Todor Aleksandrov

[Vangelovski]

SoM, it's been years since I've looked into this period of Macedonian history and what I did know is starting to fade. In your final analysis, what do you think of Aleksandrov? Should he be in a Macedonian 'Hall of Fame' as a patriot or his he too controversial and conflicted? Does he deserve this song:

Nesto Ke Te Pitam Babo (youtube.com)

[Soldier of Macedon]

SoM, it's been years since I've looked into this period of Macedonian history and what I did know is starting to fade. In your final analysis, what do you think of Aleksandrov? Should he be in a Macedonian 'Hall of Fame' as a patriot or his he too controversial and conflicted? Does he deserve this song:

Nesto Ke Te Pitam Babo (youtube.com)

Todor Aleksandrov was genuine about his commitment to the armed struggle and in the later period of his life, he was willing, even if for the briefest of moments, to work across ideological lines for the sake of unity within the liberation movement. Notwithstanding all that, most of his years as a revolutionary were spent on the wrong side of the divide and some of his activities caused irreparable damage to the Macedonian cause. Thus, at times, he behaved like a patriot, at others, not so much. Whilst he should not be deemed a traitor as a final characterisation, he can never be compared to titans like Goce Delčev and Jane Sandanski, despite the many efforts to romanticise his time as leader of VMRO (1919-1924). I will post a more detailed biography of Aleksandrov shortly so readers can come to their own conclusion.

As for the song, there are multiple versions of it, not all of them about Aleksandrov. One is in reference to Sandanski and appears to fit the theme more appropriately. To elaborate, both versions are set during the Ottoman period whilst Delčev was still alive. The main protagonist retreats to the Pirin region, where, at that time, Sandanski featured as the most prominent leader. Moreover, when Delčev met his demise, Aleksandrov was only 22 and hardly the leading figure of later years. In fact, it was only after the death of Sandanski that the reputation of Aleksandrov in the Pirin region began to rise in a more noticeable way. Perhaps the song was initially created for Aleksandrov, despite the oddities. Or maybe it already existed in local folklore and was adapted on behalf of Aleksandrov after he became more popular.