The Codex of the Church of the Virgin in Haškovo as a source for Greek cultural influence and Bulgarian-Greek relations during nineteenth century

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Agop Garabedyan

Abstract

On the basis of the unpublished Codex of the Church of The Virgin in
Haškovo for the period from 1831 until 1876, the report analyzes the Greek
cultural influence on Bulgarian people and also the development stages of
Bulgarian-Greek relation in 19th century. Certain facts from the Codex give
us the reason to accept that it was essentially the Codex of the Haškovo
Orthodox community, as it contained activities and decisions that went beyond
the narrow scope of the parish. The Codex was written in three different
ways: first in Greek, then in Bulgarian but with Greek letters, and finally in
Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet. Chronologically, these three ways of writing
coincided with the stages in the development of Bulgarian-Greek relations in
19th century. Namely: stage of infinite domination of Greek culture with its
corresponding favourable influence on Bulgarians; stage of manifestation of
the negative consequences of this influence, especially in the process of denationalization
of some Bulgarian people and their subsequent resistance; stage
of struggle for spiritual, cultural and national emancipation, which resulted in
the separation of Bulgaria from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Codex shows clearly how the gradual consolidation of the Christian
City top crust and its participation in the economic life of the Ottoman Empire
encouraged its aspirations to have an imposing church and a modern school.
The allocated sums of money for this, described in the Codex, reveal the
economic power of the city’s class of traders and craftsmen. And the complete
use of Greek language speaks of the infinite influence of Greek culture. The
separation of Bulgarians from Greek peoples and the first manifestations of
Abstracts 163
their aspiration for spiritual and national emancipation, which started around
the middle of 19th century, had its effect in the region of Haškovo and were
reflected by the Codex. Here, unlike other places where ethnic Greek people
lived, the majority of the Christian population was of Bulgarian origin. This is
confirmed not only by the names included in the Codex, but also by a report of
the Greek Deputy - Consul in Plovdiv at the name, G. Kanakaris.
The first act of the struggle for cultural and national emancipation in
Haškovo was the 1845 decision of the local notables to school lessons to be
taught in Bulgarian. Then as a reaction, the adherents of the pro-Greek party
tried to drive away the Bulgarian teachers and Bulgarian language, which
were already accepted at school and in church. The result of this struggle won
by the Bulgarian element, was the organizational separation of the pro-Greek
citizens of Haškovo. In 1853 they opened their own school and, eight years
later, a church. All these things are illustrated from the Codex and also by the
circumstance that in the year when the Greek school was opened the Codex’s
Greek language was replaced by Bulgarian language with Greek letters.
The expansion of the struggle of Bulgarians after the Krim War and the
1858 Church Council was reflected by the Codex. Since 1866, in the eve of the
forthcoming schism, the Codex started to be written in Bulgarian Cyrillic
alphabet.

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