(FROM 1878 TO THE 30s OF XX CENTURY)
Macedonian Review, 2016, № 1, p. 19-28
Assoc. Prof. Daniel Vachkov, PhD
Several times in its recent history Bulgaria has been facing a painful and difficult to
solve problem with the reception and accommodation of large numbers of people
seeking refuge from the persecution of violent regimes or from the horrors of large-
scale hostilities. Even during the restoration of the Bulgarian state, the
phenomenon of “refugees“ emerged, which, for long periods of time, will be a real
test for both economic and social policy of the government and the ability of
Bulgarian society to show solidarity and empathy with the suffering of people who
left their homelands.
The main reason for the frequent influx of refugees to Bulgaria is rooted mostly in
the unresolved national question in the Balkans.
Created by the Congress of Berlin
in July 1878 Principality of Bulgaria included in its borders only half of those
living on the peninsula Bulgarians. Even after the Unification of 1885 outside the
Bulgarian state continued to live nearly two million compatriots1
those Bulgarians, preserving their language and culture are concentrated in
Macedonia. It is these failed attempts for over 40 years this area be annexed to the
Fatherland, that is the basis of recurring waves of refugees to Bulgaria.
The theme of Macedonian refugees, which is determinative of the biggest refugee
question in the new Bulgarian history, affects very many aspects of the overall
social development of Bulgaria in the first half century of its independent
development after the Liberation. A significant number of scientific publications
1 According to some foreign researchers from XIX c., the number of Bulgarians on the eve
of Liberation amounted to little more than 5,1 million, including the Bulgarian communities
outside the Balkan Peninsula.
19
by Bulgarian historians considered the most diverse aspects of this problem. The
most common theme was studied as part of economic and social policies of various
Bulgarian governments or parties2
foreign economic relations of the Bulgarian state with its neighbours, the great
powers and international organizations and financial circles3
investigated the role of refugees and their organizations in Bulgaria for the
development of national liberation struggles of Bulgarians outside the country4
Last but not least, the issue was raised in the context of studies on donations in
Bulgaria5.
The aim of the presented paper is to analyze and summarize the financial efforts of
the Bulgarian government to resolve the refugee issue; in particular that of
Macedonian refugees who make up the majority of Bulgarian refugees during
almost the entire period of Liberation (1878) until the beginning of the 30s of
XX century, when basically economic accommodation of refugees ended. It will
also attempt to assess the effectiveness of costs incurred over the years and how
they affect the long-term prospects in the development of Bulgarian society.
The main difficulty faced by researchers of the refugee problem is the lack of
accurate data on the number of refugees. The reasons are, on the one hand, that not
all refugees arriving in Bulgaria have been officially registered as such, which was
not reflected by the state statistics. On the other hand, in different periods there is a
definite dynamics in migratory movements, which also makes it difficult to track
the number of refugees.
For example, after the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising and
the signing of the Bulgarian-Turkish Agreement of 1904, or after the release of
Macedonia in the autumn of 1915 part of the refugees returned to their homeland to
2 Димитров, Г. В. Настаняване и оземляване на българските бежанци 1919–1939.
Благоевград, 1985; Косатев, Т. Политиката на Българския земеделски народен съюз
по бежанския въпрос 1919–1923. – Известия на Института по история. Т. XXVI. С.,
1983.
3 Димитров, Г. В. Малцинствено-бежанският въпрос в българо-гръцките отношения
(1919–1939). Благоевград, 1982; Mitev, D. The refugee Loan of 1926 and Britain. –
Etudes historique, t. 12, 1984; Косев, Д. Външната политика на България при
управлението на Андрей Ляпчев (1926–1931). С., 1995; Вачков, Д. Проблемът на
българските бежанци пред Обществото на народите (1923–1925). – Македонски
преглед, 1998, No 3, 21–38.
4 Пандев, К. Националноосвободителното движение в Македония и Одринско 1878–
1903. С., 2000; Елдъров, Св. Върховният македоно-одрински комитет и Македоно-
одринската организация в България 1878–1903. С., 2003; Гребенаров, А. Легални и
тайни организации на македонските бежанци в България (1919–1947). С., 2007 и др.
5 Генадиев, Г. Бежанците във Варненско 1878–1908. С., 1998.
