Macedonia

[poiuytrewq0987]

So I want to expand a bit on the history of the region for those who are interested from an actual Macedonian whose perspective isn't corrupted by the ways of politics.

Its history began as soon as the Slavs began migrating to the Balkans. There emerged a major Slavic power, the Bulgarians who were battling the Byzantines regularly. Later the Serbs became strong enough to be independent from Bulgarian rule and eventually the Bulgarians were subjugated by the Byzantines (the Serbs too). So for some period two major Slavic factions in the Balkans were under Greek rule.

During this period, Hellenisation of the major Slavs weren't very successful as they retained their own identity that had formed from their migration and the conversion of Paleo-Balkan populations to their identity.

Fast forward to the fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottomans and the eventual subjugation of the Balkans by the Ottomans. The Slavs under the Ottomans, specifically the Slavs inhabiting Vardar and Aegean Macedonia (using the modern descriptions to describe where) spoke various dialects that weren't really Bulgarian or Serb but a language that diverged away from both major Slavic languages in that part of the Balkans. They were a people who didn't claim to be Bulgarian or Serb but sometimes they did only if it was going to benefit them (financially or politically). The Slavs in Macedonia never adopted a Serb or Bulgarian identity in big numbers as they lived on as your average 'ol Slav (there were good numbers of Slavs in the region of Macedonia including Aegean part of Macedonia or Greek Macedonia). I suspect this is because neither Slavic factions had controlled the region long enough to Serbianize or Bulgarize the Slavs in Macedonia (however the region did undergo plenty of Serbianizations and Bulgarizations plenty of times for the Slavs there to be a mixture of both influences including their own).

From the fall of the Ottomans in the late 1800s and the early 1900s they started to come together and develop their own consciousness from not feeling any belonging to Serbia or Bulgaria. From there a real Slavic identity finally began to develop for the people here. Our situation is quite similar to the Swiss Confederation, they're not German, Italian or French but Swiss. We're certainly not Serb, Bulgarian or Greek but Macedonian (Macedonian purely in a regional sense after the Slavs who once lived in great numbers in Greek Macedonia/Aegean Macedonia). We however have been influenced by a lot by the Serbs, Bulgarians and Greeks just as the Swiss have been influenced by a lot by the French, Germans and Italians.

I see the nation's situation hardly different from the Swiss Confederation with only one exception, the attempt by the Macedonian government and the radical elements of Macedonia to try and connect with ancient Macedonians. This has really damaged the development of the Slavic Macedonian identity as it diverged onwards Alexander worship, a history that we have nothing to do with; I'm sure our Slavic Macedonian ancestors are rolling in their graves at 10,000 mp second for the Alexander worship and foregoing our Slavic identity. If that hadn't occurred, we would've been on our way to the development of a strong Slavic Macedonian ethnic identity similar to the Swiss' identity whose people are proud of its own identity and admires the influence the Germans, the French and the Italians had on its country and embraces them to make its confederation a greater country.

Well, that was my two cents on the history here. ;)

[hajduk]

"Let Macedonia without Bulgarians burn in hell" Ivan Mihaylov

[poiuytrewq0987]

"Let Macedonia without Bulgarians burn in hell" Ivan Mihaylov

Yawn, if the people in Macedonia were and felt Bulgarian then it'd be a part of Bulgaria today but that's not the case; the liberation war from Bulgarian/Nazi German rule proves just that.

[nisse]

does macedonia have a traditional musical instrument that looks like bagpipes?

[poiuytrewq0987]

does macedonia have a traditional musical instrument that looks like bagpipes?

Yeah, they're called gajda.

DOMvcbVn8SM

[Lithium]

The "macedonian" history exists only in "macedonia".

ow and your ancestry can't be "Vardaska" if you are not descended only by womens of course...

[poiuytrewq0987]

The "macedonian" history exists only in "macedonia".

ow and your ancestry can't be "Vardaska" if you are not descended only by womens of course...

Vardarska as in the name of the region now fuck off if you've got nothing valuable to contribute to this thread.

[Guapo]

Mi sakate Cokalije da fakate! Makedonskata salata e povkusna od grckata.

