Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria

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Ethnic Macedonians of Bulgaria
Total population

5,071 (2001 census) - 25,000 [1][2]
Regions with significant populations
Blagoevgrad province and Sofia [1]
Languages
predominantly Bulgarian[3]
Macedonian
Religion
Eastern Orthodox

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Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria or Pirin Macedonians are a group of Ethnic Macedonians mostly concentrated in the Pirin region of Macedonia. In the 2001 Bulgarian census, 5,071[1] people officially declared themselves to be Ethnic Macedonians. They are not currently recognized officially as an ethnic minority but have been between 1947 and 1958. During this period there was a resurgence of Macedonistic policies, the government went as far as to declare Macedonian as an official language of the Pirin region[4][5]. The Bulgarian Communist Party was compelled by Stalin to accept the formation of Macedonian, Thracian and Dobrujan nations in order to include those new separate states in a Balkan communist federation.[6][7][8] It has been suggested that the majority of the population from Blagoevgrad province was listed as ethnic Macedonians against their will in the 1946 census.[6][7]

Contents

[edit] Recognition of the Minority

On the 1 August 1947 the Bled Agreement was signed between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. One of the conditions of this agreement was the recognition of the Ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria and the Macedonian as a distinct language, separate from Bulgarian. In November,1947 pressured by both the Yugoslavs and the Soviets, Bulgaria signed a treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia and teachers were sent from Socialist Republic of Macedonia to Blagoevgrad province to teach the Macedonian Language and History[9][10].The Bulgarian president Georgi Dimitrov was sympathetic to the Macedonian question [11]. The Bulgarian government Communist party was compelled once again to adapt its stand to Soviet interests in the Balkans.[10] The same process started regarding the populations in Dobrudja and Thrace.[6][7]

A change of policy came in 1958.[6][7] At the plenum of the Bulgarian Communist Party held that year the decision was made that the Macedonian, Dobrujan and Thracian nations did not exist and neither did their respective languages.[12][13][6][7] From this point on the Macedonian Language was outlawed and the Macedonian teachers were expelled.[14] Since 1958, Bulgaria has not recognised an Ethnic Macedonian minority in the Pirin region. Within ten years the 178,862 strong Macedonian minority had fallen to just 8,700 individuals.[15]

[edit] Census Results

The number of Macedonians in the Pirin region has varied greatly over the past 50 years.

In the December of 1946, the Peoples Republic of Bulgaria conducted a census which included both the questions; of Ethnicity and of Mother Language. Of the total 252,908 inhabitants of Blagoevgrad Province, 169,544[16] or roughly 64% of the population declared themselves to be Ethnic Macedonians.[17] Of the 169 444 people who declared themselves to be Ethnic Macedonians 160 541 of them resided in Blagoevgrad Province, 2638 in Sofia, 2589 in Plovdiv, 1825 in Burgas and a further 1851 were scattered throughout Bulgaria.[citation needed]

Ethnic Groups Sveti Vrach % Petrich % Gorna Dzumaya % Razlog % Nevrokop % Total %
Macedonians 41 247 82,5% 42 047 91% 24 169 47% 23 837 60% 29 251 45,1% 160 541 63,64%
Bulgarians 7 600 15,1% 2 927 6,4% 24 825 48,3% 5 066 12,8% 14 007 21,5% 54 425 21,5%
Pomaks 55 0,% 35 0,1% 874 1,7% 9 786 24,6% 18 174 27,9% 28 924 3,03%

Of the total population of Blagoevgrad Province 131 910 people stated that they spoke Bulgarian or 82.2% of the population. While Macedonian was spoken by 28 611 people or 17.8% of the population.[citation needed]

In 1956, of the 281,015 inhabitants of Blagoevgrad Province 178,862 people declared themselves to be ethnic Macedonians. This rate stayed the same at roughly 64% of the population.[18][19] Of the 187 789 Ethnic Macedonians 178 862 of them resided in Blagoevgrad Province, 4046 were from Sofia, 1955 were from Plovdiv and the remaining 2926 were scattered throughout Bulgaria.[citation needed]

Ethnic Groups Sandanski % Petrich % Blagoevgrad % Razlog % Goce Delchev % Total %
Macedonians 55 373 89,5% 40 008 82,7% 30 561 52,2% 23 352 49,1% 29 586 45,8% 178 862 63,6%
Bulgarians 4 630 7,5% 7 326 15,1% 25 492 43,5% 11 843 24,9% 11 675 18,1% 60 966 21,7%
Pomaks 19 0,0% 8 0,0% 911 1,6% 11 501 24,2% 20 266 31,4% 32 705 11,6%
Total Bulgarians Macedonians Turks Roma
7613109 6506541 187789 656052 197789
100% 85,47% 2,47% 8,62% 2,52%

