Branislav Svetozarevikj Pokorni

Branislav Svetozarevikj Pokorni is a Macedonian historian, archivist, and publicist. He is noted for his research on the cultural and political history of Macedonians, with particular focus on Tetovo and the wider region, as well as for his contributions to the preservation of archival and historical heritage.

Svetozarevikj was born in Skopje and raised in Tetovo. He studied history at the Faculty of Philosophy, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, where he graduated in 1994. He obtained a master’s degree in 2007, focusing on archival studies, and earned his Ph.D. in historical sciences in 2013 with a dissertation on the socio-political and cultural life of Macedonians in Tetovo during the early 20th century.

In 1992, he began working at the State Archives of Macedonia, serving in various capacities including deputy head of archival protection. From 2010 to 2018, he was the acting director and later the first director of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Statehood and Independence. Since 2015, he has held the academic title of Assistant Professor at the Institute of National History in Skopje.

Svetozarevikj has published around 20 scholarly papers and authored several monographs, including Serbian and Bulgarian Church-Scholastic Propaganda in Tetovo and the Tetovo Region (1860–1903) (1996), Tetovo Almanac 1919–1941 (1999), and a study of the Lešok Monastery complex (2001). His major work, Macedonians – Millennium-long Testimonies to the Ethnic Name (2023), presents over 1,000 historical documents from 32 countries affirming the continuity of Macedonian identity. An English edition was also released in 2023.

In addition to academic work, Svetozarevikj is active in public discourse, frequently addressing issues of Macedonian identity and historiography. He has organized exhibitions, contributed to media programs, and is known for his outspoken defense of Macedonian cultural and national heritage.