Summary: The Bulgarian volunteers, known as opalchentsi and pobornitsi in the early 1880s took action to create and organize their own societies, with which the veterans wanted to defend their rights and interests. The idea of these organizations was born after the promulgation of the first law on the improvement of the social condition of the veterans in 1880.
In this study we have presented the activity of the societies in providing material support to their members. One of their main aims was to defend the veterans’ legislative rights by revising the laws. Another activity was organizing public events on various occasions in order to provide financial help, as well as the initiative to build disabled home for poor veterans.
Keywords: opalchentsi, pobornitsi, organizations, congresses, laws, material support
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