History sometimes takes curious turns. While today Timcho Mutsunov insists that Bulgaria respect the Macedonian identity and language and defends Skopje's positions in relations with Sofia, archival information published in Bulgaria draws attention back to his family and to the time when his grandfather served in the Bulgarian Army during the reign of Tsar Boris III.
According to a publication on Lupa.bg from August 2025, Eftim Grigorov Mutsunov, a native of Berovo, was in military service at the headquarters of the 14th Divisional Artillery Regiment in Skopje in the period 1942-1944. The publication indicates that the information was established during a check in the Bulgarian historical archives. The information has also been republished by other media.
This is a specific episode in the family history of the current first diplomat of North Macedonia, which acquires additional interest against the backdrop of ongoing disputes between the two countries over their common past.
Two generations, two different historical realities
Eftim Mutsunov served in the Bulgarian Army at a time of dramatic changes in the Balkans. In 1941, Bulgaria joined the Tripartite Pact, and after the defeat of Yugoslavia and Greece, the Bulgarian administration took over the management of vast territories, including a large part of present-day North Macedonia.
In this context, the 14th Artillery Regiment, part of the Bulgarian military structure in the region, is stationed in Skopje. It was in his headquarters that Eftim Mutsunov served, according to published archival information.
His service continued until September 1944 - the month in which Bulgaria experienced a radical political upheaval, and the country's military and international situation changed dramatically.
For historians, such documents are important because they allow them to reconstruct the biographies of specific people who lived in an era of wars, changing borders, and opposing national causes.
What the archive shows - and what remains a question
According to the publication of Lupa.bg, Mutsunov was a private on conscript service at the regiment's headquarters until September 1944. The publication also indicates that he was admitted to service at the headquarters as a trusted person of the Bulgarian authorities.
The last detail deserves additional verification of the primary document before making categorical conclusions about his relations with the military authorities.
The very fact of service in the Bulgarian Army is historically significant, but does not automatically allow us to conclude how Mutsunov defined himself nationally, nor what his personal beliefs were. Additional biographical evidence is needed for such conclusions.
This distinction does not reduce the interest in the archival find. On the contrary — it places the family's history in the broader context of the complex human destinies in Macedonia in the 20th century.
From the army of Tsar Boris III to the diplomacy of Skopje
Today, Timcho Mucunski holds one of the most important positions in the government of North Macedonia. As Foreign Minister, he participates in negotiations and political disputes with Bulgaria, including on the topics of the Macedonian language, identity and the conditions for the country's European integration.
Thus, Mucunski's family history turns out to be connected to one of the most sensitive issues in bilateral relations: how to research and present the past without historical documents becoming a weapon of contemporary politics.
In Bulgaria, such information is often perceived as evidence of the historical ties between the population of present-day North Macedonia and the Bulgarian state. At the same time, a person's membership in the army of a particular country is not sufficient in itself to establish his national identity or that of his descendants.
That is why archival documents must be read carefully — as testimonies of specific people and events, and not as final verdicts on contemporary individuals.
The history that continues to divide Sofia and Skopje
The disputes between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have long gone beyond questions about individual historical figures. They concern the interpretation of the common past, the development of national identities, and the way in which these topics are taught and discussed publicly.
The case of Eftim Mutsunov is another reason to recall how important archives are for understanding this period. They can show where a person served, what position they held, and what historical setting they lived in. However, to understand their full biography, more documents and testimonies are needed.
The story of Timcho Mucunski's grandfather does not in itself answer all the questions about the family's past. However, it shows how close the connections are between personal destinies and the turbulent events in the Balkans — and why historical documents continue to matter in relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.