[poiuytrewq0987]

I believe that the map below proves that there were Slavs in the region of Macedonia that neither identified as Bulgarian or Serb.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/Hellenism_in_the_Near_East_1918.jpg/489px-Hellenism_in_the_Near_East_1918.jpg

[Turkophagos]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/optimaton/dimitrija.jpg


Translation: "And this tomb was done with the contribution of the Orthodox Bulgarians in the year 1864 March the 1st Skopie"

[poiuytrewq0987]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/optimaton/dimitrija.jpg


Translation: "And this tomb was done with the contribution of the Orthodox Bulgarians in the year 1864 March the 1st Skopie"

And your point is? That Bulgarians lived in the region of Vardarska? Good for them? I already said that we are not Serb, Bulgarian or Greek but Macedonian (call us whatever, FYROMians, Vardarans, I don't care). We are that way because we are not sufficiently Serb, Bulgarian or Greek to be such. We're very much alike to the Swiss, they've been influenced by a lot by the French, Germans and Italians and as a result of that, they've managed to develop an unique ethnic identity (including the development of unique Swiss German (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_German) language). Just as we have developed our own ethnic identity and language as a result of attempts of Serbianizations, Bulgarianizations, etc but we were never fully converted to Serbian or Bulgarian culture. If we were then we would be a part of either country but we are not. I think people need to start respecting that fact.

[Turkophagos]

And your point is? That Bulgarians lived in the region of Vardarska? Good for them? I already said that we are not Serb, Bulgarian or Greek but Macedonian (call us whatever, FYROMians, Vardarans, I don't care). We are that way because we are not sufficiently Serb, Bulgarian or Greek to be such. We're very much alike to the Swiss, they've been influenced by a lot by the French, Germans and Italians and as a result of that, they've managed to develop an unique ethnic identity (including the development of unique Swiss German (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_German) language). Just as we have developed our own ethnic identity and language as a result of attempts of Serbianizations, Bulgarianizations, etc but we were never fully converted to Serbian or Bulgarian culture. If we were then we would be a part of either country but we are not. I think people need to start respecting that fact.

What I am saying is that we simply witness an ethnogenesis at the expense of Bulgarian, and Serbian to some extent, folk and Greek culture.


Here's a letter from Gotse Delchev, a "Macedonian" forefather and hero, to Nikola Malashevski, 1899:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Gd_184.jpg

"Sofia, 01.05.1899, Kolyo (diminutive form of Nikola),

I've received all the letters, sent by and through you. Let the dissents and cleavages (referring to the inner conflicts of VMORO) not frighten us. It is really a pity, but what can we possibly do when we ourselves are Bulgarians and all suffer from the same disease! If this disease had not existed in our forefathers who passed it on to us, they wouldn't have fallen under the ugly sceptre of the Turkish sultans.[...]"

[poiuytrewq0987]

What I am saying is that we simply witness an ethnogenesis at the expense of Bulgarian, and Serbian to some extent, folk and Greek culture.


Here's a letter from Gotse Delchev, a "Macedonian" forefather and hero, to Nikola Malashevski, 1899:


"Sofia, 01.05.1899, Kolyo (diminutive form of Nikola),

I've received all the letters, sent by and through you. Let the dissents and cleavages (referring to the inner conflicts of VMORO) not frighten us. It is really a pity, but what can we possibly do when we ourselves are Bulgarians and all suffer from the same disease! If this disease had not existed in our forefathers who passed it on to us, they wouldn't have fallen under the ugly sceptre of the Turkish sultans.[...]"

Did you ever see me claim that Delchev is a Macedonian? I know he is Bulgarian and your point is? That Slavic Macedonians collaborated with IMRO?

[Turkophagos]

Did you ever see me claim that Delchev is a Macedonian? I know he is Bulgarian and your point is? That Slavic Macedonians collaborated with IMRO?

http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l339/kolonea/skopclowns2.jpg

My point is that Tito didn't want a bulgarian minority to his country so he transformed it, by brainwashing it, to the "macedonian" ethnicity.

[poiuytrewq0987]

My point is that Tito didn't want a bulgarian minority to his country so he transformed it, by brainwashing it, to the "macedonian" ethnicity.

How many times I've heard this argument? 1,000,000,000,000th time I think? The Macedonian ethnicity existed long before the period of Socialist Yugoslavia. While it is true that he did apply new laws to de-Serbianize and de-Bulgarize our surnames (from ova or ich to ski) but what's disingenuous is to claim our people are 100% Bulgarian or 100% Serb. That's simply not true, if that was the case then we'd be speaking Bulgarian or Serbian today and we'd be part of either state today. No, that wasn't the case because we never felt close nor loyal to either state and as a result we've diverged away from them and developed an unique Swiss-like identity today (although the whole Alexander worship is surely annoying). What you're saying is akin to something like the Swiss people were brainwashed to by their political elite to separate themselves from France, Germany and Italy.

[Monolith]

Mi sakate Cokalije da fakate! Makedonskata salata e povkusna od grckata.
Get a case system! :P

I believe that the map below proves that there were Slavs in the region of Macedonia that neither identified as Bulgarian or Serb.