The 1965 census counted only 9632 people who declared themselves to be ethnic Macedonians.[20] Of these 9632 people, only 1732 of these were from the Blagoevgrad Province while 8195 were from the other regions of Bulgaria.[citation needed]

In the 1992 census 10,803 people declared themselves to be Ethnic Macedonians.In the 1992 census, 3,500, out of the 10,803 registered ethnic Macedonians defined Macedonian as their mother tongue[21]. According to the President of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Krasimir Kanev, the real number of Macedonians in Bulgaria varies from 15000 to 25000. [22]

Results of the 2001 census in the Blagoevgrad region of Bulgaria[23].

Total Bulgarians Macedonians Others
341173 286491 3117 51565
100% 83.97% 0.91% 15.12%

[edit] Macedonians since 1958

Since 1958 their has been repressive measures placed upon the Ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria.[citation needed] This came to a front when in 1964 four people were tried for writing 'We are Macedonians' and 'Long live the Macedonian Nation' on a restaurant wall[24]. It has to be noted, though, that the Communist regime took similar measures against any manifestation of nationalist feelings (including Bulgarian). Since the fall of Communism in the early 1990s various associations have been set up to represent the minority, these include UMO Illinden-Pirin and the IMRO-I[25]. These organisations have called for the restoration of rights granetd to Macedonians during the 1940s and 1950's[26]. Although the Republic of Bulgaria recognised the Macedonian Language in 1999 [27] it does not recognise it as a minority language.[citation needed] Since the early 1990s there has been much speculation as to the size of the minority. The CIA World Factbook for the years 1991[28] - 1998[29] gave estimates between c.221,800 – 206,000 or roughly 2.5% of the total population. No information is provided however as to how the data was acquired. Later editions since 2000[30] have included Macedonians as a minority group but have not included a numeric estimate.

[edit] Political Representation

The UMO Illinden-Pirin party claims to represent the ethnic Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. In 2007 it was accepted as member of the European Free Alliance. On February 29, 2000, by decision of the Bulgarian Constitutional Court , UMO Ilinden–Pirin was expelled from the Bulgarian political system, as a separatist party [1]. According to the Bulgarian Constitution parties on ethnic and religious grounds are forbidden. On November 25, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, condemned Bulgaria because of violations of the OMO Ilinden–Pirin's freedom of organising meetings.[31] The court stated that Bulgaria had violated Act 11 from the European Convention of Human Rights.[32] Bulgarians on the other hand have accused UMO-Ilinden of being funded by the Skopie government.[33] which was confirmed by members of the party itself [34].

Many other Ethnic Macedonian organizations have been set up since the fall of communism they include; Independent Macedonian Association – Ilinden, Traditional Macedonian Organization - TMO, Union for the Prosperity of Pirin Macedonia, Committee on the Repression of Macedonians in the Pirin part of Macedonia, Solidarity and Struggle Committee of Pirin Macedonia, The Union for the Prosperity of Pirin Macedonia, The Macedonian Democratic Party and The People’s Academy of Pirin Macedonia[35].

[edit] Macedonian Media

Banner from Macedonian newspaper 'Narodna Volja'
Banner from Macedonian newspaper 'Narodna Volja'

