Hristo Lukov

Hristo Nikolov Lukov (Христо Николов Луков) (January 6, 1887, Varna – February 13, 1943) was a Bulgarian lieutenant-general and politician, Minister of war, who led the right extremist Union of Bulgarian National Legions (UBNL).

He was a commander of the Army School of Artillery, of the Training Section of the General Staff's Artillery Inspection, of 2nd, 3rd Infantry divisions and Minister of War. During the Second World War he was a supporter of the Axis powers, particularly Nazi Germany. Abroad he is incorrectly thought to be the commander of the 13th Infantry division during World War I. In fact that was major-general Hristo Tsonev Lukov, a native of Gabrovo. Hristo Nikolov Lukov made it in World War I to the rank of a major and a commander of an artillery battalion. A story, supported by the politically right-leaning Bulgarians claim, that Hristo Nikolov Lukov is the man, thanks to whom the region of Kyustendil is to this present day part of Bulgaria. At the end of the war the Serbian Kingdom demanded for territorial concessions and parts of the Bulgarian Army was in tatters, overwhelmed by a left-wing soldiers rebellion. It is claimed, that major Lukov alone stayed behind and single-handedly stopped a Serb military column, heading for Kyustendil. He did so, by maning alone 4 artillery pieces, with Bulgarian peasants from the vicinity feeding him with artillery rounds. The left-wing schollars in the past claim that story to be a hoax and that Likov was not even in the area at that time. Христо Николов Луков

Due to his close relations with the Third Reich  and his activities as leader of UNBL, today Lukov is accused of being promoter of antisemitic ideas.

Lukov was assassinated by Communist partisans.

Awards and decorations

 * Order of Bravery, 4th degree, first and second class
 * Order of St Alexander, 3rd class without swords and 4th class with swords
 * Order of Military Merit, 1st class
 * Iron Cross of 1939, 2nd class (Germany)