Mirkovo

Mirkovo (Bulgarian: Мирково, pronounced [ˈmirkovo]) is a village in western Bulgaria, part of Sofia Province.

The village itself, however, was first mentioned in Ottoman registers in 1430 and 1751 as Mirkuva; the name is thought to originate from the South Slavic personal name Mirko with the placename suffix -ovo.

A monastical school was established in 1825, during the Bulgarian National Revival, and the locals took an active part in the Liberation of Bulgaria, participating in hajduk bands and assisting the Russian forces as opalchentsi in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78.

Valuable medieval monuments have also been uncovered near Mirkovo, including the church of "St. George" from the 12th-13th century, as well as remnants of a fortress guarding the pass to Etropole in the "Gradishte" area.

In 1878, Ivan Radov Maslev opened the first brewery in Bulgaria in the village, and in 1883, the factory was relocated to Sofia on "Solni Pazar."