The image of Tsar Kaloyan is an emblematic part of Bulgarian history. Tsar Kaloyan inflicted a crushing defeat on the Latin crusader knights, considered invincible at the time. Simultaneously, he affirmed the status of the Bulgarian state in the world of that era, receiving recognition from the Pope. His correspondence with the Holy See in Rome is fascinating and shows his remarkable skills as a statesman.

The book "Tsar Kaloyan" is an encyclopedia in its own right, because it presents many interesting and unknown facts about the life of the people of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, the territorial expansion of Bulgarian territory, clothing and weapons of the medieval Bulgarian warrior and the Crusaders. To capture the attention of the reader, this information is not presented in dry form (as it could be found in any scientific book), but through a skillful combination of scientific facts with artistic techniques. In this way, the reader becomes part of the action itself and can experience the spirit of the epoch to its maximum extent.

The thought process of creating the illustrated encyclopedia "Tsar Kaloyan" was extremely exciting. On the one hand, various historical sources were studied and information about the corresponding era was collected. On the other hand, it was a challenge to select the important points from the book to illustrate.

The merit of the artist and illustrator, Veselin Chakarov, should be noted here. He found inspiration in careful detailed studies of clothing, weapons and everything related to the era, presenting it through the techniques of artistic illustration. The artist's merit is especially great for finding and showing in the book the coats of arms of the most famous knights, participanting in the crusade.

"Tsar Kaloyan" is a book-encyclopedia, which aims to remind us, Bulgarians, of our glorious past and to awaken the fighting spirit with which our ancestors have repeatedly triumphed over their enemies, regardless of their strength.

You can buy the encyclopedia here.

Author: Miroslav Petrov

Illustrator: Veselin Chakarov