The TV series are based on Zahari Stoyanov's "Notes On Bulgarian Uprisings", a classic late-19th-century memoir. The narrative revolves round the preparation, the ups and downs, and the crushing of Bulgarian uprising against the Ottoman domination, which broke in April 1876. An event of great significance for the awakening of the national consciousness of the Bulgarian people, it attracted and held the attention of the European public. People across the continent were shocked by the bloody outrages of the oppressors.