Declaration of the Macedonian Scientific Institute 1998 y.

DECLARATION

OF THE MACEDONIAN SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE

(on the occasion of the Skopje Meeting - 24 April 1998,

of a group of intellectuals

organized by the Helsinki Committees of the two countries)

With regard to the meeting in Skopje, we - the members of the Macedonian Scientific Institute, Sofia - academicians, corresponding members, professors, associate professors, research fellows, and public figures - feel our obligation to state that we are not surprised, not in the least, by its results.

Having in mind the biased views of some of the Bulgarian participants in the Meeting, and especially of the few homebred political science experts known from the press even before the meeting, we were completely aware that the organizers had sought for Bulgarian adherents to the official authorities in Skopje. Of special significance in this respect is the fact that no representatives of the opposition parties from Macedonia took part in the Meeting.

The drastic denial of the results achieved by Bulgarian humanities (history, linguistics and ethnography) declared by political science experts as "abstract" in taking permanent political decisions, is a really unique phenomenon. In this case, it cannot be classified even as a Balkan one, for its homebred nature is more than obvious.

The denial has been the deed of political science experts who also claim to be research fellows, yet they consider their subject, in the obsolete Marxist way, as the "science of sciences", or rather "science above the other sciences", which could easily substitute the rest of scientific knowledge.

The crooked glass of the political science experts who participated in the Meeting reflects the situation in a distorted way. What is really changed, in fact, is the old terminology which, despite the efforts, did not appeal to the hosts. The Skopje press describes their terminology as merely "polite".

The pragmatic (or, more correctly, the "polite") approach suggested by them, has undergone only some verbal changes. In its essence, it is only a repetition of the age old Stalin-Tito (Komintern) postulates of the "language" and the "nation", which were conjured up in 1934, but were legalized by the two leaders in their interviews published in Skopje as the "Macedonian language" and the "Macedonian nation".

The complete crash of their politically non-scientific nature becomes obvious when an attempt is made at the recovery of the paradoxical definition of "recognizing" things which are not subject to recognition by the international public. That was even well enough realized before the Meeting by the Macedonian President himself.

The mixing of concepts of various ranks - political (state) with linguistic (language) and ethnological (ethnos, nation, people), as well as attributing the name of one to the other, reveals a primary school illiteracy, to put it rather directly. The pursue of science which provides the empirical material for politics, does not relate us to the future but rather to the Mediaeval type of thinking, where it was less needed.

Another distortion is the statement that the past of the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria is a division line, therefore, the questions related to it, should necessarily be put aside for the sake of pragmatics. For the sake of exactness, it is namely the millennial history (Cyril and Methodius, Kliment, Naum, Samuil, the Miladinov brothers, Zhinzifov, Purlichev, Gotse, Dame, etc.) is the common link, while the foreign powers, among them being the Macedonism of the Serb Stoyan Novakovich, the Serbo-Communism, the New Macedonism (i. e. Serbomano-Macedonism) are what divides us and raises the old-new Berlin Wall.

Completely distorted is also the statement of the Bulgarian "nationalism" as an unpredictable evil. It is a blasphemy proper to speak of nationalism regarding a nation torn apart as early as 1878, evermore that since then it has seen seven acts of detaching lands and population from itself. The term national used for describing a certain characteristic of the Bulgarians, could often be detected, yet, unfortunately, in the combination national nihilism - a result of the deformation suffered from old (international) or newer (cosmopolitan) influences from outside.

The Citizen of the World is not identical to the man without a country. A citizen of the world becomes the one who is a citizen of his own country in the first place and only after that, through the material and cultural achievements of his country - turns into a dignified citizen of the world civilized community without, however, losing his own national identity.

Entering the European Economic Union, a Frenchman (or an Englishman, or a German) does not cease to be a Frenchman (Englishman or Greman, respectively). He does not give up the history of his country, or his language, nationality, or cultural identity). The "principle of the ostrich" (i. e. escaping the problems) was proclaimed at the Meeting, i. e. there was no "language dispute" nowadays, is a false one. This is so at least for the fact that the signing of the documents between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia (on the insistence of Skopje), should be done in one variant only - in Bulgarian and in Macedonian (perceived by those in power in our western neighbour as the language which is spoken in the Pirin region, i. e. on the territory of a Bulgarian political reality.

