The texts of the Thessaloniki brothers Cyril and Methodius, written in the new alphabet, mark the beginning of Macedonian literature since the language they were written in was the language spoken by the Macedonian Slavs of Thessaloniki. For that reason, the beginning of literary activity among the Slav peoples is closely related to the beginning of Macedonian literature.

The first generation of Macedonian writers, including Joakim Krcovski, Kiril Pejcinovic-Tetoec, and Teodosij Sinaitski, were educated on the basis of this church literature. But the second generation of Macedonian writers, including the brothers Dimitar and Constantine Miladinov, Jordan Hadzi Konstantinov-Dzinot, the brothers Constantine and Andrea Petkovic, Rajko Zinzifov, and Grigor Prlicev abandoned church literature, as did the lesser known Georgi Dinkata, Kuzman Sapkarev, Partenije Zografski, Venijamin Macukovski, Gjorgjija Pulevski, and Dimitar Makedonski. They laid the foundations of the modern Macedonian language and literature and opened themselves to the influences of world literature. Contemporary Macedonian literature can be traced back to the poems of Constantine Miladinov and the literary opus of Grigor Prlicev (the poems The Sirdar, Skenderbey, and the Autobiography). These were beginnings which could satisfy the highest criteria of literary writing.

From Macedonia Yesterday and Today by Jovan Pavlovski & Misel Pavlovski (www.mian.com.mk)

Translated by: Zaharija Pavlovska