Krste Petkov Misirkov - The Macedonian

[Soldier of Macedon]

And this is why;

On Macedonian Matters, Krste Misirkov, 1903.

I am a Macedonian and this is how I see the position of my country: it is not Russia or Austria-Hungary that are the enemies of Macedonia, but Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia. Our country can be saved from ruin only by struggling fiercely against these states......

Although the villagers may still speak as they did in the past - for all over Macedonia only one Slav language was used - in the towns Serbian schools can be found alongside the Bulgarian boys' and girls' elementary and grammar schools. Some villages have Serbian schools and some have Bulgarian schools. Some villagers, along with their teachers and priests, recognize the Patriarchate and come under the protection of the Serbian or Greek consul, while others recognize the Bulgarian Exarchate......

Oh, Macedonians! It is time we realized that the greatest demon Macedonia must battle against is none other than Bulgaria; and this is why we must keep our interests apart from those of Bulgaria. Common sense demands it.......

For the Bulgarian name, which has been endowed upon us by the Exarchate, we have taken over and it’s not up to me to try and find out whether some evil Bulgarian demon is responsible for all the evil the Bulgarians have brought upon us, the Macedonians......

If we look back on recent Bulgarian history what do we see: Bulgaria acquired political freedom, which is most important in the life of a nation, at a time when she still had no national ideals and when the Bulgarians themselves did not know what they wanted. The Bulgarians got their freedom with the minimum of sacrifice and effort; Russia gave it to them.......

They consider Macedonia to be Bulgarian in the ethnographic sense but find it unnecessary to waste their energy on getting to know the country better; as a result they know nothing about it, about its history, geography and ethnography........

We did indeed call ourselves "Bulgarians" and "Christians" in the national sense; but why this was so, and whether it really had to be so, we did not very much care to ask........

Here is what one might say to those who claim that Macedonian as a nationality has never existed: it may not have existed in the past, but it exists today and will exist in the future.......

A Macedonian Theory, Alexander Balan, 1904.

Was it very long before the liberation of the Bulgarians that one could hear throughout Bulgaria Bulgarians answering to the question "What are you?" (in nationality) that they are "Christians" or "raya" (non-Moslem Turkish subjects - translator's note)? And it is not so unusual even today to hear a Bulgarian answering in court to the question of his nationality that he is a "Christian". For him the concept of nationality has not yet become a new acquisition of his reason. During the Turkish period the Bulgarian peasant termed Bulgarians from cities "Greeks", and city clothing was for him "Greek clothing". And since the Greeks called this peasant a "fat-headed Bulgarian", his brother from the city loved to be called by the term "Hellene" in order to avoid the derision associated with his true national name. Is not this exactly the same as what Mr. Misirkov tells us about the names for the Macedonian Slavs?........ In the speech of the Bulgarian himself, this name had lost its national content to such an extent that it became a synonym for "Christian", which name came to signify the entire ethnic content of the Bulgarian individual and social consciousness. Our peasant, in saying "we are Bulgarians", thought "we are Christians", i.e. orthodox. The Russian emperor was for him the "Bulgarian emperor" not by nationality but by orthodox Christianity.

Zbornik, Archimandrite Neophyte to Exarch Joseph, 1910.

Just imagine if the "Misirkovism" of Mr. Krste, the "separatism' of His Grace Theodosius and the "autonomism" of Mr. Petar Pop Arsov joined together! I am of the opinion, Your Grace, upon the basis of the protest by the Eparchy Council, which was, after all, published in the press, that the candidature of His Grace Theodosius should be withdrawn, by which a danger of as yet unseen proportions for the Bulgarian cause in Macedonia would be evaded......

Makedonska Kultura, Krste Misirkov, 1923.

There used to be and there still is an independent Macedonian culture, and it has been the strongest weapon in helping the Macedonians to preserve their present-day cultural matrix and survive all the reversals in the history of their fatherland: not Byzantium nor Bulgaria nor Serbia, nor Turkey, could make changes in the character of the Macedonians of such a nature as to destroy their individuality and estrange them from their Slavic forefathers.......

Ilinden, Krali Marko, Krste Misirkov, 1923.

King Mark is the son and pride of Macedonia and one of the three great conquerors who spread the name of their land far beyond its territories: (1) Alexander of Macedon spread the glory of Macedonia as far as the Central Asian rivers of Amu Darya [Oxus] and Syr Darya [Jaxartes], and also to India and the Indian Ocean; (2) The holy Cyril and Methodius spread the Macedonian word and script among all the Slavic peoples, and (3) King Mark placed under his authority and under that of the Macedonian muse all popular singers and peoples on the Balkan Peninsula, including you, the descendants of his sworn enemies......

