L’Hellénisme et la Renaissance nationale bulgare : acculturation, modèle ou matrice?

Abstract

In this conference made at invitation of the Institute for Balkan Studies,
the orator insists on the main influence of hellenism all along bulgarian
history since the installation of this people in the balkan peninsula.
This cultural and religious environment had an institutional development
with the co-regency delegated by ottoman power to the orthodox Patriarch. It
culminated with the so-called phanariot era which must be examined with
historical criticism for one reason: the panariot rulers sometimes persecuted
the bulgarian in the name of preeminency of the greek language and culture,
but sometimes, the ecclesiastical hierarchy adopted more respectful attitudes
towards the same population. In the same time, the same society, of which the
ecclesiastical part fought against emancipation of the ottoman Christians, was
influenced by the lumières and by the movement for nationality and stayed at
the origin of penetration of ideas of modernity and emancipation in the
balkanic population. The bulgarian elites were a full part of this movement on a political and nationalistic point of view but also in their personal choice and behaviour.