In this respect, Bulgarian diplomats have been well ahead of some political science experts (among them professors, directors of strategic programmes, etc.) in introducing the postulates about signing the restrictions on "constitutional language", "state language", "official language", etc., i. e. texts which point towards language formations within state borders and which exclude any possibilities for future claims whatsoever.

The proposals reflect the good will on the part of the Bulgarian country, therefore they are numerous (between 12 and 15 variants). They all have a common purpose: a permanent and unbiased settling of the problems which could serve as the basis for future relations of a sincere and good neighbourhood nature. The unconditional and sole proposal of Skopje is in fact a political blackmail. It fully complies with Art. 49 of the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia which stipulates for "concern" for the "minorities" in the neighbouring countries.

It comes out that the Helsinki Committee in Bulgaria (in case it is really interested in the final settlement of the problems), along with its associates - "people of free will", might contribute to the establishing of actual democratic relations in Bulgarian southwestern neighbour country where, under the so-called "Law for Preserving the National Identity" fall mainly those who dare to state their Bulgarian ethnic self-awareness. The examples in this respect are quite numerous. At the same time, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (provided it is really Bulgarian) should not support on the territory of Bulgaria a small and illegitimate group of people which were purposefully established by foreign embassies and with the financial provision of foreign countries.

The Institute of Political Science and Regional and International Research - Sofia, could evidently also assist in broader terms, in order to specify the amount of materials issued by each country against its neighbours. This could provide a factual evidence as to the real provokers of interstate tension on the Balkans. In this respect, Bulgaria might prove in the most favourable state.

Obviously, the practical work carried out by the numerous public organizations of "free people" is of a great scope. Yet it should take a more specific nature, since politeness is related to the form, and not to the essence of those complex problems.

Macedonian Scientific institute - Sofia

12 May 1998

75 YEARS

MACEDONIAN SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE IN SOFIA 

Reestablishment, programmes and activity of MSI 

(1990-1998)

Ass. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Gotsev

(Summary)

The Macedonian Scientific Institute (MSI)  in Sofia, as a scientific and cultural center of national importance, appears in a difficult moment for the development of the macedonian problem and the national liberation movement of the Bulgarians in Macedonia in the period between the two World Wars, when not only the military struggle against the new oppressors, but also the scientific defence of the Bulgarian national cause becomes of extreme importance.The activity of the MSI in this field is of eternal national and historical value for a period of more than seven decades.

On December 2nd1923, after long preliminary preparations, in Hall No 10 of the Sofia University "St.Kliment Ohridski", fifty two scientists, writers and public figures, connected with the cause and the struggles in Macedonia, announced at the meeting, to the Bulgarian and international public, the creation of the Macedonian Scientific Institute. This is the beginning of another patriotic Bulgarian cultural-educational fireplace, whose flames for decades enlightens the truth for the Bulgarians in Macedonia.

For this period, the activity of the Macedonian Scientific Institute has passed through different periods. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Lioubomir Miletich, outstanding bulgarian scientist, chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Rector of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski ", wide research and publishing activity was organised, and the material basis of the Institute were created. His work is continued by Prof. Nikola Stoyanov.

After 1944, the activity of the MSI was put in service of a erroneous policy with regard to the macedonian problem. Upon the insistence of Belgrade and Skopije, in 1947 the leadership of BRP(k), as a ruling party, "recommends" the MSI to self-liquidate. In this way, a patriotic institution, having given substantial contribution to the life in the country, was put to an end.  

On March 3rd 1990 the Macedonian Scientific Institute was reestablished. The leading organs - the scientific council and  board of directors were elected.

In the period that followed, the MSI renewed the scientific traditions, proved itself as national center in the scientific and cultural life of the country. In short time a good team of scientists was gathered, all specialists in the different spheres of knowledge - historians, linguists, ethnographs and public figures. The members of the Institute reaches 70 scientific workers, having investigations or working at present on the different aspects of the macedonian problem. The publishing of the "Macedonian Review" began as a continuation of the old journal. It proved itself as a serious scientific edition both at home and abroad.

