5.2. BULGARIANS IN THE WORLD -GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL CHARACTERIS

5.2. BULGARIANS IN THE WORLD -GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS

A large number of Bulgarians living in our neighbouring countries outside of our present border have no comprehension that they are living in foreign countries, but in the country of their ancestors. That is why, from a moral and psychological point of view, they do not consider themselves Bulgarians living abroad. No such term is necessary for them.

We also have Bulgarians living in our neighbouring countries who are descendants of our countrymen, who moved there long ago. These are the Bulgarians now living in Romania, the Serbian Banat, Moldova, Bessarabia, the Ukraine and Russia. Their national identity was subjected to de-Bulgarization and forced assimilation. Some have even been assimilated but, under certain circumstances, their self-awareness and official ethnicity can be restored. There are people with a dual consciousness. All this outlines the range of opportunities for the development or awakening of the Bulgarian idea. Our national strategic program rests on Bulgaria calling on all those people to give it their maximum support.

The place of residence and other quantitative characteristics of the Bulgarians outside of our country, as well as their status, have a number of characteristics in each particular country or region.

Professor Koledarov’s research, shown by the following tables, is about the residence and number of Bulgarians living around the world:

Bulgarians in 1878 Bulgarians in 1928 Bulgarians in 1990

Total…4 775 000 Total...6 615 000 Total... 10 505 000 Principality Bulgaria 4 650 000 Bulgaria 7 500 000 Bulgaria 1 315 000 Eastern Rumelia 565 000 Bulgarian territories under foreign rule 2 180 000 1 320 000 405 000 Macedonia 1 000 000 Vardar Western Province 105 000 Odrin Region 500 000 Macedonia 640 000 Aegean Macedonia 200 000 Albania, Kosovo Western provinces 75 000 Western Thrace 40 000 And Metohia 90 000 Aegean Macedonia 300 000 Albania 60 000 Timok Region Western Thrace 35 000 And Moravo Reg. 150 000 Eastern Thrace 15 000 Nish Region South Dobrudzha 155 000 And S. Roravia 405 000 North Dobrudzha 70 000 North Dobrudzha 35 000 Albania 30 000 Outside 695 000 Outside 645 000 Outside 1 200 000 Istanbul 25 000 Banat 35 000 Roman. (Banat) 40 000 Asia Minor 10 000 Besarabia 255 000 OND 600 000 Vlach Mol. 500 000 Voiv. (Banat) 72 000 (Banat) 30 000 Besarabia 70 000 Istanbul 10 000 Istanbul 5 000 Tavria 25 000 Asia Minor 30 000 Western Europe 120 000 Hersonska g. 30 000 Hungary 10 000 USA 140 000 Astro-Hungary USSR (Tavria Canada 130 000 (Banat) 30 000 Hersin and other) 150 000 South America 30 000 Greece 5 000 USA 60 000 Australia Canada 40 000 and Oceania 105 000 Argentina 15 000 Australia and other 20 000 Bulgarians in the process of Denationalized being denationalized Bulgarians 2 480 000 1 730 000 Tim. Mor. Nish Reg.,Tim. Morav Nish. 1 300 000 860 000 Vlashko and Mol. Kosovo and Met. 1 100 000 100 000 East Thrace Vlashko and Mol. 770 000 and Asia Minor 80 000 This table does not include about 3 million Volga-Uralic Bulgarians.

Continents

Country I. Europe 1.Bulgaria 2. Macedonia 3. Yugoslavia 4. Croatia 5. Slovenia 6 Bosnia 7 Turkey

Number of Bulgarians under the official data of respective country 9 989 580 8 000 000 1 400 000 26 922 80 000 1 900 1 900 1 500

Bulgarians in 1998 Number of Bulgarians under the centre of the Bulgarian strategy 11 254 630 8 000 000 1 400 000 over 300 000 80 000 2 000 2 000 around 100 000

5. 2. 1. THE BULGARIANS IN MACEDONIA

The Republic of Macedonia was created after the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991. The Bulgarian government made a bold and responsible national act - it was the first country to recognize the Republic of Macedonia (card № 1). Thereby protecting its territorial entirety and state sovereignty.

Political realities. The population in the Republic of Macedonia up until 1944 always demonstrated its adherence to the Bulgarian nation. This fact is well known to the world’s scientific and political community.

The Peoples Republic of Macedonia was created in 1945 within the framework of the Yugoslav federation on the basis of the belligerent anti-Bulgarian Macedon-ism.

The creation of the “Macedonian nation” and the “Macedonian language” by the Yugoslav Communist Party was done in support of the 1934 Comintern decision. It provided a foundation for falsifying our common history, denying the Bulgarian character of the language, culture and traditions.

The government of the Republic of Macedonia continued with the old Yugoslav policy of total confrontation with the Republic of Bulgaria. There was a prerequisite, as they pointed out, that in order to develop interstate relations we needed to first recognize the “Macedonian language” and the “Macedonian nation” in general, within the Republic of Macedonia. These requirements were prerequisites for territorial claims against the Republic of Bulgaria and against the Republic of Greece.

Political rights of the Bulgarians. In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, almost the entire Slavic population is regarded as Macedonian. Only 1850 souls are officially recognized as Bulgarians, most of those have moved there from the western provinces. The Slavic population has been deprived of its right to self-determination. Anyone who is openly declared Bulgarian is subject to sanctions under the “Law for the Protection of the Macedonian national honour”.

During 1913 and 1914, Serbian authorities killed more than 35,000 Bulgarians and over 680,000 were forced to go to Bulgaria.

After 1944 more than 24,000 people were killed and more than 140,000 were persecuted and sent to concentration camps and prisons without being tried. According to the latest data, the number of repressed during that period was over 300,000 Bulgarians. They were mainly activists of the VMRO. The entire population was driven to a state of permanent fear and psychosis. Nevertheless, more Bulgarians openly expressed their nationality.

There are about 1.4 million citizens with Bulgarian ethnic roots in the Republic of Macedonia today who are deprived of the right to self-determination (card № 2). Regardless of that, a dominant part of them consider themselves to be Macedonian Bulgarians, even though they are officially made responsible to call and register themselves as “Macedonians”. As a result of almost half a century of forced denationalization, the last two or three young generations, to a significant degree, have lost their historical consciousness. This is why a large part of them have declared themselves “Macedonians” or “Yugoslavs”.

The government and state apparatus in the Republic of Macedonia has raised a real Berlin Wall between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is prohibited in the Republic of Macedonia to distribute Bulgarian books, newspapers and to broadcast Bulgarian movies and songs. There are extremely limited cultural exchanges. The measures taken have limited the hope of any kind of spiritual communion to overcome the so-called B-complex (Bulgarian complex), as they call it, or the motto - one people two countries - which, in broader terms, has been distributed among the people.

And besides all this, more and more citizens from the Republic of Macedonia visit their relatives in Bulgaria. More and more young people are referred to secondary and high schools in our country. Without interruption this increases the number of those who want to get a Bulgarian passport and dual citizenship.

The social status of the Bulgarians. Economic analysis show serious economic stagnation in the Republic of Macedonia. It has implemented labour-management and cash privatization. It has 44% of its working population unemployed. Emigration to America, Canada and Australia is staggering.