20
It was seen in the context of foreign policy and
. Especially they become refugees again years later when the area was occupied again by a foreign
power. Another part of refugees, which, after the Balkan wars, were housed in
Bulgaria acquired areas in Western Thrace, after the First World War were driven
out by the Greek authorities and once again were forced to seek refuge in Bulgaria.
In turn, when the Bulgarian state in the mid-20s of the XX century was taking a
more active policy in their permanent housing and land settlement, it used general
data on refugees without making precise distinctions how many of them were from
Macedonia, Eastern and Western Thrace, Dobrudzha, Western Outlands.
This
approach, while fully justified, since, for Bulgaria, all Bulgarian refugees need
equal support regardless of where they arrive, makes it impossible to accurately
determine how much financial and material resources were spent specifically for
Macedonian refugees. Only by using indirect data from other unofficial statistics as
well as a comparative analysis of the weighting of refugee groups flooding from
various Bulgarian regions, it is possible establishing to the nearest the amounts
used for the accommodation of Macedonian refugees.
* * *
Even before the convening of the Berlin Congress, alarming information began to
spread among Bulgarians that Macedonia will not be included within the free
Bulgarian state. Despite numerous petitions made by the Bulgarian population in
the area to the Great Powers not to be separated from the Principality of Bulgaria,
the Berlin Treaty defined the return of Macedonia under the direct authority of the
Sultan and only Art. 23 of the document generally provided for administrative
reforms in European Turkey. Against their determined in Berlin fate, part of the
Bulgarians in Macedonia started an armed struggle and in the autumn of 1878
triggered the Kresna-Razlog Uprising. Following the hostilities and the Uprising
defeat in the winter and spring of 1878–1879, more massive waves of refugees
from Macedonia were coming as well.
Over 30 000 people headed to the closest
cities in Sofia province – Gorna Dzhumaya (today Blagoevgrad), Kyustendil,
Dupnitsa, Samokov and of course, the capital Sofia. In their support, a special
commission was formed in Sofia, with branch-Committees in these regional towns
of the province. The Commission and its branches were tasked with the authorities
to distribute aid, organize humanitarian activities (food, clothing, heating, medical
care, etc.) and refer refugees to areas for their accommodation. Amounts spent
were determined by the Provisional Russian government to about 400,000 golden
francs. Eventually, all refugee families that remained on the territory of the
Principality received parcels of land in the frontier zone with the Ottoman Empire
or in the hinterland6.
See in more detail: Миграционни движения на българите 1878–1941. Т. 1, 1878–1912.
Съст. В. Василева и др. С., 1993, с. 36 и сл.; Британски дипломатически документи
по българския национален въпрос. Т. 1(1878–1893). Съст. В. Трайкова и др. С., 1993,
78–95; Тодоров, Г. Временно руско управление в България 1877–1879 г. С., 1958,
.
21
The census made later – in 1887, of the Principality of Bulgaria, noted that people living in the country that arrived from the Ottoman
Empire (mainly Bulgarians from Macedonia and the region of Adrianople) are
54,462. After examining these figures, one of the most prominent researchers of
demographic processes in Macedonia, Vasil Kanchov, concluded that Macedonian
Bulgarians settled in Bulgaria in the first decade after the liberation, were about
30,000 to 32,000 people7
New wave of refugees to Bulgaria was formed in 1902–1903, when Gorna
Dzhumaya and Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprisings were cruelly extinguished.
In early
September 1903 Bulgarian Interior Ministry noted that the number of refugees in
the country has reached nearly 20,000 people8
the year and early in 1904 their numbers increased, exceeding 30,000 people9
condition of refugees was extremely critical and it was necessary to quickly vote
by the National Assembly loans for their urgent assistance. The total amount of
assistance provided amounted to impressive for that time 2.3 million golden levs10
Substantial material and financial support to refugees was provided by a number of
charity organizations and the whole Bulgarian society11.
Later significant part,
primarily Macedonian Bulgarians, of the refugees received the opportunity to
return to their homelands after the conclusion of the Bulgarian-Turkish Agreement
of March 26, 1904, under which the Ottoman Empire announced amnesty for rank
and file participants in the uprising12. This situation, coupled with the fact that in
the first decade of the XX century the Bulgarian state is experiencing an economic
and financial rise, allowed refugees to integrate successfully into the economic life
of the country, without leading to an acute social crisis.
