Memoirs, Vol. 1: Youth

Memoirs, Vol. 1: Youth by Ivan Mihailov, published in 1958, recounts the author’s childhood and formative years in Štip and Novo Selo at the turn of the twentieth century. The volume blends personal recollections with reflections on the early atmosphere of the Macedonian liberation movement, describing everyday life under Ottoman rule and the gradual emergence of revolutionary consciousness. Through detailed narratives of family life, church activity, and local traditions, the text situates Mihailov’s upbringing within a society increasingly shaped by the ideals of armed resistance and national mobilization.

A significant portion of the memoir focuses on the early influence of IMRO and the revolutionary environment in which Mihailov matured. Episodes such as the account of Sandо Malinkov’s battle in Novo Selo are presented as formative experiences that reinforced the legitimacy of organized armed struggle. Throughout the narrative, the author frames the revolutionary movement as an expression of what he defines as the Bulgarian national character in Macedonia, portraying the population as historically tied to the Bulgarian national body.

Today, the publication is treated as a source representing a Bulgarian nationalist reading of the Macedonian revolutionary movement. As a retrospective memoir written decades after the events, it reflects Mihailov’s ideological convictions and his consistent rejection of the recognition of a separate Macedonian nation. At the same time, the volume remains a valuable primary source for understanding social life in late Ottoman Macedonia, the emotional world of revolutionary youth, and the internal narrative constructed by one of the most influential leaders of IMRO.