Kiril Rashkov

Kiril Rashkov
Кирил Рашков
Born(1942-05-24)24 May 1942
Miravci, Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia)
Died1 April 2021(2021-04-01) (aged 78)
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Criminal charge
Death threats (2011)
Penalty
  • 30 years (1989)
  • 3.5 years (2011)

Kiril Rashkov (Bulgarian: Кирил Рашков; 24 May 1942 – 1 April 2021), also known as Tsar Kiro (Bulgarian: Цар Киро), was a Bulgarian Romani politician and crime boss. Rashkov was a community leader among Romani people in Plovdiv, claiming the title of King of the Gypsies. He was imprisoned repeatedly for crimes including tax evasion, creating moonshine and death threats. Rashkov was a prominent figure in the 2011 Bulgaria anti-Romani protests after individuals associated with Rashkov's crime family killed a man with a car.

Biography

Rashkov was born in Miravci, Yugoslavia on 24 May 1942 to a Kalderash family. At the time, the city was under Bulgarian rule as part of the Axis occupation of Serbia during World War II. Rashkov later falsely claimed that he had been born in Stolipinovo, Plovdiv, as the eighth son of "Gogo", a mythical King of the Gypsies in the district. Documents on Rashkov's birth were submitted to a court as part of a 2011 tax evasion trial revealing his birth in Miravci. Rashkov later claimed the title of King of the Gypsies for himself, using the name Tsar Kiro.

Rashkov was first arrested in 1984 on charges of illegally possessing gold and over two million leva. After being convicted, he was sent to Belene labour camp. In 1989, he was convicted to seven different crimes with a combined sentence of 30 years' imprisonment. However, as part of the fall of communism, he was released as part of an amnesty on 10 November of that year. Rashkov founded the Tsar Goro alcohol factory in Stolipinovo in 1989 and was arrested in 1993 for producing 126 tonnes of moonshine, including 140 boxes of brandy. He was subsequently released on bail.

Rashkov was involved in politics from the 1990s onward: in the 1999 local elections, his party, Free Bulgaria, gathered 51,860 votes (1.6% of all votes), with 83 councillors and two mayors from the party. He also participated in the 2001 Bulgarian parliamentary election, during which time the party had 27,636 votes (0.6% of the vote) and failed to win a seat in the National Assembly.

On 23 September 2011, members of Rashkov's crime family in Katunitsa [bg] ran over Angel Petrov, killing him. Petrov's murder sparked riots from Bulgarian nationalists in Katunitsa, which subsequently spread throughout Bulgaria. On 24 January 2012, Rashkov was arrested and charged with making death threats against Veselin Hristov (Petrov's father) and Ivanka Petrov by brandishing a knife. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for the death threats. Rashkov's grandson (also named Kiril Rashkov) was arrested in November 2011 for making death threats against Hristov.

Rashkov died on 1 April 2021 in his sleep at his Plovdiv home. His funeral was held on 4 April. He was buried in a mausoleum with suitcases including his personal belongings, gold jewellery, a golden throne, cigars, alcohol and food.

References

  1. ↑ Yerolova, Yelis; Slavkova, Magdalena (2013). Етничност, религия и миграции на циганите в България [Ethnicity, Religion and Migration Among Gypsies in Bulgaria] (in Bulgarian). Sofia: Paradigma. p. 176. ISBN 978-954-326-206-9.
  2. ↑ Kostadinov, Nikola (30 September 2011). Кирил Рашков – не е цар, не е и българин! [Kiril Rashkov is neither a tsar nor a Bulgarian!]. Blitz (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Lazarova, Radina (2 April 2021). Цар Киро почина. Novini.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 30 July 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Russinov, Rumyan (2015). "The Roma Movement in Bulgaria after the Political Transformation in 1989" (PDF). European Roma Rights Centre. Nothing About Us Without Us? Roma Participation in Policy Making and Knowledge Production. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Vassilev, Rossen (2004). "The Roma of Bulgaria: A pariah minority". Global Review of Ethnopolitics. 3 (2): 44. doi:10.1080/14718800408405164. eISSN 1744-9065. ISSN 1744-9057.
  6. ↑ "Bulgarian Roma Crime Boss Sentenced to 3.5 Years for Death Threats". Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bulgaria: Roma Baron Tsar Kiro Dies in Plovdiv". Novinite. 2 April 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Roma Baron Tsar Kiro Buried Like Pharaoh in Plovdiv". Novinite. 4 April 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2026. Retrieved 30 July 2026.