Krste Misirkov

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Krste Petkov Misirkov

Portrait of Krste P. Misirkov
Born Krste Petkov Misirkov
November 18, 1874(1874-11-18)
Postol, Ottoman Empire (today Greece)
Died July 26, 1926
Sofia, Kingdom of Bulgaria (today Bulgaria)
Pen name "K.Pelski"
Occupation philologist, slavist, historian, ethnographer, publicist, translator and professor.
Education Doctor's degree of philology and history
Alma mater Faculty of philology and history at the University of Petrograd
Genres history, linguistics, philology, politics, ethnography and analytic.
Subjects Macedonian history, language and ethnicity, Balkan history
Literary movement Macedonian scientific-literary association "St. Clement"
Notable work(s) "On Macedonian Matters", the magazine "Vardar", over 30 articles published in different newspapers.
Spouse(s) Ekaterina Mihajlovna - Misirkova
Children Sergej Misirkov
Relative(s) Kata Misirkova - Rumenova
Signature

Krste Petkov Misirkov (Bulgarian: Кръсте/Кръстю/Кръстьо Петков Мисирков Macedonian: Крсте Петков Мисирков) (born 18 November 1874 in Postol (Pella), Ottoman Empire (today Greece); died 26 July 1926 in Sofia, Kingdom of Bulgaria) was a philologist, reformer of the standard Macedonian language, slavist, historian, ethnographer, publicist, author of the first book and magazine on standard Macedonian language and he was elected as the greatest Macedonian of the 20-th century[1].

His writings are central to the issue of the existence of a Macedonian nation distinct from the Bulgarian nation. At different points in his life, Misirkov expressed conflicting statements about the ethnicity of the Slavs living in Macedonia, including his own ethnicity, calling them pure Bulgarians, Macedonians or Macedonian Bulgarians respectively. As a result, both his ethnic attachment and legacy remains a matter of dispute among historians from Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia.

Contents

Works

In his life, Misirkov wrote one book, one diary, published one issue of a magazine and wrote more than thirty articles. His most important work is the book "On Macedonian Matters", published in Sofia in 1903. The magazine was called "Vardar" and was published in 1905 in Odessa, Russian Empire. The articles that Misirkov wrote have been published in different newspapers and they were focused on different topics.

Front cover of Za Makedonckite Raboti

"On the Macedonian Matters"

Misirkov's most important writing is undoubtedly the book Za Makedonckite Raboti (On Macedonian Matters) published in 1903 in which he laid down the principles of the modern Macedonian language. According to this book, the Macedonian language should be based on dialects from the central part of Macedonia which are the Veles, Prilep, Bitola and Ohrid dialects. He also used those dialects in the book itself. Misirkov's principles played a crucial role in the future codification of the Macedonian language, right after World War II. However, in one of his next articles Misirkov categorically renounced the point of this book, explaining that its content stays far away from unprejudiced science.[2][3][4]

The magazine "Vardar"

Besides "On Macedonian Matters", Misirkov is author of the first magazine on Macedonian language. The magazine "Vardar" was published in 1905 in Odessa, Russian Empire. The magazine was published only once, because of the financial problems that Misirkov had been facing with at that time. "Vardar" has been published on Macedonian language, and the orthography that has been used is almost same as the orthography of the standard Macedonian language[5].

Diary

In 2006, a handwritten diary by Misirkov written during his stay in Russia in 1913 was discovered. It was declared authentic by Bulgarian and Macedonian experts and was published in 2008.[6] The content of the diary clearly shows that at the time, Misirkov was a Bulgarian nationalist. It has given rise to new public discussion over Misirkov's stances on Bulgarian and Macedonian ethnicity.[7][8]

Contribution to Bulgarian dialectology and ethnography

In several publications Misirkov made attempt to determine the border between Serbo-Croatian and Bulgarian languages, including in the Bulgarian dialect area nearly all of Torlakian and Macedonian dialects.[9] Misirkov pointed there, that the population in Pomoravlje is autochthonous and Bulgarian by origin, excluding any later migrations during the Ottoman rule from Bulgaria.[10] According to Krste Misirkov, Krali Marko epic songs in Serbia, the so called Bugarstici[11] are a result from Bulgarian musical influence over the Serbian folk music.[12]

Work as a teacher

In 1895, after he finished the Pedagogical school in Belgrade, he was appointed teacher in Pristina by the Serbian government, but instead, he went to Odessa to continue his education. However, his diploma issued in Serbia was not recognized in Russia, so he spent two years studying at the theological school in Poltava, after which he finished the Faculty of History and Philology at the Petersburg University.[10] Facing financial obstacles to continue his postgraduate education, he accepted the proposal of the Bulgarian Exarchate to be appointed teacher in a high school in Bitola. Then he worked as a teacher in the Bulgarian schools in Berdyansk, Odessa and Kishinev in Russia.[10][13] He was elected a member of the Bessarabian parliament as a representative of the Bulgarian and other minorities, where, at the same time, he worked as a secretary in the Bulgarian educational commission in Bessarabia.[10] Right after the end of the First World War, he spent one year in Sofia as a head of the Historical department of the National Museum of Ethnography. Then, he worked as a teacher and director of the high schools in Karlovo and Koprivshtitsa, until his death in 1926.[10][13] He was buried in Sofia with the financial support from the Ministry of Education, as an honoured educator.[14]

Views of Misirkov

View of Misirkov in Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, Misirkov is regarded as a Bulgarian patriot by some and as a controversial figure by others. Bulgarian historians believe that his writings were significantly altered by the post-WWII Yugoslavian Communist regime to support the notion of a "Macedonian nation", distinct from the Bulgarian nation.[15] They point to significant omissions from the officially published texts, and the addition of specific pro-Serbian statements not found in his original writings. Bulgarians also note that Misirkov was Bulgarian deputy in Bessarabia, choose Bulgarian citizenship, lived and died in Bulgaria and worked there for the Bulgarian cause until his death in 1926.