Census in the Kingdom of
159–161; Дойнов, Д. Кресненско-Разложкото въстание 1878–1879, София, 1993,
84-86 и др.
7 Кънчов, В. Избрани произведения. Т. ІІ. С., 1970, с. 313.
8 Генадиев, Г. Посрещане на бежанците от Македония и Одринско във Варненско
през 1903–1904 г. – В: 110 години от Илинденско-Преображенското въстание и
българската национална идея от Сан Стефано до Букурещ (1878–1913). С., 2014,
с. 313.
9 Миграционни движения..., Т. 1, 301–304; Трайков, В. Бежанският въпрос преди и
след Илинденско-Преображенското въстание. – В: Осемдесет години от Илинденско-
Преображенското въстание. С. 1988, с. 507.
10 Националноосвободителното движение..., Т. 2, с. 367.
11 Генадиев, Г. Посрещане на бежанците..., 316–320.
12 Принос към дипломатическата история на България. Григор Начович и българо-
турското споразумение от 1904 г. Съст. В. Китанов. С., 2004; Пенчев, П. Българо-
турското споразумение от март 1904 г. и неговото приложение. – Известия на
държавните архиви, 2004, No 87, 32–55.
22
In the coming months to the end of Bulgaria in 1910 reported 36,993 people born in Macedonia and 32,634 people
born in the region of Adrianople. Of a total of 69,627 people born in two areas,
61,321 were listed as Bulgarians by nationality13. According to the famous
Bulgarian economist and statistician K. Popov on the eve of the Balkan wars in
Bulgaria there were about 150,000 Bulgarians arrived from Macedonia, region of
Adrianople, Romania, Bessarabia and Banat; nearly 100,000 were those of
Macedonia. Of course, most of them did not have refugee status and were mainly
economic migrants14
Far more critical is the situation of the emerging mass of refugees during and after
the Balkan wars 1912–1913. The conquest of Macedonia by Serbian and Greek
troops, persecutions started over the Bulgarian population and the outbreak in the
summer of 1913 of the Second Balkan War were cause thousands of Bulgarians
from Macedonia, Eastern Thrace and Southern Dobrudzha to leave their homes and
take the hard road of refugees. By the summer of next year, the arrival continued of
large groups of people seeking refuge in Bulgaria. Specialized state bodies
officially registered 25,765 refugee families, or 120,690 people, with clarification
that to them “positively“ should be added “at least another 50,000 members single
refugees“ who governmental committees have not been able to present15
Subtracting the number of refugees from Eastern Thrace, which was quite
accurately specified by Prof. L. Miletich to over 37,000 16, relatively few in number
to that moment refugees from Southern Dobrudzha, as well as those of Asia Minor,
it could be determined, to a high degree of confidence, the number of Macedonian
refugees after the Balkan wars to approximately 80,000 to 100,000 people. In their
majority, these people were forced very quickly to leave their lands and arrive in
Bulgaria without any means of survival. Their survival depended entirely on the
help of the Bulgarian state. For the provision of the most basic needs of food and
shelter, only, by the end of 1913 the government spent 1.45 million golden levs.
This sum happened to be not enough and in April 1914 a new credit outside the
budget was passed by the National Assembly worth 1.2 million golden levs to help
refugees17
.
13 Общи резултати от преброяване на населението в Царство България на 31 декември
1910 г. Кн. І. С., 1923; Георгиев, Г. Н., А. Геренска. Македонските бежанци,
преселници и гурбетчии в Кюстендилски окръг (1878–1912). – Известия на
Исторически музей – Кюстендил. Т. ХVІ. Кюстендил, 2008, с. 199, 203.
14 Попов, К. Стопанска България. С., 1916, 72–73.
15 ЦДА, ф. 176К, оп. 3, а.е. 209-а, л. 18; История на българите 1878–1944 в документи.
Т. ІІ, 1912–1918. Съст. В. Георгиев, Ст. Трифонов. С., 1996, с. 298.
16 Милетич, Л. Разорението на тракийските българи през 1913 година. С., 1918.
