Dragash Voyvoda

Dragash voyvoda is a village in northern Bulgaria, Nikopol Municipality, Pleven District. The village is situated in a picturesque valley, 2 km from the Danube, 9 km east of Nikopol and 36 km west of Belene, within the Natural Park "Persina": it is surrounded by forests of east and west.

Тhe village was founded under the name "Ermenluy" by the mid-19^th century. It was named after the several Armenian families which lived two kilometers southeast of the village. Ten mills were located along the small rural river (“bara”) under the name Ermenluyska bara, which still runs through the village.

The school was opened in 1912. During 1948-50, a new school was built, which was expanded to 17 classrooms in 1964. An administrative building was built, which in 1979 turned into a kindergarten. A new administrative-commercial building, community centre and an outdoor cinema were built. During the period 1987-90 was built and a new building for mass cultural activities with a hall with two hundred seats for cultural activities. Today this building houses the local administration, which is fully equipped to facilitate public services.
Determining the economy here is the agriculture organized into private cooperatives and associations. The village has a dairy processing of dairy products.

Since 2000, the village falls within the Natural Park “Persina”, which aims at the preservation and restoration of Danube wetlands, with particular emphasis on preserving the natural state of the environment. The Natural Park covers the territory of three municipalities: Nikopol, Svishtov and Belene, and some islands on the Danube.

The dam and the mixed forests in the vicinity of the village, the lovely areas “Meshelik” and “Dalga shuma” offer beautiful places for rest, recreation and fishing.

Source: http://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%88_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0_(%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%BE)