View of Misirkov in the Republic of Macedonia

According to historians in the Republic of Macedonia, Misirkov was the most prominent Macedonian publicist, philologist and linguist who set the principles of the Macedonian literary language in the early 20th century. In some of his writings he clearly identified the population of Macedonia as belonging to the Slavic populations, expressing the need for "we Slav peoples [...] to unite our own Macedonian Slav population".

Ivo Banac's view of Misirkov

While Misirkov's work and personality remain highly controversial and disputed among historians in Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia, there have been attempts among international scholars to reconcile the conflicting and self-contradictory statements made by Misirkov about himself and about the nationality of the Slavs living in Macedonia. According to Croatian Ivo Banac, professor of history at Yale University, Misirkov viewed both himself and the Slavs of Macedonia as Bulgarians, and espoused pan-Bulgarian patriotism in a larger Balkan context, and especially with regard to Serbian and Greek hegemonism in Macedonia. However, in the context of the larger Bulgarian unit/nation, Misirkov sought both cultural and national differentiation from the Bulgarians and called both himself and the Slavs of Macedonia Macedonians."[16]

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Footnotes

  1. ^ p.5, K.P.Misirkov, "Za Makedonckite raboti" - jubilejno izdanie, Tabernakul, Skopje, 2003. ISBN 9989-937-42-7
  2. ^ Трайков, Веселин (2000). Кръсте Мисирков и за българските работи в Македония. Знание, ISBN 954-621-177-X.
  3. ^ К. Мисирков. „БЕЛЕЖКИ ПО ЮЖНОСЛАВЯНСКАТА ФИЛОЛОГИЯ И ИСТОРИЯ /КЪМ ВЪПРОСА ЗА ПОГРАНИЧНАТА ЛИНИЯ МЕЖДУ БЪЛГАРСКИЯ И СРЬБСКО-ХЪРВАТСКИЯ ЕЗИЦИ И НАРОДИ/“ Българска сбирка, XVII, януари 1910, кн. 1, с. 39-42; февруари 1910, кн. 2, с. 100; маи 1910, кн. 5, с. 328; г. XVIII, март 1911, кн. 3, с. 197; април 1911. кн. 4, с. 265-267.
  4. ^ И. Михайлов. ИСТИНСКИЯТ ОБРАЗ НА НЕУРАВНОВЕСЕНИЯ КР. МИСИРКОВ. Избрани произведения. Съставители: Кръстю Гергинов, Цочо Билярски. Военноиздателски комплекс Св. Георги Победоносец, Университетско издателство Св. Климент Охридски, София 1993. Стр. 389-390
  5. ^ p.13, "Vardar", Blaže Ristovski, Institute of Macedonian language "Krste Misirkov", Skopje, 1966.
  6. ^ FOCUS Information Agency
  7. ^ Нетинфо - Как "бащата на македонизма" Кръстьо Мисирков се оказа чист българин
  8. ^ Diary Reveals Father of Macedonian Nation Had Bulgarian Identity, Sofia News Agency, 23 April 2008, Wednesday
  9. ^ See: Мисирков, Кръстьо (1898). Значението на моравското или ресавското наречие за съвременната и историческа етнография на Балканския полуостров. Български преглед, година V, книга І, стр. 121-127; Мисирков, Кръстьо (1910, 1911). Бележки по южно-славянска филология и история (Към въпроса за пограничната линия между българския и сръбско-хърватски езици и народи), Одеса, 30.XII.1909 г. Българска сбирка.
  10. ^ a b c d e Трайков, Веселин (2000). Кръсте Мисирков и за българските работи в Македония. Знание. ISBN 954621177Х. 
  11. ^ The Bugarstica: A Bilingual Anthology of the Earliest Extant South Slavic Folk Narrative Song (Illinois Medieval Studies) John S. Miletich, ISBN 0252017110, University of Illinois Press.
  12. ^ К. Мисирков. Южнославянските епически сказания за женитба­та на крал Марко сред южните славяни. Одеса, 1909. с. 6.; К. Мисирков. Народният ни епос и Македония. - Развитие, II, кн. 2-3, февруари-март 1919, с. 80.; К. Мисирков. Крали Марко. - Илинден, III, бр. 12, 25 март 1923.
  13. ^ a b Георги Маргаритов. В Скопие продължават да показват само едното лице на Кръсте Мисирков. в-к "Македония", брой 10, 10 март 1999 г.
  14. ^ ЦДИА, фонд № 177, Министерство на просвещението, опис № 2, а.е.230, л.22.
  15. ^ "Истинският образ на неуравновесения Кръсте Мисирков - Иван Михайлов, 1969 (Bulgarian)". http://www.promacedonia.org/misirkov.html. Retrieved 2009-07-16. 
  16. ^ Ivo Banac: The National Question in Yugoslavia. Origins, History, Politics. Cornell University Press, 1984

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