Култура

The invitation of IMRO and Community Center "Father Paisii" to the Director of the National History Museum Prof. Dr. Bozhidar Dimitrov was a "hit in the tithe". The numerous audience in the hall on March 28 was proof that the professor is a desirable interlocutor and guest in Velingrad. Along with him was Spas Tashev from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad.
Bozhidar Dimitrov presented his books "Chronicle of the Liberation War 1877-1878" and "The Wars for National Unification 1912-1913, 1915-1918". According to him, these events are milestones in Bulgarian history, but around them there are a number of controversial issues:
Was there any alternative for Bulgaria other than the Russian-Turkish war? B. Dimitrov expressed the belief that for Bulgaria at the end of the 19th century there was no other way to restore its state. Then the Bulgarians numbered just over 2 million population. Even with a general revolution, they would not have achieved a military victory with 200,000 armed troops against the well-trained army of Turkey, which nearly threw Russia across the Danube in July-August 1877.
According to the scholar, the option for a Bulgarian-Turkish monarchy following the example of Austria-Hungary was also impossible. Austrians and Hungarians were Catholics with a close culture, while the Ottoman Empire was built on a religious basis. And at that moment, when the empire had spread to 3 continents, the Sublime Porte was not particularly excited about small Bulgaria.
Did they have to wait for better times to liberate the Bulgarian lands within their ethnic borders? Such a wait would be wrong, B stated. Dimitrov. If the Bulgarians would organize a larger uprising than the April uprising, the result would be genocide, similar to the one at the beginning of the twentieth century against the Armenians. In the years before the Liberation, a huge part of the Bulgarians emigrated: millions went to Romania, Shopi petitioned for their lands to be in Serbia, almost the whole of our Black Sea coast was huddled. The liberation ram came in time because the Bulgarian people could disappear in the next decade, the professor explained. Was our unification doomed to failure in advance?
According to B. Dimitrov - categorically no. Bulgarian political thought has doubled the territory of the country with the brilliant act of Unification, the Bulgarian people has also brilliantly carried on their shoulders the Balkan War, which gives us access to two seas. Bulgaria could have ended the Balkan War by 200,000 square kilometers. territory, but many bad political moves failed this with Ferdinand's declared Inter-Allied War, B said. Dimitrov. Bad politicians neglected to correct the mistake and ordered us in World War I on the side of the obvious losers. All Balkan peoples accepted to join the Entente, only we did not decide a simple account, we were maximalists in our demands and we lost, regret B. Dimitrov. According to him, there was no predestined failure, we were close to the unification of all Bulgarian lands in 1913 and 1915, but our politicians were wrong.
Immediately after the exhibition of prof. Dimitrov hall stepped up and numerous questions were asked: Are Serbia and Russia natural enemies or natural allies? Serbia and Russia are incommensurable quantities, the historian replied. Russia is a great power with which the head-slapped Ferdinand can not play and break contracts, because from now on we are waiting for slaps. Serbian politicians have shown themselves to be more experienced players regarding Russia. B. Dimitrov also recalled the old rule: there is no love in politics, there are interests and it is good that they coincide.
Who authorized the replacement of the names of the Bulgarian Mohammedans with Turkish and Arabic and does not this divide the Bulgarian people? The professor reminded that the right to a name is a personal choice of everyone and that the whole problem is to be enticing to be Bulgarian. This was the case in the Middle Ages, when the large number of different tribes in our lands became Bulgarians because it was prestigious. And the division of people always benefits politicians. If we do not separate and hate, who would vote for the Bulgarian politicians, who are people who have failed in their craft and have therefore thrown themselves into politics, asked B. Dimitrov.
Did Russia set us free to take the straits? For black eyes no one lifts a finger, Russia has really been aiming for the straits since the time of Peter I. But Russia did not claim on Bulgarian lands and did not want to make us Zadunayski gubernia, stressed B. Dimitrov. However, Russia's big mistake is that it has declared itself against the Unification.
