Risto Stefov - Articles, Translations & Collaborations

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  • Coolski
    Member
    • Sep 2008
    • 747

    Listen KO, after the Yugoslav kingdom Macedonia they changed everyone's name to -ić. After the Bulgarian Nazis occupied in WWII, they changed everyone's names from -ić to -ov/-ev. If there was a Macedonian movement to change surnames to -ski after Macedonia became a socialist republic of Yugoslavia, at least it was done with Macedonian identity in mind. Also, if it was a forced name change, then everyone from R. Macedonia would uniformly have the same name suffix system, but we don't. How is that to be explained by the heritage Nazi Bulgars and Neo-Nazi Greeks?

    To me, the difference between -ov/-ev and -ski is insignificant, because both are grammatically interchangeable. My surname is officially ends with -ovski but colloquially it's -ov or just -o or even -oj.
    Last edited by Coolski; 12-09-2012, 08:31 PM.
    - Секој чоек и нација има можност да успеат колку шо си дозволуваат. Нема изговор.
    - Every human and nation has the ability to be as great or as weak as they allow themselves to be. No excuses.

    Comment

    • lavce pelagonski
      Senior Member
      • Nov 2009
      • 1993

      In most villages they dont even use-ski, -ov, ev but eg. КлимовЦИ или МитревЦИ if the surname is Mitreski they will put the V in with the CI at the end.
      Стравот на Атина од овој Македонец одел до таму што го нарекле „Страшниот Чакаларов“ „гркоубиец“ и „крвожеден комитаџија“.

      „Ако знам дека тука тече една капка грчка крв, јас сега би ја отсекол целата рака и би ја фрлил в море.“ Васил Чакаларов

      Comment

      • Coolski
        Member
        • Sep 2008
        • 747

        yeah i forgot about that one too, and adding to the "-oj" variant it's usually preceded with a "na".. eg. "na mitrej"
        - Секој чоек и нација има можност да успеат колку шо си дозволуваат. Нема изговор.
        - Every human and nation has the ability to be as great or as weak as they allow themselves to be. No excuses.

        Comment

        • lavce pelagonski
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2009
          • 1993

          Or going even further, when referring to someone by their mothers name eg. Bale (son) na Magda (mother)
          Стравот на Атина од овој Македонец одел до таму што го нарекле „Страшниот Чакаларов“ „гркоубиец“ и „крвожеден комитаџија“.

          „Ако знам дека тука тече една капка грчка крв, јас сега би ја отсекол целата рака и би ја фрлил в море.“ Васил Чакаларов

          Comment

          • Niko777
            Senior Member
            • Oct 2010
            • 1895

            Originally posted by Coolski View Post
            yeah i forgot about that one too, and adding to the "-oj" variant it's usually preceded with a "na".. eg. "na mitrej"
            Again, I think -oj is only found in western Macedonia because in those dialects we lost the "v" in many words (ex. glaa vs glava). -oj probably means -ovi which is a plural meaning more than one, like the members of a family. Example, someone in western Macedonia would say "Pavle na Dimoj " whereas in eastern Macedonia they would say "Pavle na Dimovi".

            Comment

            • Coolski
              Member
              • Sep 2008
              • 747

              yep that'd make sense. most of my family is from bitola and lerin regions.
              - Секој чоек и нација има можност да успеат колку шо си дозволуваат. Нема изговор.
              - Every human and nation has the ability to be as great or as weak as they allow themselves to be. No excuses.

              Comment

              • momce
                Banned
                • Oct 2012
                • 426

                is the "o" Macedonian seems like a greekism still

                Comment

                • Coolski
                  Member
                  • Sep 2008
                  • 747

                  it's just a dialect thing... and it's not about the addition of the "o", it's about the removal of the "t" or "v" from "ot" or "ov/ev", and it's used in the whole dialect around Bitola not just for people's names.

                  eg. parko instead of parkot. Spomeniko instead of spomenikot.

                  I actually much prefer to speak and listen in my Maco dialect than the official literary version of Macedonian. It sounds too robotic to my ears.
                  - Секој чоек и нација има можност да успеат колку шо си дозволуваат. Нема изговор.
                  - Every human and nation has the ability to be as great or as weak as they allow themselves to be. No excuses.

