Krste Misirkov - Controversies About Misirkov's Ethnicity and Views

Controversies About Misirkov's Ethnicity and Views

During the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century the idea of a separate Macedonian ethnicity was as yet promoted only by some circles of intellectuals. Then, most of the Slavic people in Macedonia considered themselves Bulgarian, and this idea failed to gain wide popular support. At different points in his life, Misirkov expressed conflicting statements about the ethnicity of the Slavs living in Macedonia, including his own ethnicity. While Misirkov's work and personality remain highly controversial and disputed, there have been attempts among international scholars to reconcile the conflicting and self-contradictory statements made by Misirkov. 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.