Born in
Kotel, Bogoridi studied in the Greek language
Princely Academy in
Bucharest,
Wallachia, where he changed his Bulgarian name
Stoyko for the Greek
Stefan. After finishing his studies, Bogoridi joined the
Ottoman fleet as
Dragoman and, under the command of Seid Mustafa Pasha (future
Sultan Mustafa IV), took part in the
Second Battle of Abukir against
Napoleon Bonaparte in
Egypt, making a miraculous escape after the defeat of the Ottoman forces. In 1812, Stefan Bogoridi went to
Moldavia with
Prince Scarlat Callimachi, who appointed him governor of
Galați (1812–1819). In 1821, during the
local uprising of
Tudor Vladimirescu and the invasion of
Filiki Eteria as part of the
Greek War of Independence, Bogoridi was nominal
Caimacam of Wallachia; the following year, after the sweeping Ottoman offensive against
Alexander Ypsilantis, he held the actual position of
Caimacam in Moldavia 1822, and then returned as Dragoman of the Ottoman fleet. Between 1825 and 1828, he was
exiled in
Anatolia. After the
Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829 and the
Treaty of Adrianople, he was an advisor of
Mahmud II, who gave him the title of prince (
bey,
ηγεμόνας) and appointed him governor of the island of
Samos. He visited Samos only once in 1839 and ruled the island from
Istanbul. Bogoridi, who renamed the
capital of the island Stefanopolis after himself, was hated by the local
Greek population due to his arbitrary rule. The Samians revolted against him in 1849 and had the Sultan dismiss him in 1850. Under
Abdülmecid I, Bogoridi was a member of the
Tanzimat Council and an imperial counsellor. He obtained permission from Abdülmecid for building a
Bulgarian Orthodox church in Istanbul, and donated his house in
Fener (1849). On that spot, the famous
Bulgarian Iron church was later erected, and named
Saint Stephen in memory of him. He died in Istanbul. == References ==