                  Comment

                  • makedonche
                    Senior Member
                    • Oct 2008
                    • 3242

                    Coolski

                    I actually much prefer to speak and listen in my Maco dialect than the official literary version of Macedonian. It sounds too robotic to my ears.
                    My sentiments exactly!

                    BTW - my understanding of some of the traditional surnames are that they are a derivative from an important family member, for example:-
                    Important member = Nicholas (first name), the family subsequently chooses to be known as "Nikovci" - decendants of Nicholas- Niko for short. That is currently the case in my family and it was stressed to me that it wasn't spelt ending in "ski".
                    On Delchev's sarcophagus you can read the following inscription: "We swear the future generations to bury these sacred bones in the capital of Independent Macedonia. August 1923 Illinden"

                    Comment

                    • George S.
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2009
                      • 10116

                      On the Road of Time – Chapter 19 – Part 3



                      By Petre Nakovski

                      Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

                      [email protected]

                      December 16, 2012



                      From time to time our ship roared its siren greeting other ships passing by flying red flags with the star, hammer and sickle. We knew they were Soviet ships. Finally we arrived in Odessa where they offloaded us and loaded us onto train cars. By now we knew that we were far away from our homeland and when the train pulled out, we realized that we were going even further. The train ride was long, very long; we could not have imagined that there could be such a great wide desert with no end. But it had an end; everything has an end, but what kind of end? They offloaded us at the end of the station. The sign read ‘Tashkent’, it was written in Cyrillic letters. But where was Tashkent? Was it near to or far from our homeland?



                      We were moved into barracks just outside of Tashkent. The higher-ups were given numbers and by those numbers the barracks became known as towns. There were the first, second, tenth, twelfth and so on town. They were called towns not because they were towns but because they were camps. Yes they were camps... This is where they had held the Japanese captives who they had released earlier in the year… or maybe earlier than that. Now they put us there in their place, the fighters who had fought against Anglo-American imperialism. The fighters who had fought for freedom and democracy were now housed in the barracks where they had held Japanese prisoners. Well, that was life. You never knew when you were up and when you were down.



                      When we arrived they bathed us and gave us clean underwear on top of which we wore our old army clothes. Every day we were soldiers but we were clean and fed. We were present and accounted for every morning after which we did gymnastics and after that we were sent to the military mess hall, following the same schedule as we were used to before, along with the same commanders and political commissars. After some time they freed us from our military uniforms and allowed us to dress in civilian clothing. We felt uncomfortable and strange suddenly being dressed in civilian clothing without our military shoes, pants, shirts, hats and without orders and commanders. At the same time we were happy, very happy to be still alive... Yes...



                      What about the lice? We left most of the lice in Albania. They kept cleaning us in Bureli for an entire month until we were almost free from lice. It was not easy to get rid of all the lice so we brought some here to Tashkent. Lice with two legs and with informing and denouncing voices.



                      Did we work? Yes we did… We did all sorts of jobs that required a shovel or a pickaxe. Not that we were educated or anything, so that they could give us office work. We mostly worked in construction. We carried bricks, concrete, hardwood, iron bars, etc., all on our shoulders. From villagers to soldiers we now became a construction force. And here in Tashkent, our leaders, those from the political side, shed new slogans upon us: ‘We will defeat imperialism by building socialism!’... and that’s how they moulded our minds in the same manner as we kneaded dough... Do you know how dough is kneaded?



                      In Tashkent we built our nests, created our families and kept our language, rituals, songs and dances alive. For many, Tashkent was part of our youth which we left in the factories of distant Uzbekistan, part of our freedom. For some Tashkent was the last station in life. Many waited for their wives and children to come from other countries. The ones that waited the most were the ones who had wives and children in Yugoslavia. These people were not even allowed to correspond with their families until later in the fifties after Stalin died. When Khrushchev came into power he declared war on Stalinism. In Poland the workers caused an insurrection and a revolution was started in Hungary. And we in Tashkent rebelled against one another. Tito and Khrushchev made peace with each other and all sins were forgiven. Even after the great damage that was done to us!