Do you really need some old map to support your identity? You people are Makedonci now. No amount of internet bickering is going to change that.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Do you really need some old map to support your identity? You people are Makedonci now. No amount of internet bickering is going to change that.

I don't really like the name but the people here have chosen to stuck with it only because they believe they are related to ancient Macedonians and so hence the reason the choosing of that name. If they didn't believe in such a myth, they'd have chosen a more proper and related name. :)

[Monolith]

I don't really like the name but the people here have chosen to stuck with it only because they believe they are related to ancient Macedonians and so hence the reason the choosing of that name. If they didn't believe in such a myth, they'd have chosen a more proper and related name. :)
I thought the region's traditional name was Macedonia, regardless of ethnic affiliation of the inhabitants.

[poiuytrewq0987]

I thought the region's traditional name was Macedonia, regardless of ethnic affiliation of the inhabitants.

Yes, just saying that the name is not my favorite. :D

[The Ripper]

Its not a real country anyway. ;)

[poiuytrewq0987]

Its not a real country anyway. ;)

Yep, just like Finns are Russians but speak a Finno-Ugric language. :thumb001:

[The Ripper]

Yep, just like Finns are Russians but speak a Finno-Ugric language. :thumb001:

Just, like, whatever.

[MacedonBG]

This is the original copy of the requestsent by the father of Mihail Apostolov from Novo Selo ( district of Shtip)to the Minister of War of the Bulgarian Kingdom. He requests that his sonbe liberated from an Italian POW camp and emphasizes the sincere Bulgarianfeelings of the family. Later, Mihail (under the name of Mihajlo Apostolski)would become one of the leading political figures in the Socialist Republicof Macedonia, being a passionate Bulgarian-hater and propagator of themacedonist doctrine. It is worth mentioning that due to steps taken bythe Bulgarian government Apostolov was eventually freed from the camp... http://i.data.bg/08/07/06/1039665_orig.jpg

[MacedonBG]

This is a request written by Lazar Kolishev (later Lazo Kolishevski), a communist sentenced to death by the Circuit Court of Skopje. He begs H.M. King Boris III for mercy, and states emphatically:
"A was born a son to Bulgarian parents; I have always felt as a Bulgarian"
The same person, in his capacity of a governmental and party leader of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, would become the most articulate enemy of Bulgarianness and upholder of the macedonist dogmas. Eventually, Kolishev was granted a pardon by the Bulgarian authorities and personally by the King... http://i.data.bg/08/11/30/1271196_orig.jpg

[MacedonBG]

Jane Sandanski has a lot of merits, but a number of misdeeds too. His greatest sin is the assassination of Ivan Garvanov and Boris Sarafov, both members of the IMARO's Central Commitee, which initiated the fratricides in the Organization. Led by his excessive ambitions, Sandanski happened to be in conflict with the majority in IMARO. To claim, however, that Jane did not feel himself a Bulgarian is groundless. Here is how he explains his ideal of a Free Macedonia in an interview for the Italian newspaper Secolo taken in Tirana and concerning the 1912 occupation of Aegean and Vardar Macedonia on behalf of Greece and Serbia:

"The Macedonian revolutionaries, who after a long and ruthless struggle with the Turkish tyranny lived to see their dream - winning their Fatherland's liberty, cannot permit its falling under Serbian and Greek dominance. They will not refrain even from the most formidable terrorist means in order to achieve their most cherished dream - Free Bulgarian Macedonia!"

After the 1908 Young Turks' revolution, Sandanski and his adherents establish the People's Federative Party (Bulgarian section) which undertakes to achieve the autonomy of Macedonia and the district of Adrianople in cooperation with the rest of the nationalities in these regions(Turks, Greeks, Vlachs, Jews etc.). Until the very end of its existence, the party remained purely Bulgarian in its character because it failed to attract the non-Bulgarian populace. Below is the original of the party's Statute and the Constitutive Congress' Resolutions. It is clearly stipulated that every Bulgarian can become a member. It is worth mentioning again that no PFP sections other than the Bulgarian one were constituted. http://i.data.bg/08/11/30/1271213_orig.jpg http://i.data.bg/08/11/30/1271216_orig.jpg

[MacedonBG]

http://i.data.bg/08/12/03/1276827_orig.jpg The name Bulgarian Folksongsis eloquent enough to demonstarte what the national consciousness of Constantine and Dimitar Miladinov was. Today, the name of the great Bulgarian National Revival figures from the town of Struga is oftentimes quoted in Skopje as a name of pioneers of the "Macedonian national awakening". It is interesting though why their epoch-making work Bulgarian Folksongs has been constantly edited there under titles of all kinds, has never been edited in its original version, and the authentic copy of the book found in the museum of the Miladinovs in Sturga is opened so nobody can see its frontpage.

