Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje

The Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje (Macedonian: Бугарски културен клуб – Скопје) is a non-governmental organization in the Republic of North Macedonia established on 4 May 2008, and registered on 22 May 2008. Its executive board is chaired by Lazar Mladenov.^[1] The organization has local branches in Štip, Bitola, and other cities.^[2]

Club's logo

Mission

The Club's mission is to foster changes and awareness in the Republic of Macedonia about the necessity for bringing closer of, and inter-cultural tolerance between the cultures of the neighbouring countries: Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of North Macedonia.^[3]

Activities

Representatives of the Club took part in a public debate on the integration of ethnic minority communities held in Strumica,^[4] gathered and publicized data on some burial locations and graves of Bulgarian militaries killed in World War I on the territory of the present Republic of Macedonia.^[5] The organization is campaigning for the protection and restoration of the Bulgarian cultural monuments in the Republic of Macedonia.^[6][7][8] The Club took position on the issue of naming dispute with Greece,^[9][10] human rights issues related to Macedonian Bulgarians,^[11][12][13] and on the issue of a controversial encyclopedia published in 2009 by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU).^{[14][15][16][17][18]}

The Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje has published reports on the ongoing human rights violations and intolerance towards citizens of Bulgarian ethnicity in the context of European and Atlantic integration of the Republic of Macedonia, including the ethnic-based harassment of Club activists such as Miroslav Rizinski and Mile Yovanoski.^[19][20][21]

The Club proposed to the Mayor of Ohrid the erection of a monument commemorating the 2009 Lake Ohrid boat accident in which 15 Bulgarian tourists were killed with many more saved by nearby vessels.^{[22][23][24][25]}

The Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje took also a position on the "insufficient care for the Bulgarian science, research and innovation," and controversial^[26][27] intentions of the Bulgarian government perceived as a step towards the closure of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.^[28][29][30]

The Club in 2011 announced that they may invite the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to restore its Macedonian Diocese in service to the Bulgarians in the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia).^[31][32]

See also

• Macedonian Bulgarians
• Bulgarians in North Macedonia
• Radko Association

Notes and references

1. Decision 30120080049985 of 22.05.2008. Central Registry of the Republic of Macedonia. (in Macedonian)
2. Organizations of the Bulgarian communities: Macedonia. Official site of the State Agency For Bulgarians Abroad. (in Bulgarian)
3. Work Program of the Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje. Club's Website. (in Macedonian)
4. Public debate in Strumica July 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Under the Same Sun Website. (in Macedonian)
5. Bulgarian military graves from the First World War in Strumica’s cemeteries.^{[permanent dead link]} Newstin, 25 April 2009.
6. Lazar Mladenov sends photos of the grave of Priest Iliya Gabrovaliev, “one of the first champions of Bulgarian national spirit”. Focus Information Agency, 19 April 2010.
7. To restore “Bulgarian” on the monuments. Špic Daily, Skopje, 5 May 2010. (in Macedonian)
8. Bulgarians are defending native monuments in Macedonia. July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Narodno Delo Daily, Varna, 10 May 2010. (in Bulgarian)
9. Memorandum of the Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje concerning the name issue between Macedonia and Greece. Macedonian Tribune Monthly, Toronto. Issue 63, 2008.
10. Lazar Mladenov, Chair of the Bulgarian Cultural Club in Skopje: From the name dispute Macedonia is only losing 2011-05-26 at the Wayback Machine. Politika Weekly, Issue 237, 31 October – 6 November 2008. (in Bulgarian)
11. The Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje is referring the Spaska Mitrova case to international community. Focus Information Agency, 28 August 2009. (in Bulgarian)
12. The Bulgarian Cultural Club is to save Spaska Mitrova by a letter. February 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Forum Biweekly, 21 February 2010. (in Macedonian)
13. Bulgarian Club demands the return of Spaska Mitrova’s child.^{[permanent dead link]} Kirilica, 21 February 2010. (in Macedonian)
14. Declaration of the Bulgarian Cultural Club - Skopje on the MANU Encyclopedia. Macedonian Tribune Monthly, Toronto. Issue 72, 2009.
15. Gruevski pointing a finger at dark forces. Utrinski Vesnik Daily, 28 September 2009. (in Macedonian; Correction 30 September 2009)
16. The Bulgarians react to the Encyclopedia: Gotse Delchev was Bulgarian^{[permanent dead link]}. Forum Biweekly, 27 September 2009. (in Macedonian)
17. Analyses: In Europe they think about energy, in Macedonia – about encyclopedia ... 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine Bulgarian Army Weekly, 28 September 2009. (in Bulgarian)
18. MASA is waking up NLA. October 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Vreme Daily, 28 September 2009. (in Macedonian). Quote: "The Bulgarian Cultural Club in Skopje demands that St. Kliment Ohridski, Czar Samuel, Rayko Zhinzifov, Grigor Parlichev, the Miladinov Brothers, Gotse Delchev ... be presented as historical persons of both Bulgaria and Macedonia. They accuse that Macedonian Encyclopedia is essentially a falsification of the history of Macedonian Bulgarians that is confirmed by many world historians."
19. Milosevic still alive in FYROM. September 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine EurActiv, 22 September 2010.
20. Ethnic discrimination against a member of our civil society organization. Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje, 3 January 2011.
21. Yet another harassed and fired Bulgarian in Macedonia. Frog News, 4 January 2011. (in Bulgarian)
22. The ship had an accident involving Bulgarian tourists 3 years earlier 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine. Trud Daily, 17 September 2009. (in Bulgarian)
23. Further delay for the sunken Ilinden 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine. Alfa TV, 17 September 2009. (in Macedonian)
24. NGO proposes monument to be erected in memory of Ohrid Lake victims 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine. Startpagina.nl, 26 September 2009.
25. Monument for the drowned Bulgarians in Ohrid Archived 2009-09-30 at WebCite. Forum Biweekly, 26 September 2009. (in Macedonian)
26. BAS scientists on protest. Focus News Agency, 3 November 2010.
27. President: I will resist attempts to liquidate Bulgarian Academy of Science through some acts or tricks. Focus News Agency, 17 November 2010.
28. Bulgarians from Macedonia stand in defence of BAS. Vestnika, 24 November 2010.
29. Position of the Bulgarian Cultural Club - Skopje on the alarming proposals for disembodiment and closure of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Bulgarian Cultural Club - Skopje website. 22 November 2010.
30. BAS does not accept fragmentation. November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Duma Daily, 25 November 2010.
31. Macedonian Bulgarians Threaten Skopje with Switching to Bulgarian Orthodox Church.^{[permanent dead link]} Turkish Weekly. Tuesday, 18 January 2011.
32. No place for a Bulgarian para-church in Macedonia. January 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Nova Makedonija Daily, 25 January 2011. (in Macedonian)

External links

• Bulgarian Cultural Club – Skopje. Website (in Macedonian)
• State Agency For Bulgarians Abroad. Website. (in Bulgarian)
• Bulgarian Cultural Club^{[permanent dead link]}. Koritarov Online, 11 August 2009. (in Bulgarian)