Makedonska Kultura, Krste Misirkov, 1924.

“Is there indeed a Macedonian national culture and Macedonian national history?”: Fortunately enough, we can give an affirmative answer: yes, there is a Macedonian culture and Macedonian national history, distinct from those of the Serbs and Bulgarians, even though they have so far not been the object of extensive and impartial study: the Serbs and Bulgarians have one-sidedly and with a strong bias chosen from Macedonian culture what glorifies their own national name, ignoring questions of capital importance only because they do not concern them or contradict the national aspirations of the choosers and their compatriots. Unfortunately, the independent study of Macedonian history is only beginning now, carried out by those same Macedonians who towards the end of the past century started disbelieving Belgrade and Sofia scholars, who had almost unanimously declared that during the Middle Ages the Slavs were a disorganized people, without national consciousness, who were saved from Greek assimilation only thanks to the establishment of the state of the Turan Bulgars, and later of the state of the Nemanja dynasty. We, Macedonians, believe this to be an erroneous idea as a result of which the Bulgarians and Serbs have wrongly understood not only the history of the Macedonians and Macedonia in the Middle Ages, but also the very history of the Serbs and Bulgarians………..The sum total of the centuries-long efforts towards cultural growth and national self-preservation of the Macedonians, starting 400-500 years prior to the emergence of the Serbian state of the Nemanja dynasty and continuing during its rise and decline, together with the similar efforts on our part to win church and political freedom in the 19th century, constitutes our Macedonian national culture, our Macedonian history.

Self-determination of Macedonians, Krste Misirkov, 1925.

We will fight with Greeks because they are our only historic and age old enemies. Our complete Macedonian national history is full with fights against Greeks. There is no fight with Bulgarians and Serbs recorded in the Macedonian history. Bulgarians and Serbs have respected the national rights of the Macedonians in the middle ages, and it was only Greeks that were destroying our national spirit and were de-nationalizing us.......

Macedonian Nationalism, Krste Misirkov, 1925.

I am a Macedonian, I have a Macedonian's consciousness, and so I have my own Macedonian view of the past, present, and future of my country and of all the South Slavs.....

[Risto the Great]

An excellent summary SoM.
I am astounded with our detractors inability to comprehend Misirkov's comments in their sentiment and in entirety.

Perhaps we can delve into Misirkovs apparent departure from these obviously clear beliefs.

I would like to know the following:

- Any confirmed departures from this ideology by Misirkov.
- Political pressures that may have existed at the time.
- His age at the time.
- His economic situation at the time.

[Daskalot]

Quite impressive quote listing SoM, but Krste Misirkov was Booger...... I have read it on Vulgarika: The Booger Blog ;

[Soldier of Macedon]

Originally Posted by Risto the Great

- Any confirmed departures from this ideology by Misirkov.

Yes. For the below reasons as stated.

- Political pressures that may have existed at the time.
- His age at the time.
- His economic situation at the time.

I will post the relevant texts later in the day, so we can examine them.

Whenever he writes in favour of the Bulgarian side, he almost always seems emotional on it, making erratically broad statements that are not at all in the spirit of the normal Misirkov. External factors are involved, especially towards the end of his life in the 1920's.

[osiris]

fear for his life was the crucial reason why he became a boogar., he may not have been brave enough to become martyr but he had already declared his identity as a macedonian .

[Soldier of Macedon]

Firstly, the authenticity of some of Misirkov’s pro-Bulgarian articles is in question due to the inconsistency of dates against views expressed by him at the time. Also, many of his so-called articles are available only from a 'collection' apparently gathered by his nephew and re-printed some years later. Misirkov’s so-called Bulgarian 'patriotism' can be seen more as a reaction to Serbian aggression in Macedonia and hence it is more a hatred towards the Serbs rather than a love for the Bulgarians. While Misirkov’s On Macedonian Matters produced a piece of work that is analytical, criticising, but objective in manner, his other ‘pro-Bulgarian’ pieces seem to not be in a clear state.

In two 'articles' by Misirkov in the years 1910 and 1924 respectively, he allegedly produces two very anti-Serbian/fanatically Bulgarian views, claiming that "we speak Bulgarian language.......the Macedonian Slavs are called Bulgarians.........our souls are in Bulgaria". These comments are seemingly due Serbian attempts at wiping out Macedonian culture before and during the days of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. These 'articles' are apparently written in Bulgaria during a heated period with tensions running high between the Balkan states. Misirkov hoped that Bulgaria would 'rescue' Macedonia, but as time went on he realized he had no place as a Macedonian among Bulgarians.

