Georgi Nikolov Delchev (1872 – 1903) – The political warrior in the Bulgarian national space

The attempt, third1 in a row, again on a memorable jubilee occasion, to focus research on the personality and work of Georgi Nikolov Delchev is equally responsible, because as easy as it may seem, it is difficult. There is indeed a huge and overwhelming authentic source material, serious enough academic and archeographic publications. It is worth noting the latest solid edition on this topic with a detailed thematic bibliographic review[2]. 

Mercia McDermott’s monograph was published for the second time this year3. The new stage in the cooperation between Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia/RNM was marked by a commemorative silver tenlev coin. It has the image of Gotse Delchev and is on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth. The coin introduced by the Bulgarian National Bank is, of course, already a numismatic rarity. 

Of course, these are all dimensions on the outside of the institutional memory of Gotse. It is more important to note that in connection with the European integration of Northern Macedonia, as well as the timid attempts to de-Macedonianize the forcibly established ethno-political space along the Vardar Valley and in Bulgaria, there are, to put it mildly, dubious suggestions Dimitǎr Tyulekov and evaluative attitudes on today’s jubilee theme.

 Some of them are the result of journalistic ignorance, while others are a winged “multiperspectival” attempt to blunt the sharpness of two radically different value models. There is a desire to enclose the activity of Gotse Delchev within Vardar Macedonia only[4]. The thesis that the legendary leader of the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) is a Bulgarian of ethnic origin, but is a Macedonian by political affiliation, an illusory fighter for the mythical “Independent Macedonia”, etc. is being promoted and suggested on social networks. 

However, Gotse’s personality and work are not subject to compromise formulations, artificial division, and even less to the empty- headed historical-documentary falsifications so well known in Bulgaria and in the civilized world...