Samuil Bernštejn and the Macedonian Question: The Genesis and Development of His Scholarly Commitment

Talk by Motoki Nomachi (University of Hokkaido, Sapporo) as part of an IOS fellowship.

This presentation introduces part of my book project which examines the development of Macedonian linguistics under the difficult political circumstances of the 1930s through the 1950s. The central figure in this study is Samuil Bernštejn, one of the most influential specialists in Soviet Slavic linguistics, particularly in the field of South Slavic languages. Bernštejn has often been regarded as an early supporter of Macedonian linguistics because his article recognized Macedonian as a separate Slavic language as early as 1938. However, an analysis of little-known archival materials reveals that his position did not develop in a simple or linear manner. His scholarly views were profoundly shaped by shifting political circumstances, and he repeatedly faced serious institutional and ideological pressures. This talk traces the development of Bernštejn’s views on Macedonian and examines how his scholarly commitment evolved in response to these pressures.