When did the Bulgarians come to Europe? We don't know, the professor replied. He did not accept the calculations based on the Name of the Bulgarian Khans that this happened in 165. These calculations are based on the so-called "legendary numbers" and history has where there are documents. In any case, the Bulgarians are one of the ancient inhabitants of Europe, who went from northern Afghanistan (Hindo Kush), through the Caucasus to the Balkans. In the now prepared for printing "History of Bulgaria", which will come out with many illustrations and in 4 languages, prof. Dimitrov will tell to Western Europe what an ancient and serious country Bulgaria is.
Bulgarian politicians apologize for the revival process, why don't the Turks apologize for 500 years of slavery? It's sad, at least our politicians like P. Stoyanov, Yves. Kostov and Ang. Marin should not have gone to apologize, the professor said, reminding that recently Vice President Marin apologized for the revival process in Barutin - the village that slaughtered his native Batak. The Turks do not apologize to us because they believe that Turkey has nothing to do with the Ottoman Empire, as announced by Kemal Atatrk. Therefore, in 1926, Turkey sold us the archives of the Ottoman Empire as old paper. Within the Ottoman Empire, the Turks also suffered, huge numbers died in the wars, paid exorbitant taxes, nearly 600,000 peaceful Turks were killed in the Liberation War. Prof. Dimitrov told how Bulgarians bought for 2 gold pieces of Turkish children from their widowed mothers and gave them for janissaries. It came to the paradox that 90% of the assembled boys were circumcised, and then the Turkish Sultan abolished Janissary. Is there a second Neue Treaty at the moment? Prof. Dimitrov first explained that it is not true that the Neuilly Treaty gave Bulgaria an outlet to the White Sea after 80 years. The ruthless Neuilly Treaty spilled over into Yugoslavia, which swelled like a blimp and burst. Now the very development of Europe enables Bulgaria to overcome the consequences of the treaty and to unite with the Bulgarian brothers along our borders. In a Europe without borders, unification will come by itself. The Bulgarian people are already increasing at the expense of Macedonians - not that everyone believes they are Bulgarians, but they are looking for Bulgarian passports because of Schengen. Sooner or later, Russia, which is a European country, will also enter the EU, the historian predicts. Macedonians and Bessarabian students have no Bulgarian self-awareness, but Bulgaria supports them at the expense of Bulgarian students? A finger in the painful topic put a student in Veliko Tarnovo. Bozhidar Dimitrov answered her that if these students stay here (for whatever reasons), then at least their generation will be Bulgarian. This is done at the expense of today's Bulgarian students, but the national cause has to be paid for. After how many years are historical events evaluated? The Vatican opened the documents at 100, in England at 30, in France at 50. We open them whenever we want, including brand new ones, if we have to slap someone over the head, B explained. Dimitrov. A true story is written after 100 years have passed, otherwise there are not enough documents, but there are emotions, passions, political conjuncture. The rulers also exert influence, and there are historians who impose self-censorship to protect their work.
Is the chronicle of Pop Metodi Draginov authentic?
It is absolutely authentic because it reflects authentic events, B believes. Dimitrov. According to him, Michael Kiel executes orders and writes the opposite because he is being paid. The same was done by Antonina Zhelyazkova. How did Slavonic-Bulgarian History come to Bulgaria and do not they owe an apology to those who brought it back?
He went to America, B replied. Dimitrov, referring to the previous President P. Stoyanov. Then he told how in 1984 The Romanian monks in the Athos Monastery became one more, chose an abbot and there was a real danger of taking over the Bulgarian monastery. Then our intelligence decided to bring the most valuable in Bulgaria. "The story..." was brought by Brigo Asparuhov, in fact he was waiting across the street in the cafe, and brought by his officers, explained the director of NIM. "For Paisii's story, be calm!" he said with a cryptic smile. How did he assess the case of Yane Sandanski after 1905?
Janne is Bulgarian, then Macedonians there are no, answered B. Dimitrov. Despite the invitation from IMRO, he did not spare his grades: Janne has a sloppy role in IMRO because he is the commander of a series of murders. They are shaking themselves, a brother's hand is killing the leaders of IMRO because of the struggle who should lead a father's band, the professor summarized. After the meeting with Bozhidar Dimitrov, the citizens of Velingrad also heard performances of ensemble "Gotse Delchev" from Pazardzhik.
Elena Baeva