Bozhidar Dimitrov
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Bozhidar Dimitrov Stoyanov ( bg, Божидар Димитров Стоянов, 3 December 1945 – 1 July 2018) was a
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n historian, politician, and polemicist in the sphere of Medieval Bulgarian history, the
Ottoman rule of Bulgaria The history of Ottoman Bulgaria spans nearly 500 years, from Bulgarian–Ottoman Wars, the conquest by the Ottoman Empire of the smaller kingdoms emerging from the disintegrating Second Bulgarian Empire in the late 14th century, to the Liberatio ...
and the
Macedonian Question The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times. Еarliest historical inhabitants The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied E ...
. He was director of the National Historical Museum, formerly a Bulgarian Socialist Party member, and later became affiliated with the
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria GERB ( bg, ГЕРБ, translation=coat of arms, acronym for Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) is a conservative, populist political party which was the ruling party of Bulgaria between 2009 and 2021. History GERB is headed by for ...
(GERB) political party.


Biography

Born in
Sozopol Sozopol ( bg, Созопол , el, Σωζόπολη, translit=Sozopoli) is an ancient seaside town located 35 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Today it is one of the major seaside resorts in the country, known for th ...
to a family of
Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
refugees from
Eastern Thrace Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air ...
(now part of
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
), he was given access to the
Vatican Secret Archives , seal = Seal of the Vatican Secret Archives.svg , seal_width = 200 , seal_caption = Former seal of the Vatican Apostolic Archive , logo = , formed = , jurisdiction = , headquarters = Cortile del Belvedere, Vatican City , coordinates ...
in the 1980s, regarded as a great achievement considered the political situation of the time. As the director of the National Historical Museum, he had an indirect conflict in 1997–1998 with the President
Petar Stoyanov Petar Stefanov Stojanov ( bg, Петър Стефанов Стоянов ; born 25 May 1952) is a Bulgarian politician who was President of Bulgaria from 1997 to 2002. He was elected as a candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). He di ...
regarding whether to return the ''
Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya ''Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya'' ( Original Cyrillic: Истори́ѧ славѣноболгарскаѧ corrected from Їстори́ѧ славѣноболгарскаѧ; ) is a book by Bulgarian scholar and clergyman Saint Paisius of Hilen ...
'' rough copy to the
Zograf Monastery The Saint George the Zograf Monastery or Zograf Monastery ( bg, Зографски манастир; el, Μονή Ζωγράφου, ''Moní Zográphou'') is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos (the "Holy Mountain") i ...
or leave it in Bulgaria. Being a member of the Supreme Party Council of BSP, he declared himself openly against the party in 2005 by not supporting BSP
Mayor of Sofia This is a chronological list of mayors of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, since that post was established after the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. The first governor of Sofia was Petr Alabin. Initially, the mayors of Sofia were assigned by the ...
candidate
Tatyana Doncheva Tatyana Doncheva Toteva ( bg, Татяна Дончева Тотева; born 28 January 1960) is a Bulgarian politician from the Movement 21 political party, of which she is the chairperson. She has been a member of four National Assemblies. - th ...
and instead favouring the independent Boyko Borisov. Because of this he was taken down from the post of BSP municipal councillors leader in
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
. Before the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election, Dimitrov formally left BSP and joined Borisov's GERB. He was the party's candidate for
2nd MMC – Burgas 2nd Multi-member Constituency - Burgas is a constituency whose borders are the same as Burgas Province. Background In the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election 2nd MMC – Burgas elected 12 members in the Bulgarian National Assembly, 11 of whi ...
in the first-past-the-post vote and won the election with 35.92%. He finished ahead of
Volen Siderov Volen Nikolov Siderov ( bg, Волен Николов Сидеров ; born 19 April 1956) is a Bulgarian Far-right politics, far-right politician and chairman of the nationalist party Attack (political party), Attack. He has been the editor of ...
, the leader of the nationalist Attaka. Dimitrov is the author of 30 treatises and over 250 articles and papers in the sphere of his research, as well as several books (including ''The Ten Lies of Macedonism'' and ''Twelve Myths in Bulgarian History''). He has specialized in palaeography in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and also hosts the patriotic history-related ''Pamet Balgarska'' (''Bulgarian Memory'') show on Kanal 1. Dimitrov believes that the
Bulgars The Bulgars (also Bulghars, Bulgari, Bolgars, Bolghars, Bolgari, Proto-Bulgarians) were Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region during the 7th century. They became known as nomad ...
played a more important role in the formation of the contemporary
Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
as a people than previously believed. He was
Minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
responsible for Bulgarians abroad in the GERB government (July 2009 – February 2011).


Controversy

Although serious researchers maintain that Dimitrov’s views on Bulgarian history are biased and can be partially challenged, they are popular in Bulgaria and he enjoys credibility among nationalist intellectuals.Modernity and tradition: European and national in Bulgaria, Marko Hajdinjak, Maya Kosseva, Antonina Zhelyazkova, International Center for Minority Studies and Intercultural Relations, Sofia, , 2012. Dimitrov was a collaborator of Bulgaria's communist-era security service.


