Wikipedia

Appeal to the Macedonians in Bulgaria (1944)

Appeal to the Macedonians in Bulgaria (Macedonian: Апел до Македонците во Бугарија)[1] is an appeal from 29 notable Macedonian activists in Bulgaria, they were former activists of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (United), the appeal was published in Sofia which is where it was written at the time during World War II. The whole point of the appeal was to get support from the Macedonians in Bulgaria to participate in the liberation of Pirin Macedonia, which was occupied by Bulgaria during the war. They also wanted to help participate in the National Liberation of Macedonia.[2] The appeal is very famous between Macedonians in Bulgaria for showing a sign that Macedonians in Bulgaria existed back then despite the Bulgarian goverment denying their existence. OMO Ilinden Pirin, a Macedonian organization in Bulgaria would do a similar version with their own appeal in the 1990s. The entire appeal is saved in Macedonian archives.[3] The Appeal also used the motto from multiple Macedonian organization at Bulgaria at the time which was "Macedonia for the Macedonians".[4]

Appeal to the Macedonians in Bulgaria Апел до Македонците во Бугарија
Photo of the Appeal written in Bulgarian
Authorformer veterans of the IMRO (United)
PublisherBulgarian Communist Party
Publication date
September 28th, 1944
WebsiteThe entire appel translated in Macedonian on the Wikibooks of the Macedonian Wikipedia

The new Bulgarian power established after the September 9th coup, soon after that began to reorganize and/or close the Macedonian patriotic organizations that had existed until then, such as the Union of Macedonian Emigrant Organizations, the Ilinden Organization, the Macedonian Women's Union and the Union of Macedonian Youth Organizations. The fate of the signatories of the Appeal is different. Some of them soon after had high public and political positions in both countries, while others were repressed or isolated from political life. Overall the appeal had failed in what it tried to do, and that was to gain autonomy or independence for the Pirin Region in Bulgaria. However Georgi Dimitrov, the first president of the newly formed socialist Bulgaria actually planned to give the region independence but after his death his successor refused to.

Structure

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The appeal starts with "Dear fellow citizens" (which is talking about the Macedonian population in Bulgaria) and then in detail explains the terror the Macedonian population has experienced throught its history, recounting stories of Ottoman rule and mentioning how heroic the Ilinden Uprising was. they then name multiple famous Macedonian revolutionaries, some of which are: Dame Gruev, Goce Delčev, Dimo Hadži Dimov, Gjorče Petrov. The appeal talks about the Macedonian question, a political debate on whether or not the Macedonians as a nation should exist.

The appeal ends with a call for unity with Yugoslavia and more local autonomy in Bulgaria, they also show support for the USSRs army and the Yugoslavian partisans. They wish for end of fascism in the Bulgarian goverment and to accept communism. There are 29 signatures and they are located at the end and they are:

Number Name Location of Birth Photo of the person
1 Pavel Šatev Kratovo, Macedonia  
2 Božin Dimitrov unknown N/A
3 Ivan Pop Jordanov Veles, Macedonia N/A
4 Ljuben Manolov unknown N/A
5 Hristo Kalajdžiev Giannitsa, Aegean Macedonia N/A
6 George Sarakinov Sarakinovo, Aegean Macedonia  
7 Aleksandar Martulkov Veles, Macedonia  
8 Lazar Popovski Kosinec, Aegean Macedonia  
9 Hristo Dalkalčev Vladovo, Aegean Macedonia  
10 Hristo Tenčev Kukuš, Aegean Macedonia  
11 Petar Šandanov Ohrid, Macedonia  
12 Peco Trajkov Vrbeni, Aegean Macedonia  
13 Lazar Ašlakov unknown N/A
14 Tuše Deliivanov Kukuš, Aegean Macedonia  
15 Georgi Dinišev Dolni Todorak, Aegean Macedonia N/A
16 Georgi Despotov Kruševo, Macedonia N/A
17 Angel Dinev Smokvica, Macedonia N/A
18 Krste Germov Prilep, Macedonia  
19 Filip Pop Todorov Gorno Brodi, Greece N/A
20 Dimitar Halvatdžiev unknown N/A
21 Ivan Palejkov unknown N/A
22 Nikola Konstantinov unknown N/A
23 Lazar Božinov unknown N/A
24 Goce Grkov Kukuš, Aegean Macedonia N/A
25 Vasil Hristov Zeleniče, Aegean Macedonia  
26 Boris Mihov Veles, Macedonia N/A
27 Tuše Vlahov Kukuš, Aegean Macedonia
 
28 Stefan Nanov Malovišta, Macedonia
29 Mihail Gerdžikov Plovdiv, Bulgaria  

Sources

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  1. ↑ Written in older Bulgarian spelling as "Апелъ къмъ Македонцитѣ въ България"
  2. ↑ Институт за национална историја (Skopje, Macedonia) (1984). Гласник на Институтот за национална историја. Institut. p. 18.
  3. ↑ Istorija: spisanie na Sojuzot na društvata na istoričarite na SR Makedonija. Sojuz na društvata na istoričarite na SR Makedonija. 1982. p. 296.
  4. ↑ Cvetkovska, N. (1990). Političkata aktivnost na makedonskata emigracija vo Bugarija od 1918 do 1929 godina. Македонија: Institut za nacionalna istorija. p.39
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