ality , ▁North ▁Mac ed onia ) ▁in ▁the ▁Kos ovo ▁Vil ay et ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁Mih ail ov ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁Men ' s ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁Th ess al on iki ▁up ▁until ▁the ▁Second ▁B alk an ▁War ▁when ▁the ▁school ▁was ▁closed ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁Greek ▁administration , ▁he ▁later ▁continued ▁his ▁studies ▁at ▁a ▁Ser bian ▁school ▁in ▁Sk op je . ▁He ▁was ▁offered ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁by ▁the ▁Ser bian ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Education ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁degree ▁at ▁a ▁European ▁university ▁but ▁decl ined , ▁later ▁en list ing ▁in ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁army , ▁which ▁had ▁by ▁that ▁time ▁occupied ▁a ▁significant ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁After ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Mih ail ov ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Bulg aria , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Sof ia . ▁Here ▁he ▁began ▁studying ▁law ▁at ▁the ▁Sof ia ▁University , ▁at ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁contact ed ▁by ▁IM RO ▁activ ists ▁and ▁offered ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁personal ▁secretary ▁for ▁IM RO ' s ▁leader ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁Tod or ▁Aleks and rov . ▁ ▁Le ader ▁of ▁the ▁IM RO ▁On ▁ 3 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁Tod or ▁Aleks and rov ▁was ▁assass in ated ▁in ▁unclear ▁circumstances ▁and ▁IM RO ▁soon ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁Mih ail ov , ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁powerful ▁figure ▁in ▁Bulgar ian ▁politics . ▁IM RO ' s ▁leadership ▁was