As far as the contents of the book is concerned, this is what Constantine Miladinov himself writes:

"We have begun to gather the songs from various places in Western Bulgaria, i.e. from Macedonia -the regions of Ohrid, Struga, Prilep, Veles, Kostur, Kukush, Strumica, and other places, from Eastern Bulgaria too."

A considerable number of songs from Bulgarian parts outside Macedonia, such as the regions of Sofia and Panagjurishte.

[MacedonBG]

http://i.data.bg/08/12/03/1276832_orig.jpg
The inscription narrates about the construction of Bitola's citadel carried out by King Joan Vladislav - the last member of King Samuel's dynasty. It provides us with an opportunity to settle what nationality Samuel, his brothers and successors considered themselves belonging to, what kind of kingdom they ruled and what the populace of the state was.

Plainly and clearly, as if foreseeing the forgeries certain "scholars" would later engage in, Joan Vladislav proudly states that he is "a Bulgarian by birth", a Bulgarian king, and that Bitola's citadel was built for "the salvation of the Bulgarians". This inscription cannot be seen in the town museum of Bitola because it is hidden deep in the basement.

[MacedonBG]

http://i.data.bg/08/12/04/1278479_orig.jpg This is the original of Kuzman Shapkarev's cornerstone work Collection of Bulgarian Folklore (Sofia, 1891). The name of the eminent figure of the Bulgarian National Revival, who was born in 1834 in the town of Ohrid, can be encountered in numerous books edited during the last 50 years in Skopje where he is considered one of the modern Macedonian "national culture and language". The book's very name together with the entire life of this Bulgarian man of Enlightenment and ardent patriot certifies, in a superb way, the national feelings of this bright personality.

[MacedonBG]

http://kachi-snimka.info/images/rgh1230833069l.jpg

[MacedonBG]

Letter to the Honorable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada and
the Honorable Jason Kenney, Minister of Immigration and Citizenship.

Dear Mr. Harper and Mr. Kenney

We watched Channel 47 in Toronto on Saturday Feb.14 2009 to see you had attended the celebration of the fiftieth Jubilee of the United Macedonians in Canada held on February 08, 2009.
We, the Canadians of Bulgarian background from the geographical region called Macedonia, intend to shed some light on the subject of Macedonian nationality.
This United Macedonians came into existence 50 years ago! Why fifty years ago and not after 1912 when the first Balkan war ended?
There are (MPO) Macedonian Patriotic Organizations in North America since 1927. These MPO organizations were formed in USA and Canada with the purpose to inform the Canadian and American governments that the Slavic population of the geographical region is Bulgarian. We, in Canada, have the first Macedono-Bulgarian (Bulgarians from the geographical region called Macedonia) church (1910) on the corner of Sackville and Dundas east in Toronto.
Until 1945, no one had heard that there is such a nation as Macedonian. This so-called nation was invented by the Communist movement (archival records Feb 1934 in Moscow) in order to satisfy the Serbian aspirations in the Balkan Peninsula. The organization, United Macedonians, was created by the Yugoslav Legation in Canada. Until just a few years ago, in all of the churches known as Macedonian, one could see the portraits of Tito and Alexander the Great (called Aleksander Macedonski or Veliki by the government of the FYR of Macedonia).
In 2005, the European community informed the government of the FYR of Macedonia that their history is Bulgarian and their famous “Macedonian language” is a dialect of Bulgarian. A few months ago, the European community removed the infamous Macedonian language from the languages of Europe.
Now with reference to the birthday of Gotze Delchev (a Bulgarian name), one would ask how did this man, the leader of the Macedonian (geograhical region) movement, come to be called Delchev and not Delchevski (the suffix –ski is used by the government in the FYR of Macedonia)? On his last visit to Toronto, the former President of the FYR of Macedonia went to place flowers on the grave of his grandfather (grave number J 134). In the cemetery which is located at the intersection of St Clair East and Birchmount, the young man accompanying the former president had asked: “Mr. President, how come your grandfather is TRAIKOFF (Bulgarian) and you are Traikovski?
Since 1944, when the territory Vardar Macedonia was incorporated into Yugoslavia, nowhere did that government provide information as to the name of the organization to which Gotze Delchev (not Delchevski) belonged or to the purpose of this organization. This organization was organized in 1893 in the city of SALONICA (to-day in Greece). Its name was ‘Bulgarian-Macedonian Adrianopole Revolutionary Committee’. The purpose of this committee was to organize the Bulgarians living in Macedonia and Thrace to ask the Ottoman Empire to grant Autonomy to this region. The by-laws of the organization stated that only Bulgarians could belong to the organization and that those Bulgarians must be members of the Bulgarian Exarchate churches of the Ottoman Empire.
We conclude with some examples of happenings inside the FYR of Macedonia to-day. We refer to articles which appeared in www.utrinski.com.mk dated fourth and sixth of February 2009. In the first article, written by Vladimir Milcin chairperson of WWW. SOROS.org.Mk, Mr Milcin asked the government of the FYR of Macedonia how long, they would be ‘eating the poisonous apples of the communist movement’. Mr. Milcin states that in the past when foreigners travelled through the geographical territory called Macedonia and asked the people who they were, the people always answered that they were Bulgarians. In the second article, written by the editor of the paper Utrinski, Mr. Rauzov writes that the propaganda of the Republic states that the modern “Macedonians” are descendants of the ancient Macedonians. This Ancient Macedonism propaganda of the government is worse than mumps since there is a cure for mumps. He goes on and states, that mumps, the disease, can be treated with medicine but the disease ‘Ancient Macedonism’ can only be cured by death.
We hope that, we have shed some light on how the communist movement created a political unit such as Macedonia and attempted to turn it into a new nationality.

