Russia and the Bulgarian Community in Thessaloniki (Based on Consular Reports)

Abstract

The following article aims to shed light on Russia’s relations with the Bulgarian community in Thessaloniki in the second half of the 19th century and attempts to answer the question of how the Bulgarian population in the second largest city in the Ottoman Empire was included in the diplomatic plans of Russia. The article is based on Russian and Bulgarian archives, the majority of which are unpublished. It examines the points of contact that the Bulgarian population in the multinational Balkan city had with Russian diplomats. Analysis of the documents shows that Russian diplomats recognised the presence and importance of Thessaloniki Bulgarians. St. Petersburg closely monitored their actions and, using its official representatives, participated in the process of building their national institutions. Furthermore, some Russian consuls in Thessaloniki, like Alexander Jacobson, strived to conduct more active policies that favoured the Bulgarian community and protected its interests more than the Asiatic Department recommended. However, their efforts to convince the leaders of the Russian diplomacy of the benefits of said policies would bear no fruit, as keeping church institution united under the rule of the Patriarchate of Constantinople was a cornerstone of Russia’s policy in the European parts of the Ottoman Empire. The unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and the province of Eastern Rumelia and the ensuing collapse of diplomatic relations between Russia and Bulgaria would leave a negative impact on the connections the Bulgarian community in Thessaloniki had established with Russian diplomats.