Lady from Radilovo village
Lady from Radilovo village

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents the biography and philanthropic activities of Lady Emily Ann Strangford (1826-1887) for Bulgarian peasants (1876-1877) and for Turkish refugees (1877 – 1878). The authors deal also with the way the memory about her surfaced in the next decades. Although streets and schools in Bulgaria were named after her, the memory about her as an important local historical figure is particularly strong in some small places (like Radilovo village). The reasons of the 'regionalization' of the memory about Lady Strangford in Bulgaria are to be found in the characteristics of the memory cultures. She was convinced in her duty as a Christian, as a Victorian British noble, and as a woman to help Christian and Muslim people who suffered before, during and after the Russo-Ottoman war. Her motives for making people of both sides less suffering were not understandable for everybody. Those who expected absolute and unconditional support for their political cause were disappointed. In Bulgaria she was criticized for sympathies for the Turks. In the Ottoman Empire her active charity work in organization of hospitals and orphanages was overshadowed by other great philanthropic projects. The official politics of national memory, as well as the popular memory are similar in Bulgaria and in Turkey. They are similar in their demands of unconditional support for their national causes. Both cultures of memory show more higher appreciation for political than for humanitarian activities.

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