23
It is obvious, however, that the problem can be solved only after permanent
housing and allotting land to thousands of refugee families. Yet in the summer of
1913 the government of Vasil Radoslavov formed special committees, which
should engage in solving these problems. Instructions were the refugees to move
towards newly annexed lands to Bulgaria – Pirin Macedonia and Western Thrace.
The goal that aroused was, on the one hand, to use the abandoned lands of the
Turkish population and, on the other, to strengthen Bulgarian ethnic element in
these areas. Distribution of lands began and, for their commercial utilization,
Bulgarian Agricultural Bank granted refugee 15 millions golden levs low-interest
loan guaranteed by the state to purchase farm implements, livestock, materials for
construction and others18. Despite efforts on the ground, the placement of a mass
refugee proved difficult process requiring a lot of time. It is far from end when in
the autumn of 1915 Bulgaria entered the First World War with the intention to
correct the mistakes of the Balkan wars and to achieve the much desired national
unity.
The choice of ally turns out to be fatal in the autumn of 1918. Bulgaria is again in
the camp of the vanquished. Thousands of new Bulgarian refugees began to arrive
seeking rescue from renewed repression by the Balkan neighbours of Bulgaria.
Census in Bulgaria showed that by 1920 the number of registered refugees after
World War I has increased by about 50,000 people and with those of the Balkan
wars already exceeds 175,00019. Signed on November 27, 1919, with the Treaty of
Neuilly, Bulgarian-Greek Convention for “voluntary“ exchange of population also
emerged as an additional source of refugees in the near future. Initially, this
agreement did not indicate a large movement of people. But the situation changed
dramatically in 1922–1923, following disastrous for Greece war with Turkey, led
by Mustafa Kemal. Greek defeat was accompanied by the expulsion of nearly 1.5
million Anatolian Christians, many of which were housed in Aegean Macedonia
and Western Thrace. Brutal pressure began by the Greek authorities over the local
Bulgarian population to emigrate in Bulgaria and thus make room for Greeks
arriving from Asia Minor. The principle of voluntariness was grossly violated and
another wave of refugees to Bulgaria started. So in the years after World War I,
over 106,000 new refugees arrived in Bulgaria from Macedonia – 20,323 from
Vardar Macedonia and 86,572 from Aegean Macedonia20. In autumn 1925 the
бежанци след Балканските войни. – В: 100 години от Балканските войни.
Международна научна конференция, 11 ноември 2013, София. С. 2015, с. 144.
18 Ibid, 147–148.
19 Димитров, Г. В. Настаняване и оземляване..., с. 30.
20 Косатев, Т. Бежанският въпрос в България след Първата световна война (1919–
1932). С., 1976, с. 261 (Thesis); Даскалов, Г. Българите в Егейска Македония. Мит
или реалност. С., 1996, с. 181.
24
authorities in the Kingdom made accurate census of the Bulgarian refugees found
shelter in the country since 1903. The official figures show 296,593 people, whose
numbers included also the deceased21. In the preserved documents, unfortunately,
there is no exactly specified information from which parts they come, but
comparing data on refugees from other Bulgarian regions – Eastern and Western
Thrace, Dobrudzha and Western Outlands one can reasonably assume that over
230,000 are refugees of Macedonia.
At this time the Bulgarian state was facing a huge humanitarian problem for the
solution of which did not have the necessary financial and material resources.
Bulgaria was completely exhausted with excessive economic costs incurred during
the years of war. Its production and trade were deeply disturbed and the state of the
public finances was very grave. Accumulated during the war and in the years
immediately after its end obligations of the State to the Bulgarian National Bank
amounted to a colossal amount for that time of nearly 4.5 billion Lev, but actually
the most frightening situation was with the external debt. In 1919, at the Paris
Peace Conference, Bulgaria was ordered to pay reparations to the winners of 2,250
million golden francs, without including benefits in kind and gave up war material.