For MPO Luben Dimitroff
George Mladenoff
Chair person.
Copies to:
Consul Generel of the FYR of Macedonia
Consul General of Bulgaria

[MacedonBG]

SrruCOZwxKA http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2296/001kgr.jpg

[MacedonBG]

Otto Kronsteiner (Österreich)

There are quite a few European languages spoken outside their "own" country: for instance German in Germany, but also in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg,: Denmark, Belgium, Poland, Russia; Spanish in Spain, but also in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia etc. But nowhere a necessity has come to being, neither an attempt has been made to father a new (official) language (Austrian, Liechtensteinian, Argentinian, Chilien etc.) despite apparent differences emerging in the usage of the languages.

Many minority languages have never had their own state, others have had - though for a short time. Nevertheless, they have kept their integrity in the course of centuries, and have patiently waited for their recognition. This holds good of Ladinian, Basque, Sardian, Catalan and others. Quite to the contrary, there has never been a necessity for the creation of a spedal literary language to serve the Bulgarian-speaking Slavs residing outside Bulgaria (for example, in Vardar or Aegean Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Rumania, Ukraine). Similarly, there had never been a Macedonian linguistic community dreaming for centuries on end to be recognised for its linguistic uniqueness.

As late as the XX-th c. the method of linguistic partition (glossotomy) would be repeatedly applied, motivated politically, rather than linguistically. In the West (as was the case of Slovenian Nindian) those attempts crashed and burned. In the East however, forcefully conceived languages under communism (socialism) (Rumanian/Moldovan; Finnish/Karelian; Tatar/Bashkir; Turkish/Gagaouz) did survive to live a longer 'life' thanks to political coercion. Those who refused to accept language partition would be proclaimed nationalists and treated in the respective way. In politics, language partition was counted upon as a way to reinforce the new political borders, thus eliminating the feeling of one-time belonging to a certain community.The strategies behind the fathering of such new languages in the communist regions would follow one and the same principles.

One scholar (or a handful united in a group) would publish an orthography, grammar, dictionary, bilingual dictionaries (but, note, never from the old to the new language, that is, never Rumanian- Moldovan, but Moldovan-Russian for example, or others). Shortly, they would publish a historical grammar, a history of the language, as well as a history of the new nation. Further, as "flank" initiatives, an Academy of Sciences, a National Theatre and a National Folk Ensemble would be established. In the meantime, a national literature was bound to shape up, and the first writer to venture in any genre, would be proclaimed a great playwright, novelist or Iyrist on the new language. All that in its turn, called to life a literary history. The political accompaniment to the whole affair would be a most characteristic sentence in the communist countries: notably, that the (new) language was "a remarkable achievement serving the entire cultural complex". And, the direction to follow derived from the (unvoiced) formulation: "the worse the old language is treated, the better for the new one", that is, the worse Roumanian is being spoken/spelled, the better for Moldovan, which would be more correctly spoken/spelled. And, this entailed a deepening of the artificial gulf between the old and the new tongue (even by the use of force). All that holds good of the Macedonian literary language (македонскиот jазик).

Date of creation: 1944

Place of creation: The Socialist Republic of Macedonia (within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) - the "Prohor Pcinski" monastery.

Used by: some 1 000 000 Bulgarians (in Macedonia).