                      Those responsible for the damage were identified but the only punishment they received was their expulsion from the Party... Then, in those days, being removed from the Party was a serious punishment. It meant that you were locked out of everything, you were excluded from everything and you remained alone and nothing existed for you and all around you. The responsible were named by name at the plenums and congresses and that’s when we realized and understood that we were ruined, dispersed, let down. We were a people without a crumb of a chance of repatriation. We had become a people without roots and without veins, a homeless people. The thieves had robbed us and the liars had led us astray. We had become a displaced people... And to think that in the past these very same people had thought of themselves as the brightest heads, they held that the highest wisdom lay in the deepest kindness. Not only did they not have any wisdom but they also had no kindness whatsoever. They only sowed and planted evil...



                      All those who had passed through the vice of time before and after the defeat, with my greatest desire I want to leave them with their thoughts, memories and pains that are not only part of them, but part of their life. But I just can’t free myself from the questions that constantly haunt me: ‘Who is to blame?’ For every crime there is always a perpetrator. Who is the perpetrator of this crime? Has this crime expired? Is there anyone who feels remorse? And until when will they lead our people astray, until when will they ill shape their fate and destiny? Until when will they make our people’s misfortune their fortune? And how long will they divide us?...



                      You ask me about those in the NOF leadership? They were arrested and taken away from us. Like they say, they were ‘isolated’ from us. Moscow condemned them and jailed them in the camps in Siberia. Zahariadis had taken a hand against Macedonian organizations before but this time he used the opportunity to completely crush them along with the Macedonian alphabet and the Macedonian language. He alleged that they, our language and alphabet, were Tito’s creations. He found a semi-literate person, who I believe was from Bapchor, who attempted to create a new patchwork Macedonian language of largely Bulgarian and some Russian words.



                      In the southeast of Poland, in a vacant Ukrainian village called Kroshchenko, they established a kolkhoz and called it ‘Nov Zhivot’ (New Life) and there they settled two or three thousand Macedonians and Greeks. They turned the Ukrainian Orthodox Church into a cinema and named it ‘Partizan’ which was famous not so much for showing Soviet war movies, but more for gathering all of Zahariadis’s Eastern European worshipers and forming the ‘People’s Liberation and Revolutionary Organization of the Slavo-Macedonians’ called ‘ILINDEN.’ One of the main goals of this Organization was to work against Tito and Kolishevski’s clique and against the Association of Aegean Macedonians in Skopje, which worked against Zahariadis’s clique. Now as I tell you about this, a bug buzzes near my ear:



                      What was going on in the minds of those migrants and displaced people who obviously were the same people with the same roots? (Meaning what was going on between the Macedonians from Greece living inside Yugoslavia and those living in other communist countries?)


                      On one side we had the Aegeans and on the other the Slavo-Macedonians. Were they called that because someone did not want them to be Macedonians? Then and now, after more than half a century had passed, there are still many unanswered questions.



                      Why did the Macedonian fighters not come to the rescue of the twelve NOF and AFZH leaders? Why did they not speak in their defence? Surely there were many Macedonian fighters and, in terms of strength, they had the upper hand. Why did they not oppose the charges the Greeks levelled against them? Why? Whom did they believe more, the Greeks or their own people? Why did no one stand in their defence in Bureli when Zahariadis and his cohorts pushed them onto the stage and one by one named them traitors and spies, each by name? Why not then and why not afterwards, while they were in the Siberian camps, did no one say a word in their defence and no one asked whether they were dead or alive? And why after they were released from the camps did no one ask where and how they had spent their lives?



                      Now that they had been released from prison and rehabilitated as they say, why did none of the twelve go and speak with the former fighters and the people, whom they had gathered and sent into battle, telling them that not a single Macedonian man or woman should be left out from the battle lines? Why did neither side take the initiative to air out their differences and cleanse their souls and say whatever happened, happened; let us put the past behind us? Why did the battle continue in Tashkent, Macedonians fighting against Macedonians? Did no one in Tashkent ever stop for a moment and wonder why the twelve were discharged from the Siberian prisons? And on the other hand, did none of the so-called leaders find the courage to appear before the ex-fighters, now workers in the Soviet Union Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland and say something to console them? Why did they allow Zahariadis to manipulate them all? Why did the twelve return to Skopje before everyone else did? If they were good leaders they should have returned last!



                      The twelve settled themselves in Alma Ata, capital of Kazakhstan and all the time they looked for opportunities to return to Skopje. They were the first to immigrate to Skopje where they were awarded high positions in the state. Lazo (Kolishevski) did not forget them and neither did Belgrade and they in turn did not forget Lazo or Belgrade. They were back with old friends who remembered and did not forget them. That’s exactly how it was.