Along with the pre-war debts contracted by the Bulgarian state, the amount of
foreign debt of Bulgaria reached the nearly 3 billion golden francs22. With such a
debt burden no steps can be taken to recover the Bulgarian economy, let alone
pursue activities in placement of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Initially the efforts of Bulgarian governments after the war were mainly in two
directions: to achieve relief of reparative payments and to create conditions for the
return of Bulgarian refugees to their homes, provided that their rights of ethnic
minorities were respected. On the first issue substantial success has been achieved
– in March 1923 an agreement was made for deferred payment of reparations,
which gave a breath of Bulgarian finance. However the attempts of the Bulgarian
diplomacy remained unsuccessful to make Serbo-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and
Greece recognizing the presence of the Bulgarian minority in their territories and
thus create conditions for the return of the Macedonian refugees staying in
Bulgaria. Although the policy of close ties with Belgrade, the government of
Alexander Stambolyiski did not receive satisfaction of Bulgarian demands. The
next government, that of prof. Aleksandar Tsankov, focused their actions towards
Greece. With the support of the League of Nations (UN) an agreement was made in
September 1924 on mutual recognition and respect for the rights of the Bulgarian
minority in Greece and the Greek minority in Bulgaria. But this convention, known
21 НБКМ–БИА, ф. 361, а.е. 824, л. 107.
22 Иванов, М., Ц. Тодорова, Д. Вачков. История на външния държавен дълг на
България 1878–1990. Втора част. С., 2009, с. 11, 15.
25
by the names of the two foreign ministers Kalfov-Politis, was not been ratified by
the Greek Parliament and did not enter into force23
state was left with nothing more than to turn to external financial assistance for
accommodation and allotting land to over 200,000 extremely poor Bulgarian
refugees. Formal request for international support for the conclusion of refugee
loan was made by the Bulgarian government in September 1925.
In October the same year, events occurred that accelerated international solution to
the refugee issue in Bulgaria. After the incident at the Bulgarian-Greek border on
October 21, Greek troops invaded Petrich region. Bulgarian government asked for
the support of the international organization to stop the foreign invasion.
The
decision of the League of Nations Council was all troops located in a foreign
country, to immediately withdraw from it. A month later an international
commission was organized to investigate the causes of the Bulgarian-Greek
conflict. One of its main conclusions was that the irregular situation of refugees in
Bulgaria is the major source of tension in relations between the two countries. The
report recommends international financial assistance to Bulgaria for economic
accommodation of refugees. It was decided that the Greek State shall pay the
affected population of Petrich region a compensation of 30 million Lev.
The first steps in providing external support have been taken since the beginning of
1926, when in Sofia the Government of Andrey Lyapchev came to power, having
better reception abroad.
In February two representatives of the world organization
arrived in the country, which in their report reflected the critical situation of the
Bulgarian refugees and recommend as soon as possible to help Bulgaria to secure
their accommodation. Special merit to solve the problem had the French financier
and lawyer Rene Sharon appointed for Commissioner for Refugees in Bulgaria.
He, along with the Bulgarian authorities and especially the director of the
Directorate for accommodation of refugees Eng. Stoimen Sarafov, prepared a
detailed plan for their full integration into Bulgarian society24
Despite numerous obstructions on the part of Yugoslavia, Greece and Romania, the
League of Nations Council decided the Bulgarian state to get a refugee loan
guaranteed by the world organization. At the end of 1926 mainly English and
American banks issued seven percent Refugee loan to Bulgaria, whose product
amount at 4.5 million dollars and 2.4 million pounds25. With the funds received,
extensive measures were taken to complete the housing and land settlement of
Bulgarian refugees.
23 Вачков, Д. Проблемът на българските бежанци..., 27–30.
24 Journal officiel de la SDN, VII annee, Geneve, 1926, p. 923
25 Иванов, М., Ц. Тодорова, Д. Вачков. Op. cit., 70–72.
26
In this situation the Bulgarian
.
Macedonian refugees and their accommodation in Bulgaria ... (from 1878 to the 30s of XX century) 27
In general, work placement completed fully by the summer of 1931. More than
30,000 refugee families received land and were provided with livelihood, or a total
of over 200,000 people, of which over 150,000 were from Macedonia. 1,090,323
acres of arable land were distributed, 24 359 heads working cattle, 10,555 wagons,
10,042 plow and 3,605 harrows. 10,262 houses were built for refugees in 13
districts of the country. 127 villages were supplied with water. To successful
integration of areas with refugees, a number of infrastructure improvements have
also been made. Swamps near Burgas and Straldzha were drained, a dike in Gigen
was built to stop Danube river overflows and the railroad Rakovski–Mastanli was
built. When the loan funds were finished, for the completion of these works, the
Bulgarian state paid extra from the budget about 104 mln. Levs.26
Again after the decisive intervention of the League of Nations, the Joint Bulgarian-
Greek Commission significantly accelerated their business on voluntary exchange
of population. In 1927, an Agreement was made of the finance ministers of the two
countries, Mollov and Kafandaris, which detailed the way immigrants will be
compensated.