The MSI has a long-term programme for scientific research. The "Macedonian library" serial is reestablished with 38 documental collections, monographs and popular scientific booklets have been printed, among which: "National liberation movement of the macedonian and thracian bulgarians 1878-1903", "The Bulgarians in Aegean Macedonia. Myth or reality", "Investigations on the macedonian problem", "Linguistic studies for Macedonia", "The creation of the so called "macedonian language", "British diplomatic documents on the bulgarian national problem", "Macedonia viewed by the Austrian consuls", "Greek and Serbian propaganda in Macedonia. New documents", and others.

The Institute has established contacts with different scientists and 52 scientific centers for slavistics and bulgaristics in Europe, Canada and Australia. Its publications are translated and printed abroad. There are foreign scientists printing with us their investigations. Prof. Otto Kronsteiner (Austria), Prof. Tadeush Shimanski (Poland), Prof. Hainrich Stammler (USA) have been accepted as foreign members of the Macedonian Scientific Institute. Young scientific researchers from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Greece, Italy Austria, France, Poland and others have been in the institute on short term specialisations and consultations.

The future programme of the MSI  intends to continue the publication of foreign diplomatic documents - english, russian, french, italian and others, which interpret the national liberation movement in Macedonia in the different periods. The authentic sources reveal some of the old and widely spread delusions at home and especially abroad.

The scientific conferences, symposia and other scientific happenings with bulgarian and international participation are important line in the activity of the Institute. They made possible many personalities and events to be judged by the distance of time and new conclusions to be drawn.

At the same time  in the programme of the MSI a serious attention is payed to the scientific development of a number of contemporary problems of relations between Bulgaria and RMacedonia.

The Macedonian Scientific Institute will continue to expand its connections with international scientific centers, as well as, with scientific organisations and institutes in R. Macedonia in the new political situation. With the development of the democratic processes in Macedonia, it is expected science to commence a process of overcoming the false notions of the past. The comparison of the different points of view could be the beginning of overcoming of the false moments. The MSI greets such an intention and will give its contribution to it.

S T A T E M E N T

of the Macedonian Scientific Institute - Sofia 

on some questions of present day relations 

between the Republics of Bulgaria and Macedonia

The Macedonian Scientific Insitute (MSI) - Sofia, for the past 8 years, has followed and analyzed the difficult development of the democratic process in the Republic of Macedonia, which received its first international admission of its official name by our state - Republic of Bulgaria.

The academicians, corresponding members of the Academy, the professors, associated professors, the scientific researchers and the wide public meet, with a feeling of deep satisfaction, the annonced in the medias, expression of readiness by the democratic governments of both countries readiness to resume the negotiations, preceding the signing of the international documents. 

It is precisely the victory of the democratic forces in Republic of Macedonia that opened the route for clearing all the obstacles, artificially created for more than half a century by the Serbo-communist authorities and their succesors in the relations of the young republic with all its neighbours.

The policy of "equi-distance" towards all neighbours is replaced by the new government of Republic of Macedonia with a policy of mutual approach, which is in harmony with the European norms of behaviour.

MSI estimates highly the consistent efforts of the bulgarian government, which by its numerous and serious propositions for a definite, and not temporary, solution of the arguements between the two countries, creates athmosphere for meetings with the government of Republic of Macedonia.

It is beyond any doubt, that the victory of the democratic systems, on both sides of the border, is the only possible basis of a reasonable dialogue between the two countries.

The disappearance of the markedly anti-bulgarian course as constant state policy, especially that of the government of Branko Tsarvenkovski, is worth of admiration not only in R. Bulgaria but in R. Macedonia as well.

Following a profound analysis of the socio-political situation in both countries, the MSI pays serious attention to several negative factors, that could consciously or unconsciously stop or delay for a definite period of time the forthcoming negotiations. It is unthinkable to consider, that the negotiations could fail completely because of language problems, as it is precisely the language closeness being more basis for coming together than for separation between the citizens of the two countries.

