Kara Tanas was born at the beginning of the 18th century in the village of Katunishte, Kotel Municipality. Famous for his feats against the Ottomans, he became a symbol of courage and devotion to his homeland. He was called “Kara Tanas” – “kara” meaning “fearsome” in Turkish – because of the respect he commanded among his enemies.

With a band of about ten men he operated successfully for more than ten years without ever losing a single man. His band, dressed in matching clothes and armed like a well-organised military unit, was active in the Balkan Mountains, south-eastern Bulgaria and even Wallachia.

During the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829), Kara Tanas and his men, together with Gencho Voivode, actively supported the Russian troops and took part in successful battles against the Ottomans. Folk songs and legends immortalise his strength, cunning and courage.

One famous story tells how, while he was ploughing his field, an Ottoman shot at him. The bullet lodged in his weapon belt, but Kara Tanas loaded it back into the barrel of his rifle and shot the attacker, saying: “Here's your bullet back, amudzha!”

Today, the gravestones of his descendants can be seen in the churchyard in Katunishte, and his birth house has been preserved. 

Kara Tanas is more than a voivode – he is a legend who continues to inspire with his sense of justice and love for Bulgaria.