In 1947 the newspaper 'Pirinski Vestnik' (Pirin Paper)[36][37] was established and a “Macedonian Book” publishing company were set up.[38][39]These were part of the measures to promote the Macedonian language and consciousness and were subsequently shut down in 1958. In the early 1990s a new newspaper was established for the ethnic Macedonian minority in Blagoevgrad Province, it is called Narodna Volja and it's main office is in Blagoevgrad.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Bulgarian 2001 census. www.nsi.bg. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
  2. ^ Center for Documentation and Information on Minorities in Europe - Southeast Europe (CEDIME-SE) - Macedonians of Bulgaria
  3. ^ Ibid:"These people speak a dialect of Bulgarian."
  4. ^ Bugajski, Janusz. (1995) Ethnic Politics of Eastern Europe, (New York, London: The Center for Strategic and International Studies).
  5. ^ Zang, Theodor (1991). “Selective Persecution of Macedonians in Bulgaria,” News from Helsinki Watch, No.2, 1991.
  6. ^ a b c d e v, Joseph. The Communist Party of Bulgaria; Origins and Development, 1883-1936. Columbia University Press, p. 126. 
  7. ^ a b c d e A. Cook, Bernard (2001). Europe Since 1945: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis, p.810. ISBN 0815340583. 
  8. ^ Coenen-Huther, Jacques (1996). Bulgaria at the Crossroads. Nova Publishers, p.166. ISBN 156072305X. 
  9. ^ Niel Simpson, Macedonia;Its Disputed History,Aristoc Press.1994
  10. ^ a b Ramet, Pedro (1989). Religion and Nationalism in Soviet and East European Politics. Duke University Press, p.374. ISBN 0822308916. 
  11. ^ Neil, Simpson (1994). Macedonia; Its disputed history. Aristoc Press, p.89. ISBN 0646204629. 
  12. ^ Shoup, Paul (1968). Communism and the Yugoslav National Question, (New - York: Columbia University Press).
  13. ^ War Report, Sofia, Skopje, and the Macedonian Question, No.35, July/August - 1995.
  14. ^ Niel Simpson, Macedonia;Its Disputed History,Aristoc Press.1994
  15. ^ Niel Simpson, Macedonia;Its Disputed History,Aristoc Press.1994
  16. ^ Hugh Poulton
  17. ^ Georgeoff, Peter John (with David Crowe), “National Minorities in Bulgaria, 1919- 1980” in Horak, Stephen, ed., Eastern European National Minorities 1919/1980: A Handbook, (Littleton, Co: Libraries Limited, Inc.).
  18. ^ Bates, Daniel. 1994. “What’s in a Name: Minorities, Identity and Politics in Bulgaria,” Identities, Vol.1, No.2, May 1994.
  19. ^ Creed, Gerald W. (1992). “The Ethnic Situation in Bulgaria,” Princeton Project of Ethnic Relations, Researches 1992, (Sofia: Club-90 Publishing House - in Bulgarian and in English).
  20. ^ Niel Simpson, Macedonia;Its Disputed History,Aristoc Press.1994
  21. ^ Kanev, 1999
  22. ^ Center for Documentation and Information on Minorities in Europe - Southeast Europe (CEDIME-SE) - Macedonians of Bulgaria
  23. ^ http://www.nsi.bg/Census/Ethnos.htm
  24. ^ Poulton, Hugh (2000). Who are the macedonians?. C. Hurst and co. Publishers, p.149. ISBN 1850655340. 
  25. ^ Bugajski, Janusz (1995). Ethnic politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, Organizations and Parties. M.E. Sharpe, p.252. ISBN 1563242826. 
  26. ^ Bugajski, Janusz (1995). Ethnic politics in Eastern Europe: A Guide to Nationality Policies, Organizations and Parties. M.E. Sharpe, p.252. ISBN 1563242826. 
  27. ^ 1999/02/22 23:50 Bulgaria Recognises Macedonian Language
  28. ^ http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact92/wf930044.txt
  29. ^ Bulgaria
  30. ^ CIA - The World Factbook 2000 - Bulgaria
  31. ^ European Court Condemns Ban on Bulgarian Party
  32. ^ Two ECHR judgments find Bulgaria violated freedom of assembly and association
  33. ^ "Skopje gave €75,000 to a Macedonian party of ours", Dneven Trud, 2006-06-26. Retrieved on 2006-06-26. 
  34. ^ www.dnesplus.bg IMRO versus OMO-Ilinden
  35. ^ Center for Documentation and Information on Minorities in Europe - Southeast Europe (CEDIME-SE) - Macedonians of Bulgaria
  36. ^ Pribichevich, Stoyan (1982). Macedonia: Its People and History, (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press).
  37. ^ Poulton, Hugh. (1995). Who Are the Macedonians? :107-108, (London: C. Hurst & Co. Ltd.).
  38. ^ Poulton, Hugh. (1995). Who Are the Macedonians?, (London: C. Hurst & Co. Ltd:107-108.).
  39. ^ Jelavich, B. (1991). History of the Balkans: Twentieth Century, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Ethnic groups in Bulgaria Flag of Bulgaria
Bulgarians (6,655,210)  · Turks (746,664)  · Roma (370,908)  · Russians (15,595)  · Armenians (10,832)  · Vlachs (10,566)  · ethnic Macedonians (5,071)
Greeks (3,408)  · Ukrainians (2,489)  · Jews (1,363)  · Romanians (1,088)  · Germans (436)  · Albanians (278)  · Czechs and Slovaks  · Crimean Tatars  · Sarakatsani (4,107)  ·

(according to 2001 census data and Ethnic Minorities in Bulgaria)