''The Ten Lies of Macedonism''

Bozhidar Dimitrov's book, ''The Ten Lies of Macedonism'' (2000, 2003 and 2007), is a polemical pamphlet, based on historical documents, and is openly against the ideology of "
Macedonism Macedonian nationalism (, ) is a general grouping of Nationalism, nationalist ideas and concepts among ethnic Macedonians (ethnic group), Macedonians that were first formed in the late 19th century among separatists seeking the autonomy of the r ...
", i.e. the form of ethnic
Macedonian nationalism Macedonian nationalism (, ) is a general grouping of nationalist ideas and concepts among ethnic Macedonians that were first formed in the late 19th century among separatists seeking the autonomy of the region of Macedonia from the Ottoman Emp ...
that asserts an "allegedly deep-rooted ethnic and cultural distinction" between
ethnic Macedonians Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identif ...
and
Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
. The book has caused considerable controversy and criticism from ethnic Macedonian sources. Dimitrov claims that it has reached best-seller status in the Republic of Macedonia.Interview with Bozhidar Dimitrov
The "10 lies" described by Dimitrov are: *First lie: the notion that contemporary
ethnic Macedonians Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identif ...
are descendants of
ancient Macedonians The Macedonians ( el, Μακεδόνες, ''Makedónes'') were an ancient tribe that lived on the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Vardar, Axios in the northeastern part of Geography of Greece#Mainland, mainland Greece. Es ...
. *Second lie: ethnic Macedonians are "pure
Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
" distinct from Bulgarians, who are "
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
". *Third lie: medieval figures like
Saints Cyril and Methodius Cyril (born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (815–885) were two brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians and missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs, they are known as the "Apostles to the Slavs". They are credited wit ...
were ethnic Macedonians. *Fourth lie:
Samuel of Bulgaria Samuel (also Samuil; bg, Самуил, ; mk, Самоил/Самуил, ; Old Church Slavonic: Самоилъ; died October 6, 1014) was the Tsar (''Emperor'') of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 977 to 997, he was a ...
was an ethnic Macedonian and the
First Bulgarian Empire The First Bulgarian Empire ( cu, блъгарьско цѣсарьствиѥ, blagarysko tsesarystviye; bg, Първо българско царство) was a medieval Bulgar- Slavic and later Bulgarian state that existed in Southeastern Europ ...
was a "Macedonian" state. *Fifth lie: the
Archbishopric of Ohrid The Archbishopric of Ohrid, also known as the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid *T. Kamusella in The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe, Springer, 2008, p. 276 *Aisling Lyon, Decentralisation and the Management of Ethni ...
was a "Macedonian" church. *Sixth lie: the
Bulgarian Exarchate The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
conquered the ethnic Macedonian people. *Seventh lie: early 20th-century revolutionary movements such as the
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
(IMRO) worked for a "Macedonian" national goal. *Eighth lie: that
Krste Misirkov Krste Petkov Misirkov ( bg, Кръсте (Кръстьо) Петков Мисирков; mk, Крсте Петков Мисирков, ; 18 November 1874 – 26 July 1926) was a philologist, journalist, historian and ethnographer from the regio ...
is the number 1 ethnic Macedonian of the 20th century. *Ninth lie: the " heroic struggle of the Macedonian people against Bulgarian occupiers in 1941–1944". *Tenth lie: on the rejoicing of the Macedonian people for their second inclusion in Yugoslavia in 1944 and the 250,000 ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria.


Publications

* Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''The True History of Liberation 1860–1878''. Sofia: Standart News Ltd., 2010. 183 pp.  (First edition in 2006, .) * Bozhidar Dimitrov, co-author. wikisource:en:Bulgarian Policies on the Republic of Macedonia, ''Bulgarian Policies on the Republic of Macedonia: Recommendations on the development of good neighbourly relations following Bulgaria’s accession to the EU and in the context of NATO and EU enlargement in the Western Balkans''. Sofia: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2008. 80 pp.  (Trilingual publication in Bulgarian, Macedonian and English) * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''The Ten Lies of Macedonism''. Sofia: Kom Foundation, 2007. 107 pp.  (First edition in 2000 in Bulgarian, .) * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''Macedonia – Holy Bulgarian Land: Who Are the Successors of Alexander the Great and Roxana?'' Sofia: Kom Foundation, 2007. 80 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''Seven Ancient Civilizations in Bulgaria: With Maps & Color Illustrations''. Sofia: Kom Foundation, 2006. 112 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''12 Myths in Bulgarian History''. Sofia, Kom Foundation, 2005. 148 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''Bulgarians: The First Europeans''. Sofia: St. Kliment Ohridsky University Press, 2002. 108 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''Bulgaria and the Vatican''. Sofia: Bulgarian Diplomatic Review, 2002. 56 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''The Bulgars and Alexander of Macedon''. Sofia: Tangra Publishers, 2001. 138 pp.  * Bozhidar Dimitrov. ''Venetian Documents on Bulgarian History During the 16th and 17th Century''. Sofia: Borina Ltd., 1994.


Honours

Dimitrov Cove Dimitrov Cove ( bg, Димитров залив, Dimitrov zaliv, ) is the 6.8 km wide cove indenting for 4.8 km the northwest coast of Velingrad Peninsula on Graham Coast in Graham Land, Antarctica, which is entered between Pripek Point to the wes ...
in
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...
is named after Bozhidar Dimitrov.Dimitrov Cove.
SCAR
Composite Antarctic Gazetteer The Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (CGA) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) is the authoritative international gazetteer containing all Antarctic toponyms published in national gazetteers, plus basic information about t ...
.


References

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Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimitrov, Bozhidar 1945 births 2018 deaths People from Sozopol 20th-century Bulgarian historians Government ministers of Bulgaria Bulgarian socialists Bulgarians from Eastern Thrace Historians of the Balkans 21st-century Bulgarian historians