In the late 1860s, while studying at a school in Stara Zagora, he met the future revolutionary martyr, Vasil Levski, and became a member of the Secret Central Bulgarian Committee [bg] (TTBK).

For the next two years, he attended a teacher's college in Plovdiv, then taught at a boys' school in Haskovo.

In 1873, he assisted Atanas Uzunov [bg] in his attempt to assassinate Hadji Stavri Primo, a local chorbaji who was planning to report them.

He was kept at the Hospitaller commandery of Saint-Jean-d'Acre, in the Acre Prison, until the Treaty of San Stefano was signed in 1878.

After attending another teacher's college, in Moscow (1882), he devoted his time to teaching; beginning in Shumen, then Kyustendil (1888–1895), and ending in Sofia (1898–1901).