MSI sees eventual difficulties in near future in two directions, i.e. inside R. Macedonia as well as in R. Bulgaria:

a) In the Republic of Macedonia, the arrogant behaviour of the former administrators, having lost power as result of the elections and now members of a new irreconcilable opposition, creates certain worries. Editors and authors such as P. Kolemishevski, T. Ivanovski, M. Velinovska, N. Dokovska, V. Evtov, M. Tomovski, I. Pavlovski and many others in their old and new editions, resurrect bancrupt theses, that during the negotiations no compromise is to be made. According to them, it should be insisted that there is a macedonian minority in Pirin, that Bulgaria is obliged to register OMO Ilinden (inspite the fact that this minority group has been created by the Yougoslavian Embassy in Sofia and is supported with money from abroad). Again, according to them, the localisation of the Macedonian nation and the Macedonian language reaches eastward the heart of the Rhodopes Mountain. In short, the old, absurd Pan-Serbian pretences are voiced, with the help of which the diplomatic meetings between the two countries have been prevented. 

The editors of the newly established opposition newspapers and journals in the Republic of Macedonia, are not interested in the bulgarian national consciousness of the threehundred thousands population of the Pirin region, nor of the existing bulgarian national feeling of more than two millions of refugees or their descendents from the Vardar and Aegian Macedonia, living in different parts of Bulgaria. The only aim of the former administrators, and it being induced by the constantly fighting Belgrade, is to maintain unsettled relations between the Balkan countries.

Every attempt to support the idea of a macedonian minority in Bulgaria,  - no matter the origin of the statement, - actually the fact being, that the ethnical roots of the macedonians in the Republic of Macedonia are bulgarian (see Dame Gruev and the hundreds of others in the region of Macedonia), is not only illogical, but is doomed to failure from the beginning. It will not withstand the burden of the thousands of facts, found in the hundreds of volumes of documents of our and foreign scholars.

b) In R. Bulgaria, worrying are the incompetent statements of some public figures, politologists from different newly created centers, as well as "experts", who constantly infringe on the bulgarian public the old Comintern ideas, "newly" draped.

Schooled in the political ideology of the Third International, which had brain-washed not only many european and respectively balkan brains, but had also infected the minds of some americans, our home-bred politologists replace the old phraseology with new, without changing the essence. Easily they wipe out the bulgarian history, linguistics and ethnology - the whole bulgarian science and culture. Without having any special competence in the macedonian problems, they write "concepts", organise press-conferences and etc., ready to make deals with present territories and population of the Republic of Bulgaria. They speak abstractly about Macedonia, forgetting that Pirin Macedonia is a bulgarian political reality i.e. part of the Bulgarian State.

The self-made specialists do not make difference between basic notions of the type that : 

a) Macedonia as a name of a geographical region on the territories of three states and

b) Republic of Macedonia, which they write without the R (Republic), is only a third of the above-mentioned region. However the difference between Macedonia as geographical entity and R. Macedonia is substantial.

Persons, announcing themselves as politologists, do not have even basic knowledge of the politology litterature on the subject, which is published in our country, in R. Macedonia, Europe and America, thus their conclusions are inexact and in the long run - false.

In the radio, television and the press irresponsibly, notions of historical, linguistic and ethnological character (language, nationality, nation) are mixed up with basic terms of the international law (state, international relations). Thus absurd requests of "acceptance" are formulated, for things that do not necessitate acceptance anywhere in the world. Ex- statesmen incompetently change their opinions, in short periods of time, complicating further the problems.

This, of course, creates difficulties for both governments, in their preparations for the negotiations.

The "all-competent" home-made politologists, with the aid of the percentages have already created humoresque "deadline ultimatums" of NATO and the EC concerning the language dispute.

It is an honour for the bulgarian government, that in this chaos of contradictory and mutually excluding each other opinions, it succeds in the thoughtful and careful search for opportunities for a definite solution of the problems.

The fact, that the democratic government of R. Macedonia joins these efforts, also is a source of optimism.

In this situation, the MSI - Sofia supports the positive attempts of the two governments in the search for balanced and dignified solutions in the negotiations, guaranteeing the sincere friendly neighbouhood of our countries.

January 21st, 1999 

The Macedonian Scientific Institute - Sofia.