Little Sofia

Bulgarian volunteers leave their native Gorno Brodi (today's Ano Vrontou), one of the villages nicknamed "Little Sofia", to join the Bulgarian Army's Macedonian-Adrianopolitan Volunteer Corps during the Balkan Wars (1912–1913)

Little Sofia (Bulgarian: Малка София, Malka Sofia or Мала София, Mala Sofia; Greek: Μικρή Σόφια, Mikri Sofia) is a designation applied to localities outside the modern borders of Bulgaria; it is used to emphasize the population's strong Bulgarian national identity. The term most often refers to villages in what are today the Republic of Macedonia (Vardar Macedonia) and Greek Macedonia (Aegean Macedonia). In the context of Macedonia, such villages often lie in otherwise Grecoman and Serboman areas.

The name Little Sofia was used pejoratively by the Grecoman and Serboman population as well as Serbia and Greece's armed propaganda and later those nations' authorities in parts of the region. For the local Bulgarian-identifying population, the name came to be a symbol of ethnic pride.

Villages nicknamed Little Sofia

• Akir, Israel (for its Jewish Bulgarian population)^[1]
• Ano Vrontou (Горно Броди, Gorno Brodi), Serres regional unit, Greece^[2]
• Dračevo (Драчево), Kisela Voda municipality, Republic of Macedonia
• Lokvica (Локвица), Makedonski Brod municipality, Republic of Macedonia
• Raotince (Раотинце), Jegunovce municipality, Republic of Macedonia
• Vasileiada (Загоричани, Zagorichani), Kastoria regional unit, Greece^[3][4][5]
• Velgošti (Велгощи, Velgoshti), Ohrid municipality, Republic of Macedonia^[6]
• Vevi (Баница, Banitsa), Florina regional unit, Greece^[7]
• Xino Nero (Екши Су, Ekshi Su), Florina regional unit, Greece^[8]
• Ydroussa (Долно Котори, Dolno Kotori), Florina regional unit, Greece^[9]

References

1. "It Belongs To US", Time Magazine, Monday, Mar. 28, 1949
2. Георги Баждаров. Горно Броди, С., 1929.
3. Report on the Macedonian Movement in Area Florina 1944. (By Capt. P. H. Evans, Force 133)
4. Благой Шклифов. „Костурският говор“. София, 1973, ср. 149-150.
5. Νικόλαος Δημ. Σιώκης, Ο Μακεδονομάχος ιατρός Ιωάννης Αργυρόπουλος (1852-1920), 209.
6. Божидар Димитров. „Десетте Лаги на Македонизмот“, 2004
7. Георги Младеновъ. Единъ гласъ от Пекингъ. Македоно-Български прегледъ „Вардаръ“., брой 3, 2005
8. Добрин Мичев. Българското национално дело в Югозападна Македония (1941 – 1944 г.)
9. Доклад на Димитриос Кабурас от февруари 1932 г. Централен партиен архив, ф.214, оп.1, а.е.573, л.116. Цитирано по: Георги Даскалов. „Българите в Егейска Македония — мит или реалност“. София, 1996, стр.197.