THE MONTHLY ISSUE “VARDAR”, EDITED BY KRSTE PETKOV MISIRKOV IN 1905 AND THE MACEDONIAN QUESTION

Abstract

The first and only issue of the journal Vardar was published on 1 September 1905 in Odessa under the editorship of Krste Petkov Misirkov. Through this publication, Misirkov sought to draw the attention of both regional and European audiences to the “Macedonian Question,” while articulating and defending the program of what he termed the Macedonian national “separatists”—a designation he applied to himself and his followers. Confronting opposing Serbian and Bulgarian national narratives, Misirkov advanced a series of arguments aimed at refuting claims that denied the existence of a distinct Slavic Macedonian nation.

In one of the key articles published in Vardar, Misirkov addressed the emergence and interpretations of Serbian and Bulgarian theories concerning Macedonian nationality. He critically examined the official positions of both states, emphasizing their refusal to recognize Macedonian distinctiveness and highlighting how such denials were closely linked to competing territorial claims over Macedonia.

Another contribution in Vardar presents detailed statistical data on villages in Southern Macedonia, including their names, demographic composition by nationality, patterns of land ownership, number of households, and administrative affiliation to the kazas of Pazar, Thessaloniki, Gevgelija, and Kukuš. Through this combination of political argumentation and empirical documentation, the journal sought to substantiate claims regarding the historical and demographic foundations of Macedonian national identity.