Oldest literary monument: "New Macedonia" newspaper.

Fabrications:


H. Lunt, A Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language, Skopje, 1952.

Блаже Конески, Историjа на македонскиот jазик. Дел I. Увод, За гласовите, За акцентот, Скопjе, 1952; Дел Il: 3a формите и нивната употреба, Cкоnje, 1957.

Блаже Конески, Исторjа на македонскиот jазик, Скопjе - Белград, 1965, 1981, 1982.

Правопис на македонскиот литературен jазик со правописен речник, Скопjе, 1970, 1979.

Речник на македонскиот jазик со српско-хрватски толкуваниjа (II-III), Скопjе, 1961, 1966, 1979, 1986.

в. Милики , Обратен речник на македонскиот jазик, Скопje, 1967.

Двуезични речници и учебници по немски, английски, френски, полски, румънски, руски и словенски.

Научно списание "Македонски jазик" от 1954 г.

М. Георгиевски, Македонско книжевно наследство од XI до XVIII век, Скопjе, 1979.

Д. Митрев. Повоени македонски поети. Антологиjа, Скопjе, 1960.

М. Друговац, Современи македонски писатели, Скопjе, 1979.

М. Ташковски, Кон етногенезата на македонскиот народ, Скопjе, 1974.

Историjа на македонскиот народ (Институт за национална историjа, Скопjе, 1969. I. Од предисториското време до краjот на ХVIII век. II Од почетокот на ХХ век до краjот на првата светска воjна. III Периодот меу двете светски воjни и народната револуциjа (1918-1945).

While T. Stamatoski (also Stamatov, Stamatovski) wrote back in 1986 on the struggle for Macedonian literary language, looking back and ahead in future at the same time (Борба за македонски литературен jазик, Скопjе), Blaze Koneski had already (3 years before) told the "Communist" (1376, from July 29, 1983) the story of the endorsement and the introduction of this literary language (Афирмациjа на македонскиот jазик. Сосем оформен современен литературен jазик, Скопjе).

A most ridiculous text is the historical phonology of the new language fathered in 1944 (B. Koneski, A Historical Phonology of the Macedonian Language, Heidelberg, 1983).

A major departure was effected, not only from the Bulgarian language, but also from its rich literary heritage, as well as from the world literature in translation. However, something had to be saved, and it was done by encroaching upon the miscellany of songs by the Miladinov brothers, born in Macedonia, and which had been originally entitled "Bulgarian Folk Songs", (1861) containing songs from Struga, Okhrida, Prilep, Kukus, Kostur and from other parts of Vardar and Aegean Macedonia. In 1962 it came out in Skopie under the forged title of "Miscellany", with a forged "Macedonian" text, and on top of everything else, labelled "the most outstanding work ever published, of the Macedonian literature.

On the name (glossonym) Macedonian
The adjective Macedonian (in Bulgarian: македонски; in Greek: , in Albanian: maqedonas) was out ot use as a glossonym prior to 1944. Until then, Macedonian used to be an adjective (designating the region (toponym) of Macedonia). So-ever since 1944 it has scarcely been clear whether the toponym or the glossonym is actually meant under the word Macedonian, which caused a confusion of notions (deliberately provoked, too), that worked in favour of the reinforcement of the myths of the Macedonian nation. The impression was created as if this same language since time immemorial, has been the language of the "country" Macedonia. Alexander the Great was Macedonian. Cyril and Methodius were Macedonians, and Kemal Ataturk too, was Macedonian (a fact which is often suppressed). Neither of those however, had anything in common with the Macedonian literary language of Mr. Blaze Koneski (i.e. Blagoj Konev). And for the delusion to be complete, the textbooks in history and geography read: "In the Socialist Republic of Macedonia there live Macedonians, Albanians, Turks etc." This downright usurpation of ethnic names seems the right tool of forcible differentiation (compare: the French, Bretons, Basques - all of them nationals of France) etc., instead of the French French, the Breton French, the Basque French or (given the common territory of a nation), the French Bretons, the French Basques etc. It would be right to say: the Bulgarian Macedonians, the Albanian Macedonians, the Turkish Macedonians etc. (in this case, the residents of the republic of Macedonia), or, as it had been generally accepted to say by 1944 (e.g. Veigand) - the Macedonian Bulgarians, Macedonian Albanians, Macedonian Turks, etc. (given the common territory of a nation). And, since through the new Macedonian language, erstwhile Bulgarian ceased to exist officially (!), that is, it became a (strongly estranged) foreign language, the glossonym and the ethnonym Bulgarian disappeared too.

