, переправившись в брод чрез реку Марицу, двинулся в город, в то время еще занятый Турецкою дивизиею, и вступил в перестрелку с почти в 25 раз сильнейшим неприятелем."  — Citation for the St. George Order award
• "Decisions of the community council of Plovdiv" (in Bulgarian). http://new.plovdiv.bg/?lang_id=1&prm=power&subprm=decision&d_id=1300. Retrieved 2007-08-28.  — Decision to award the title of honorary citizen of Plovdiv

External links

• (in Russian) People, animals, alcohol — account of the liberation of Plovdiv by captain Burago's squadron and the historical origins of giving alcohol to military horses (refers to Burago by the given name "Konstantin" rather than Aleksandr).