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The writings of Krste Misirkov that Macedonists keep secret

K Misirkov, in the preface to his review text

"Notes on South Slav Philology and History"B'lgarska zbirka (1907)

The readers of this statement will surely be surprised by the great contradictions which they will see in it compared to that which they read or will read in On Macedonian Matters (Za Makedontskite Raboti).

To explain this contradiction it is sufficient to remember that there I erred as an improvised politician. This policy was needed to neutralise the Macedonian claims of the Balkan countries and to prove the ethnic and historic individuality of the Macedonians. And because within this policy a theme of the Bulgarian government could be discerned, I added extra and sharp criticism to obscure it.

These extra arguments that suggested my opinion was not that of the Bulgarian government but of an improvised politician on the Macedonian Question, made the whole contents of the brochure so far removed from objective knowledge, that I found it quite inappropriate, during my 2 month stay in Sofia, to meet any of the philologists and historians. With this of course, I caused a major blow to my scientific standing and knowledge.
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"Notes on South Slav Philology and History"B'lgarska zbirka (1907)

The readers of this statement will surely be surprised by the great contradictions which they will see in it compared to that which they read or will read in On Macedonian Matters (Za Makedontskite Raboti).

To explain this contradiction it is sufficient to remember that there I erred as an improvised politician. This policy was needed to neutralise the Macedonian claims of the Balkan countries and to prove the ethnic and historic individuality of the Macedonians. And because within this policy a theme of the Bulgarian government could be discerned, I added extra and sharp criticism to obscure it.

These extra arguments that suggested my opinion was not that of the Bulgarian government but of an improvised politician on the Macedonian Question, made the whole contents of the brochure so far removed from objective knowledge, that I found it quite inappropriate, during my 2 month stay in Sofia, to meet any of the philologists and historians. With this of course, I caused a major blow to my scientific standing and knowledge.
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K Misirkov - A Personal Letter

6 Aug 1908 [Odessa]Letter sent to Dr A Teodorov-Balan, secretary of Bulgarian Exarchate in Istanbul, seeking a teaching position at the Bulgarian school in Salonika

The letter below was accompanied by an introductory letter (that is a reference) by the Bessarabian Bulgarian G Zanetov. In that letter Zanetov describes Misirkov as an "energetic" but somewhat "unrealistic" person. Zanetov also states
Drawn by the desire to help his Fatherland Macedonia, he had pursued a false path, which he now completely refutes and apologises for publiclyMisirkov's own letter follows
Five years ago I was faced with events which forced me to stop teaching Greek and Bulgarian literature and language at the Bulgarian Classical Male Gymnasium in Bitolia, and to leave the general Turkish domain. The Ilinden Uprising of 1903 had a pronounced effect on me and caused me to make some mistakes which completely isolated me from the Bulgarian cause in Macedonia.

With great respect I was forced to temporarily renounce completely working for the realization of the Bulgarian national ideals and devote myself to lecturing duties in Russia, first in Berdyansk and afterwards in Odessa. In both cities my work secured me a good life with which I could have been fully satisfied if it was not for the annoyance and difficultly I experienced, together with an inability to concentrate on the questions of my main interest, South Slav philology and history. What these questions are you are probably already aware, particularly description of the Morava dialect. You will be more familiar with my scientific pursuits, when reading my Notes on South Slav Philology and History.
Hampered with lessons, not favourably welcomed by the Russian steeped in outdated patriotism, I had a difficult struggle to prepare and print my Notes while doing master's exams on Old- Bulgarian and the Slav languages and literature at the Kiev University. The problems experienced in my scientific pursuits are so great that at one time I suspended numerous studies of direct interest to me, and was only made aware of my actions by Mr G Zanetov; in recognition of whom I have dedicated my Notes.

The same Mr Zanetov gave me the idea to appeal to you and ask for a lecturing position at the Bulgarian Male Gymnasium in Salonika. I agreed with satisfaction to Mr Zanetov's proposal, since in this way I would receive the opportunity, anew, and according to my ability to serve the Bulgarian national interest and ideals. In view of the latter, I plead with you, respected Sir, to inform me as soon as possible whether the Holy Exarchate might reinstate my teaching rights within the teaching establishments under its jurisdiction, and appoint me, even within this year, as a lecturer on Bulgarian and general history or Bulgarian literature, at the Bulgarian Male Gymnasium in Salonika, so that I can arrive in Salonika in time to commence my duties. On receiving your answer I will send the documents to the Holy Exarchate. Accept honoured Sir, my sincere respect towards you.

Krste Misirkov in the newspaper

"Mir" - Sofia, 30 Apr 1924

If the question of racial similarity and difference between Bulgarians and Macedonians comes to be resolved on the basis of the national name, language and history, there is no doubt that we should resolve it as a Greek priest did in 1804; author of a four-language dictionary Greek, Bulgarian, Rumanian and Albanian and who regarded as Bulgarian the Western Macedonian dialect.

Therefore when in Macedonia and Bulgaria there was no mention of the Bulgarian Exarchate, the Greeks, obviously well acquainted with the Balkan nationalities, do not make any distinction between a Bulgarian, a Macedonian and a Macedonian Slav. We the Macedonians, cannot, and have no reason to ignore this and similar facts, which can be quoted by the hundreds. We cannot ignore them because to do so means to distort our history, to hide the truth and to deceive ourselves.

