Belomorska Macedonia, an Irredentist term being used by FYROM activists in Greece
Australian Macedonian Advisory Council
February 28, 2009
Those involved with the Macedonian issue have surely ascertained that the few people from FYROM who reside in Greece are creating blogs in order to "advertise", (not only in English, but also in Greek) their irredentist propaganda. So apart from the extremist 'MAKIBE' and 'Macedonian Abecedar', we now have to deal with a new blog entitled "Belomorska Macedonia". It surely is interesting to analyze the history behind the name:
In Greece, the term 'Belomorska' became known between 1941-1944 when the territories of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Minus Alexandroupolis) were under the "Bulgarian administration" by assignment of the Germans, who were the ones that had essenially captured it. The term which is being translated in Greek as "Aegean Administration" or "Aigaeis" was being used by Bulgarians with solely one aim: to give this area a 'Bulgarian' geographical name. Terms such as these are in use in the translation of some administrative and juridical decisions of the Bulgarian State, and form a translation of the Bulgarian term Belomorie [1].
This term is a successive form of the broader geographically Bulgarian term known as 'Εgeiska Makedonia' (Aegean Macedonia) (Μακεδονία του Αιγαίου), which covers the entire part of Greek Macedonia (which is now claimed blatantly by the FYROM government). The term 'Belomorie' was invented by the Bulgarian scientists/geographers of the war period in order to name the geographical area between the Thermaic Gulf and the Gulf of Alexandroupolis; corresponding to the other two areas that Bulgaria "occupied" during this period - 'Dobroutsa' and the area of South Yugoslavia which had also distinct names. In the aftermath, it was reduced, under certain circumustances, to define the specific area between the river Strymon and the line Alexandroupolis-Svilengrand [2].
The usage of these terms is a clear attempt by the Bulgarian political and intellectual leadership to familiarize the Bulgarian population with these new terms, by redefining geographically and linguistically the contemporary Bulgarian "historical and national irredentist homelands". Today, this ideology has been left aside by the Bulgarians and accepted by the people of FYROM.
Thus the FYROM activists (who also advertise the "Liberal Alliance" - "Φιλελεύθερη Συμμαχία" whenever they can) are using openly, terms that naturally remind the masses of the Bulgarian occupation in Greece and the Bulgarian gangs (of Ochrana) that went all over Macedonia, and brutally murdered Greeks under the shield of German nazism and Italian fascism.
So one must ask then, is the "Liberal alliance" aware that some of its members are using such ultra-nationalistic administrative definitions in order to promote their expansionistic propaganda, and to interrupt social Balkan cohesion?
Notes:
1]-Η βουλγαρική κατοχή στην Αν. Μακεδονία και Θράκη (1941-1944), Ξανθίππη Κοτζαγεώργη-Ζυμάρη,2002, ΙΜΧΑ, σελ 14
2]- D. Jaranov, «Balgarskoto Belomorie kato geografsko poniatie» (The Bulgarian "Aigaeis" as a geographical term), Belomorski pregled 1942, n. 1, 1-10
from: http://modern-macedonian-history.blogspot.com
info@macedonian.com.au
Macedonian Forums
In Greece, the term 'Belomorska' became known between 1941-1944 when the territories of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Minus Alexandroupolis) were under the "Bulgarian administration" by assignment of the Germans, who were the ones that had essenially captured it. The term which is being translated in Greek as "Aegean Administration" or "Aigaeis" was being used by Bulgarians with solely one aim: to give this area a 'Bulgarian' geographical name. Terms such as these are in use in the translation of some administrative and juridical decisions of the Bulgarian State, and form a translation of the Bulgarian term Belomorie [1].
This term is a successive form of the broader geographically Bulgarian term known as 'Εgeiska Makedonia' (Aegean Macedonia) (Μακεδονία του Αιγαίου), which covers the entire part of Greek Macedonia (which is now claimed blatantly by the FYROM government). The term 'Belomorie' was invented by the Bulgarian scientists/geographers of the war period in order to name the geographical area between the Thermaic Gulf and the Gulf of Alexandroupolis; corresponding to the other two areas that Bulgaria "occupied" during this period - 'Dobroutsa' and the area of South Yugoslavia which had also distinct names. In the aftermath, it was reduced, under certain circumustances, to define the specific area between the river Strymon and the line Alexandroupolis-Svilengrand [2].
The usage of these terms is a clear attempt by the Bulgarian political and intellectual leadership to familiarize the Bulgarian population with these new terms, by redefining geographically and linguistically the contemporary Bulgarian "historical and national irredentist homelands". Today, this ideology has been left aside by the Bulgarians and accepted by the people of FYROM.
Thus the FYROM activists (who also advertise the "Liberal Alliance" - "Φιλελεύθερη Συμμαχία" whenever they can) are using openly, terms that naturally remind the masses of the Bulgarian occupation in Greece and the Bulgarian gangs (of Ochrana) that went all over Macedonia, and brutally murdered Greeks under the shield of German nazism and Italian fascism.
So one must ask then, is the "Liberal alliance" aware that some of its members are using such ultra-nationalistic administrative definitions in order to promote their expansionistic propaganda, and to interrupt social Balkan cohesion?
Notes:
1]-Η βουλγαρική κατοχή στην Αν. Μακεδονία και Θράκη (1941-1944), Ξανθίππη Κοτζαγεώργη-Ζυμάρη,2002, ΙΜΧΑ, σελ 14
2]- D. Jaranov, «Balgarskoto Belomorie kato geografsko poniatie» (The Bulgarian "Aigaeis" as a geographical term), Belomorski pregled 1942, n. 1, 1-10
from: http://modern-macedonian-history.blogspot.com
info@macedonian.com.au
Macedonian Forums