On the orthographyof the Macedonian literary language
Similarly to the case with Moldovan, when the Cyrillic script was introduced to distance it from Roumanian, the Macedonian glossotomists decided to adopt the Serbian alphabet (respectively, orthography) including letters having become more or less a myth , (instead of the Bulgarian Щ, ЖД, as well as the Serbian , .) The core of the Macedonian alphabet is actually lying in these two letters and their phonetic materialisation. Hence the joke: Macedonian is Bulgarian typed on a Serbian type-writer. Had the Bulgarian orthography been applied to the new language, everyone would take it for Bulgarian (despite the peripheral nature of the basic dialect chosen), just like the dialectally tinged texts by Ludwig Toma and Peter Poseger, which are taken for German ones.

On the dialectal basis of the Macedonian literary language
A very special trick of the Macedonian glossotomists was the choice of the peripheral dialectal area as the dialectal basis of the new language. It lies precisely on the Serbian-Bulgarian language boundary, hence, it represents a transitional dialect to Serbian. Another town could have been chosen instead of Skopie as capital (in the linguistic aspect too), such as Okhrida, but it would have made the difference with Bulgarian hardly discernable. The inner structure of the new language follows lexically and morphologically the Serbian model enforced through the Belgrade Radio and TV, received everywhere. The new language served the rule: the more non-Bulgarian, the more Macedonian! The strengthening of the Serbian influence meant Macedonia's estrangement from Bulgaria politically and culturally as well (something passed unnoticed by Europe). Bulgarian studies were not taught in Yugoslavia's universities, as they were replaced by Macedonian studies (and that, needless to say, held good of Skopje). Bulgarian was converted into an anti-language.

In the lingual-geographic aspect, the "Macedonian" dialects were declared all too unique, having nothing in common with Bulgarian. This explains why a Macedonian dialectal atlas was never released. Every dialectologist is well aware that there is no dialectical boundary to separate Bulgaria from Macedonia, and that intrinsic Macedonian peculiarities (such as the triple article, instead of Щ, etc.) are common in Bulgaria too. Hence, the whole thing smells of Stalin-styled misinformation which was successful in misleading even some representatives of "critical" Slavonic studies in the West.

Who was in need of linguistic partition (glossotomy)?
Since in all the cases (in the communist region) of linguistic partition the underlying strategy would be quite the same, the question arises whether it is also valid for the functioning of that mechanism. The method of 'splitting' would be applied not only to languages, but also to the history of nations, and to entire nations. And as in neither of those cases people's will had been consulted, it is thus far unclear where the central stage players had actually seen the sense, for themselves, their country and their policy. It is surprising that together with the states (The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia) the purpose would be lost behind these language partitions, given it was related to a centralized state policy. The latter would unite on the one hand, and divide, on the other. Within the framework of the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Byelorussia had to be russified, whereas, the Turkish- speaking peoples would be partitioned in the smallest possible portions. For its part, Yugoslavia had been pursuing a language and cultural assimilation with a Serbian emphasis (see: "Directive" by Garasanin). All this attests to the moral (!) integrity of science which has never been short of people for such tasks. As to the Serbian policy, it did not resort to similar language partition against the Yugoslav Albanians and Turks - they were actually deprived of all their rights; they were not considered nations at all, but rather a "minority" in its worst connotation, although they were prevalent in some areas. The assimilation effort against linguistically closer Bulgarian Macedonians, however, was much more apparent. For the sence of historical truth we should note that those assimilation efforts do not date back to socialist Yugoslavia, but even earlier, to the Serbian-Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Yet they could score success only under socialism with its methods - in the post-1944 period. No wonder then that the Albanians do not tend to associate with the new Republic of Macedonia, while as far the "macedonized" Bulgarian Macedonians are concerned, it seems at least, they. do. I do not subscribe to any annexations (Anschlüsse), something I feel alien to, being Austrian; I believe that the Slav Macedonians are bound to re-think the roots of their identity which as of 1944, has been resting on a diffuse feeling of being Yugoslav. Any single piece of criticism against the new, Macedonian language is by rule interpreted as a blow against Yugoslavia. Thus, the whole thing has boiled to overcoming the past since historical falsehood and forgery could not but influence younger generations who now suffer the copse-i quenches of national nihilism. The generation of today identifies itself with neither Serbia, nor Bulgaria. We can hardly deny the emergence of initial symptoms of a new identity. Here is one example from among many: the complete separation back in 1967, of the Macedonian from the Serbian-Orthodox church (though the former has never been recognized by the latter). The degree of serbization however is considerable, which is indicative of the power of the Serbo-phile nomenclature in Macedonia.