The Archbishopric of Ohrid for the whole of Bulgaria is ours, it is our historic inheritance and ideal for the religious freedom from the hateful Serbian slavery of St Sava. Against the Bulgarian name, as our national name, by which we have been christened by the Greeks even before we entered the boundaries of the Bulgarian state for the fist time in the beginning of the 9th century; a name given to us by the Greeks for the racial union of the Slavs of Bulgaria, we, Macedonians have nothing and this national name of ours is no less respected by us than the Bulgarians of Bulgaria.
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The Nationality of the Macedonians

published in the newspaper"20 July" Sofia, No. 5, May 11th, 1924

The article by Mr. Arseny Yovkov "Bulgarians in Macedonia" published in issue No. 1 of "20 July" raises again the problem of the nationality of the Macedonians and solves it with irrefutable proofs in favour of the Bulgarians. The author of the above mentioned article published in the latest issue of the newspaper "Pirin" says that there will be a Macedonian problem until there are Bulgarians and Bulgarian national consciousness in Macedonia and that it was in the interests of the other nationalities in Macedonia for Bulgarians to live in Macedonia. In his latest article Mr. Yovkov even said that we, the Macedonians, should be more Bulgarian than the Bulgarians themselves.

These two interesting articles by Mr. Yovkov give us the opportunity to dwell on the problem of the nationality of the Macedonians and on the role of this problem in the past and future history of Macedonia.

At the beginning of the XlXth century in Macedonia there were Greek priests and Bulgarian national consciousness among the more energetic Macedonians who hand in hand with the Bulgarians from Bulgaria and Thrace started the fight for national education and national church. This spiritual and national unity of Moesians, Macedonians and Thracians came before and after the creation of the Bulgarian Exarchate and the liberation of Bulgaria.

The Serbians envied the Bulgarians and due to some theoretical and practical considerations began to object to some European, Macedonian and Bulgarian contentions that the Macedonians were Bulgarians and in this way they were the first to set before the men of science the problem of the nationality of the Macedonians.

It would not be wise to deny that the task set by the Serbians is not unimportant and that the successes they achieved due to their exceptional tenacity and strict systematics are great. The Serbians did not underestimate any possibility offered by contemporary science general linguistics, comparative grammar of the Slav languages, history and archeology, spoken and written popular language, geography and diplomacy were not under-estimated by the Serbians in their attempt to refute the assumption of the Bulgarian character of Macedonia. As a result they conquered the major part of Macedonia which they were given as a land populated by Serbians; they were given this land by those who up till the last moment unanimously acknowledged the Bulgarian national character of Macedonia.

But the problem about the nationality of the Macedonians was not settled yet.

The Serbians achieved only half of their task: they succeeded in misleading the west Europeans and to take possession of Macedonia. But the Macedonians themselves, occupied by them, are not spiritually conquered and they feel as a nation different from the Serbians and they want to preserve their individuality.

This is the weak point for the Serbians, this is the force of the Macedonians, this is the historical role of the problem of the nationality of the Macedonians which it has to play in the future.
The role of Bulgarians and Serbians in the solution of this problem now is completely different from before the Balkan and world wars: today theoretically this problem is non-existent for the Serbians just as there is no Macedonia within the boundaries of Yugoslavia; as far as Bulgaria is concerned there is a Macedonia just like there is the problem of the nationality of the Macedonians, a problem which the Bulgarian science could follow with more success than the Serbians in order to give it its proper meaning.

But the Bulgarians do not favour philology and history, they do not like to be pointed at as being chauvinists and they are ready to live in peace with their neighbours at all cost even when the latter aim at taking half of their house, or their yard.

As far as Macedonia goes, many "enlightened" people couldn't care less. They do not know it. To them it is a land of stones and wild apples. That is why the Bulgarian opposition is not dangerous for the Serbian domination in Macedonia. This the Serbians had half guaranteed by international treaties and by treaties with Bulgaria.

But now cries from the Macedonians can be heard: we are Bulgarians, we are more Bulgarians than the Bulgarians themselves. ........ You could be victors over Bulgaria and impose on it all sorts of treaties but this cannot change our conviction, our consciousness that we are not Serbians, that up till now we have called ourselves Bulgarians and this is what we are today and this is what we want to be called in the future.

Do you want any concessions from us? Do you want us to be less Bulgarians than the Bulgarians themselves? - Shall we concede ? We shall not be indifferent towards our national interests like some others. We cannot and should not follow the Moesians in everything because their logic, their ways to act lead to Bulgarian-Serbian treaties and agreements concerning Macedonia, they lead to treaties like the Serbo-Bulgarian in 1912, like the one at Neuilly. We shall be more Macedonians than Bulgarians, but Macedonians with a national consciousness different from your Serbian consciousness a national self-consciousness based on our history, on our literary language common with the Bulgarian, with our Macedonian-Bulgarian schools, with our own national church in which the national and religious feelings of the Macedonians will not be hurt by the presence and spirit of the Serbian saints like St. Sava.

The Serbians know very well the significance of this problem now just as before, the problem of the nationality and the national feeling of the Macedonians and that is why through assimilation of the Macedonians they want to get rid of this consciousness as soon as possible.
But all is in vain.

No matter whether we call ourselves Bulgarians or Macedonians we shall always feel as a nationality with a Bulgarian national consciousness, separate from the Serbians and we shall know how to impose our will in the struggle for human rights of the Macedonian.
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