There is also this from 1913:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=92522

And this from 1925:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krste_Misirkov

However his Bulgarian identity is shown too in the three last articles he wrote before his death: "Bulgarian school" - "Mir", XXXI,7457, 2 Mаy 1925[9] "School and Socialism" - "Мir", XXXI,7476,26 May 1925 [10], "Church and school" -"Мir" XXXII,7541,13 August 1925 [11] Also he was buried with aid from the Government as Director of Bulgarian school.[12]

So,

1903 - He comes on to the scene with On Macedonian Matters
1904 - Alexander Balan about Misirkov's Macedonian view
1910 - Archimandrite Neophyte to Exarch Joseph about 'Misirkovism' in connection to the Macedonian Theodosius
1910 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1923 - Macedonian view
1924 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1924 - Macedonian view
1925 - Macedonian view and Bulgarian view


I could only find the 1910 and 1924 'articles' on Bulgarian propagandist sites, which throws into question their credibility, it just doesn't seem right. Bulgarian sources are often difficult to accept as truthful.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Here is something else from On Macedonian Matters:

What is most essential for us is internal unity, mutual unity in Macedonia, we do not need Serbs, Bulgarians or Greeks, for we are none of these; we do not need patriarchists, or exarchists because we are only Orthodox Christians.

The intervention of the Bulgarians and Serbs in Macedonia was the result of various circumstances: the Macedonians had gone hand in hand with the Bulgarians as far as the Church was concerned, which explains why the power of the Exarchate had spread in Macedonia. Serbia became involved in Macedonia when she lost hope of incorporating Bosnia and Herzegovina into her territory.

The pretensions of the Serbs and the Bulgarians, on the one hand, have shown us that the rivalry of these two states alone has been enough to condemn us to slavery for some time still to come; on the other hand, these pretensions of theirs have, in spite of this, assured us of a certain truth - that in all Macedonia there exists only one Slav nationality and not several.

Thus the terms Serb, Bulgarian, and Greek have served their time in Macedonia and there is no longer any place for them. It is time for them to be changed for a name common to all Macedonian Slavs, the name Macedonian.

[Daskalot]

Originally Posted by Soldier of Macedon

Firstly, the authenticity of some of Misirkov’s pro-Bulgarian articles is in question due to the inconsistency of dates against views expressed by him at the time. Also, many of his so-called articles are available only from a 'collection' apparently gathered by his nephew and re-printed some years later. Misirkov’s so-called Bulgarian 'patriotism' can be seen more as a reaction to Serbian aggression in Macedonia and hence it is more a hatred towards the Serbs rather than a love for the Bulgarians. While Misirkov’s On Macedonian Matters produced a piece of work that is analytical, criticising, but objective in manner, his other ‘pro-Bulgarian’ pieces seem to not be in a clear state.

In two 'articles' by Misirkov in the years 1910 and 1924 respectively, he allegedly produces two very anti-Serbian/fanatically Bulgarian views, claiming that "we speak Bulgarian language.......the Macedonian Slavs are called Bulgarians.........our souls are in Bulgaria". These comments are seemingly due Serbian attempts at wiping out Macedonian culture before and during the days of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. These 'articles' are apparently written in Bulgaria during a heated period with tensions running high between the Balkan states. Misirkov hoped that Bulgaria would 'rescue' Macedonia, but as time went on he realized he had no place as a Macedonian among Bulgarians.

There is also this from 1913:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=92522

And this from 1925:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krste_Misirkov


So,

1903 - He comes on to the scene with On Macedonian Matters
1904 - Alexander Balan about Misirkov's Macedonian view
1910 - Archimandrite Neophyte to Exarch Joseph about 'Misirkovism' in connection to the Macedonian Theophylact
1910 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1923 - Macedonian view
1924 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1924 - Macedonian view
1925 - Macedonian view and Bulgarian view


I could only find the 1910 and 1924 'articles' on Bulgarian propagandist sites, which throws into question their credibility, it just doesn't seem right. Bulgarian sources are often difficult to accept as truthful.

That is a very good breakdown on Miskirkov's view., thank you SoM.
Booger sources must be questioned of their authenticity.

[Soldier of Macedon]

No problem Daskalot, I will just add the 1913 diary in the list.

1903 - He comes on to the scene with On Macedonian Matters
1904 - Alexander Balan about Misirkov's Macedonian view
1910 - Archimandrite Neophyte to Exarch Joseph about 'Misirkovism' in connection to the Macedonian Theodosius
1910 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1913 - Bulgarian view in diary
1923 - Macedonian view
1924 - Bulgarian view against Serbs
1924 - Macedonian view
1925 - Macedonian view and Bulgarian view

[Soldier of Macedon]

It is interesting to note all the other sources confirming the Macedonian identity before and throughout the apparent fluctuations of Misirkov's opinions.