Linguistic chaos
For the constructors of a language, and of the Macedonian literary language too, it is no problem at all to invent linguistic norms. The actual difficulty is whether these norms are applicable. The ways to say something on the one hand, and to spell it on the other, have always differed, yet the question is: Who speaks this language? Macedonians themselves can be heard to say quite often: we have no command of this language, we have not studied it. The immediate impression is how very uncertain such Macedonians feel linguistically. It transpires in every single piece of conversation, how tough it is for them to "stick" to this language. Soon one is in trouble guessing whether what is spoken is bad Bulgarian, or bad Serbian. Anyway, no impression is left of a linguistic identity (unlike the case with Ladinian or Catalan). Talking with Macedonians, one is overwhelmed by compassion over their linguistic confusion. Such a language can be defined negatively: by stating what it is not. The drive to replace the nationality of the Macedonians, making them Serbian, has actually called to life a kind of a creole tongue, which for its part might be helpful to the Serbians some generations later to 'recommend' to the Macedonians Serbian as a literary language. And, in its current capacity of a literary Language, Macedonian is open to Serbian, with the latter supplying the former. As to Bulgarian, it has fallen in total isolation.

With the political situation of today pregnant with options for new orientation, this destructive process needs to be contained, despite the deep traces it has left in the course of its 50-year-long development. I will refrain from forecasts as to the future direction linguistic development is likely to take. However, one thing is certain: the present situation is quite unsatisfactory. Moreover, fears remain that there are quite a few people in Skopje, who might try to accomplish what has already been started. If so, a precedent for Europe might emerge when political glossotomy being a preliminary stage leading up to linguistic, respectively ethnic, changes, has turned out to be successful.

In view of the common, older than a millennium Bulgarian history, we can hope that political objectives resting upon numerous lies, will ultimately fail. Otherwise, the televised statement of a Serbian tchetnik on the Austrian Tv' might become a sad truth, notably, that Macedonians were not using a normal tongue, but a hotchpotch of Serbian plus Bulgarian words, hence, the Macedonians belonged to Serbia.

The fact that an American, Horace Lunt is the author of the Grammar of the Macedonian Literary Language (Skopje, 1952), the first grammar-book of Macedonian (!) paving the way for a literary language tailored by the communists, attests to the profound "insight" Americans show in European problems.

Ways to tackle the "Macedonian problem":
1) Leaving behind the bilingual theory.

2) Wider access for Bulgarian so that it can be used parallel to the current form of the Macedonian literary language.

3) Optional teaching of Bulgarian in primary and secondary schools.

4) Establishment of an Institute of Bulgarian Language and Literature a1 the University of Skopje.

5) Usage of the Bulgarian alphabet (orthography) for the current form of the Macedonian literary language.

6) Lifting all restrictions over the free exchange of newspapers, magazines and literature between Macedonia and Bulgaria.

7) Linguistic integration by way of joint radio and TV broadcasts, as well as theatre shows and recitals in the two countries.

8) Creation of a joint institution on the Macedonian-Bulgarian linguistic matters. (The linguistic convergence could intensify in this way).

9) Avoidance of further serbization of the language.

10) Exchange of works of history between the two

11) The right of free choice of a surname.

12) Joint effort on behalf of Macedonia and Bulgaria for the recognition of the Slav-Bulgarian ethnic group in Aegean Macedonia (Greece) in compliance with the principles of the European minority rights (see: the linguistic map in "Die slawischen Sprachen" 15/1988).

13) Recognition of minorities based on uniform principles.

14) Observance of accurate terminology with regard to residents of Macedonia (Bulgarian Macedonians, Albanian Macedonians, Turkish Macedonians etc.) and of Bulgaria (Bulgarian Bulgarians, Turkish Bulgarians, Macedonian Bulgarians etc.) .

Translated by Daniela Konstantinova

[MacedonBG]

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[poiuytrewq0987]

Do you have anything better to do other than copy + paste articles?

[MacedonBG]

Do you have anything better to do other than copy + paste articles?
Slavs in Aegean Macedonia you have rights? When Macedonian Slavs - Bulgarians, will have autonomy in Aegean Macedonia?

[poiuytrewq0987]

Slavs in Aegean Macedonia you have rights? When Macedonian Slavs - Bulgarians, will have autonomy in Aegean Macedonia?

I have no idea what you just said. Regardless, you only claim that Slavs in Vardar are Bulgarian because you are only interested in a Greater Bulgaria, not in the truth. I have said this many times, if the people in Vardar felt and were Bulgarian then it'd be a part of Bulgaria today but it is NOT. You need to accept that fact, no amount of articles or whining can change that fact.