By the end of 1929 the Commission led by the League of Nations
representatives, was able to process 25,598 declarations of Bulgarians who left
Greece and 15,487 Greeks who left Bulgaria; according to estimates of experts it is
a matter of about 90,000 Bulgarians, including 70,000 from Aegean Macedonia,
and around 46,000 Greeks. After assessing the value of their abandoned property, a
global amount was defined that represented the difference and should be paid by
the Greek state. It amounts to 7,165,252 dollars27. Very little part of this amount
entered, however, since in the summer of 1931 because of the sharp global
financial crisis, US President Hoover introduced one-year moratorium on the
payment of war reparations and inter-governmental debts, which continues
thereafter. Using grounds that Bulgaria has suspended reparative contributions,
Greece refused to pay its debt on the Agreement “Mollov–Kafandaris“. So in
general it can be said that the funds spent on accommodation of refugees were met
mainly by the Bulgarian state, including much of the Refugee Loan servicing.
* * *
For the whole period from the Liberation to mid 20s of XX century, from
Macedonia to Bulgaria, huge number of people arrived as refugees. It is difficult
this number to be defined with absolute accuracy, but if to the official census of
refugees in 1925, covering the period after the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising, we
add those of Kresna-Razlog Uprising, the Macedonian refugees can be set
26 Селскостопанското настаняване на бежанците в България 1927–1932. С., 1932,
104-162; ЦДА, ф. 159К, оп. 2, а.е.198, л. 3.
27 Димитров, Г. В. Малцинствено-бежанският въпрос..., с. 283.
27
approximately to about 250,000. And if we include all those arrived singly or in
small groups of people for political or economic reasons, it can rightly be argued
that at least 350,000 Bulgarians refugees and immigrants from Macedonia under
foreign rule – Ottoman, Serbian and Greek, were permanently housed and
integrated into Bulgarian society. This means that by the 30s of XX century nearly
8% of the population of Bulgaria consisted of Macedonian refugees and
immigrants or their descendants.
It is difficult to calculate the costs incurred for their accommodation. On the one
hand, not all money spent can be tracked, and the other – continuing several years
devaluation of the lev after the First World War complicated the global amount
assessment. Until the Balkan wars due to the small number of refugees and thanks
to sound economic and financial situation the state managed to deal with the
problem with its own forces. Also, relatively numerous properties were used
abandoned by their former Turkish owners. Direct costs of the state in this area
amounted to about 3 million golden levs. This amount does not include aid
provided by various Bulgarian and foreign public organizations and private efforts
of already former refugees to help their newly arrived countrymen.
The picture became quite different after the 1912–1918 war. The arrival of huge
masses of refugees at a time when the country was in a difficult financial and
economic situation required the search for external financial assistance. Funds from
the Refugee Loan and made off government expenditure amounted to 2,260 million
Levs, or converted to the value of the golden lev, corresponding to approximately
85 million golden Levs
Certainly the problem of refugees from Macedonia had lasting consequences for
the overall development of the Bulgarian nation and state. Leaving aside the
serious psychological traumas that marked thousands of Bulgarians passed by the
tragic path of refugees, it is sufficient to note the fact, as the most devastating result
of these large-scale migrations, that thus the Bulgarian ethnic element significantly
weakened in this primordial Bulgarian area. With special force this statement refers
to Aegean Macedonia remained under Greek rule. But on the other hand, integrated
in Bulgaria refugees with their work, knowledge and energy contributed greatly to
the overall development of their Homeland. Hardly anyone can dispute the
enormous contributions of hundreds of prominent Bulgarians from Macedonia in
achieving impressive successes in the field of Bulgarian culture, science, economy.
LITERATURE
28
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