Public activities of N.S. Derzhavin in the Macedonian question in 1912-1915

Abstract

The article deals with the Bulgaria during the Balkan wars of the 1912-1913 and The First world war for the public protection of the Macedonian point of view on the Macedonian question. In the autumn of 1912 the first Balkan war began. Bulgaria and Serbia agreed on the division of Macedonia, but because of the meddling of the great powers Belgrade did not get the desired land on the Adriatic coast. Serbia then demanded a revision of the Treaty, to which Bulgaria refused. In the Russian public opinion disputes about belonging of Macedonia were developed. They were attended by Bulgarian and Serbian scientists, as well as Russian scientists. One of them was N. S. Derzhavin. He gave public lectures on the Balkans, took part in meetings of public organizations, where he debates with supporters of Serbia. The defeat of Bulgaria and the transfer of Macedonia under the power of Serbia caused him grief, and he began with renewed vigor for public activity. In particular, he prepared a book on the Macedonian question. The money for it was allocated by the Bulgarian government, but not immediately. As a result, the book was published after the beginning of the First world war, when Russian public opinion negatively related to Bulgaria. Then to N. S. Derzhavin asked for help in the publication in Russian of a book about the Balkan wars, the former Bulgarian Prime Minister I. Geshov. The article is based on published documents, materials from the funds of the Central state archive of Bulgaria, the state archive of the Russian Federation, the archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as the works of N. S. Derzhavin, his speeches at meetings of public organizations and memoirs of contemporaries. The scientist’s relations with the Bulgarian authorities and scientists, relations with Russian colleagues who supported the position of Belgrade were reconstructed. On the basis of the received material the conclusion about the impossibility of accurately determining the motives for the occupation of active positions. A sincere love for Bulgaria and faith with their beliefs looks preferable.