Flags/Banners of Macedonia

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Artist's interpretation of the flag of the Provisional Government of Macedonia based on documentation from the time (c. 1881)

[Momce Makedonce]

Does anyone know what flag this is? I took this photo recently when I was at the Museum of Macedonian struggle in Skopje. Photos weren’t allowed so I took it quickly but I’ve also forgotten what it said in the description. I’m interested because it looks like a Bulgarian flag which I found strange to see there. Pretty sure the description said something along the lines of “Flag of Ohrid 5th division/ battalion”.

I am having trouble uploading the photo, but it basically looks like a Bulgarian flag with some kind of crest on the top left corner and "M.O.B.N.O Gary and USA" on the top right

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Does anyone know what flag this is? I took this photo recently when I was at the Museum of Macedonian struggle in Skopje. Photos weren’t allowed so I took it quickly but I’ve also forgotten what it said in the description. I’m interested because it looks like a Bulgarian flag which I found strange to see there. Pretty sure the description said something along the lines of “Flag of Ohrid 5th division/ battalion”.

I am having trouble uploading the photo, but it basically looks like a Bulgarian flag with some kind of crest on the top left corner and "M.O.B.N.O Gary and USA" on the top right

That sounds like an MPO flag to me. Try using this site to post the picture here - https://vgy.me/

[Momce Makedonce]

That sounds like an MPO flag to me. Try using this site to post the picture here - https://vgy.me/

Thanks Liberator, this was the one.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Thanks Liberator, this was the one.

Yeah I've seen this before, believe it was commissioned by the MPO in its later years. Vic will likely know.

[Niko777]

Yeah I've seen this before, believe it was commissioned by the MPO in its later years. Vic will likely know.

I believe that flag was made long before MPO was created, by Macedonians living in Gary Indiana who volunteered to go back to Macedonia and fight under the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I believe that flag was made long before MPO was created, by Macedonians living in Gary Indiana who volunteered to go back to Macedonia and fight under the Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps.

According to wikipedia you are correct. Supposedly it is the flag of the 6th Ohrid Battalion. Weird thing is it is the only flag from the corps I've seen to actually depict a Bulgarian flag on it, most of the others seem to just have lions and declarations such as 'autonomous Macedonia' or 'freedom or death'.

[Niko777]

Maybe Vic can clarify this, but perhaps groups that received direct funding from Bulgaria were the ones that had Bulgarian symbols on their flags (for example the Ohrid cheta and Kostur cheta flags).

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Maybe Vic can clarify this, but perhaps groups that received direct funding from Bulgaria were the ones that had Bulgarian symbols on their flags (for example the Ohrid cheta and Kostur cheta flags).

If you're talking about the Ohrid flag further back in this thread, I still believe that to be a forgery as I have provided 3 other images of that flag that do not depict the Bulgarian tricolour. The Kostur flag I believe to just be a straight-up fake, it was "reprinted" by the MPO around a decade ago claiming it to be based off an original that was held by one of their elderly members; they have never provided this supposed original. Don't even get me started on how the flag bares no resemblance to the usual pattern of designs utilised by our revolutionaries.

[Niko777]

I'm talking about these. I don't think they were forgeries, if they are then they sure did a superb job.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I'm talking about these. I don't think they were forgeries, if they are then they sure did a superb job.



This one contradicts all other known representations of the Ohrid četa.

As I said previously, there is no "original" of this flag, only a "reprint" which was done in the US around a decade ago.

[Momce Makedonce]

So I recently got a request for a follow from a page on Instagram that seems to be by a Bulgarian or pro Bulgarian Macedonian, I would put my money on the former.

On the profile is pictures and video snippets that they use as evidence that Macedonia has always been Bulgarian, your usual kind of stuff.

There were pictures of supposed flags of the Kostur and Bitola chetas from around the Balkan Wars which looked like Bulgarian flags.

Are these fake or real and how can we know?

[Liberator of Makedonija]

So I recently got a request for a follow from a page on Instagram that seems to be by a Bulgarian or pro Bulgarian Macedonian, I would put my money on the former.

On the profile is pictures and video snippets that they use as evidence that Macedonia has always been Bulgarian, your usual kind of stuff.

There were pictures of supposed flags of the Kostur and Bitola chetas from around the Balkan Wars which looked like Bulgarian flags.

Are these fake or real and how can we know?

What was the page? And as for the flags, just consult this thread because it's all been covered already.

[Momce Makedonce]

What was the page? And as for the flags, just consult this thread because it's all been covered already.

It's called 'Hrabrost: Vistinskata Vistina' on Instagram. Thanks for that I'll have a look though the thread.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Supposedly, the original flag adopted by the Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation following the Solun Congress of 1896. Such information seems to have been lost to our people, it needs to be made known!

Taken from John Swire's Bulgarian Conspiracy (1939, p. 76)