                      Here in Skopje the opponents clashed again one calling the other defector and the other calling the first traitor, thus invigorating their mutual hatred. They appointed themselves defenders of the Aegeans and began pointing fingers at each other without accepting any responsibility or feeling any remorse for their involvement in what had happened to our people. Lazo personally had to keep a careful balance between the two parties making sure that their mutual dislike did not turn into a nightmare.



                      Who had created this strife and why? Both parties attracted supporters with promises of better jobs, finding an apartment faster, better choice of residence etc. Anyone refusing to join one party or the other found themselves alone on the sidelines... Neither side could find common ground to stand on at the national table until judgment day when their division became permanent. Instead of working for the good of the thousands of destitute people they both chose the path of destruction and continued to throw personal insults at each other. Each group believed that they were going ‘in the right direction’ and they constantly quarrelled without even the slightest gesture of reconciliation.


                      Until judgment day they vilified and spat at each other from the distance and never reached out and extended a hand... Their loathing for each other was deep seated and festered in their thoughts and their behaviour boiled with strife, hatred, intolerance and disunity. Each in their own way shared some truth but no one wanted to openly share the ‘entire real truth’... And now that we are on the subject of ‘Aegeans’ I don’t want to forget this. This is what they called themselves at first when they were still soft. I am thinking of those who became Yugoslavs. So that they could be distinguished from the others they decided to call themselves ‘Aegeans’, not Macedonians from that part of Macedonia, but only ‘Aegeans.’



                      Was it by their own will and conviction, or by necessity that they requested from the central and local governments to register the ‘Association of Aegeans’ and to publish the newspaper ‘Glas na Egeitsite’ (Voice of the Aegeans)? They gathered in the club for the ‘Aegeans’ and cared for the ‘Aegeans’ located in villages around Skopje, Bitola and Kumanovo, even for those located in Vojvodina. Then one day Paul, the Greek king, decided to take a train to Belgrade through Skopje. Since conditions were perfect, Paul decided to visit friendly Yugoslavia, the famous Marshal, his friend, but he wanted no part of the ‘Aegeans’, their newspaper, or their clubs and societies. He wanted them all gone.



                      So while the train rumbled from Gevgelia to Belgrade and from Belgrade back to Gevgelia the ‘Aegeans’ were put in prison, some in Idrizovo, others in Matka and yet others in Solunska Glava further away from Skopje. Those who were not imprisoned and who remained in the villages around Skopje were ordered to stay home and sit still until the train with their precious guest and friend King Paul completed his tour. Was this done because this is what King Paul wanted or were the authorities fed up with the ‘Aegeans’ and wanted to teach them a lesson? Perhaps a bit of both? What do you think?



                      And Lazo, a clever man, held the balance by flattering both sides. For him neither side was more important or less important. I believe the hardest thing for him was to watch the ‘Aegeans’ continue to divide themselves in spite of the damage they were doing to their Aegean brothers and sisters. That’s how it was. And look what happened next. Both sides quickly became ‘patrons’ to the ‘Aegeans’ who came from the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary. The day they arrived and the next day they were put in prison. They spent their time in prison instead of relaxing from their long trip. They were put in prison so that the authorities in Yugoslavia could question them and rout out the ‘spies’ and ‘agents’ among them.



                      When we were in these countries they intimidated us looking for Yugoslav spies amongst us. There they wanted to rout out Tito’s spies. Then when we arrived in Yugoslavia they put us in prison looking to rout out the Soviet spies among us. Did they find any spies? No, but they certainly found informers, many informers; a proliferation of them. There were informers in the popular democratic countries and there were informers here in the prison. When I was questioned by the investigator, I said: ‘Well, comrade, the ones who criticized and badmouthed Tito and Kolishevski the most, you welcomed with open arms and you let them in first…’ And do you know what he said to me? He said: ‘It is true that they yelled against them there but they are yelling for them here. You, on the other hand, kept quiet there and you are going to keep quiet here…, but we are questioning you anyway to uncover the agents amongst you.’



                      Some of the higher-ups amongst us were employed by UDBA (State Security Bureau), perhaps because of their experience or because of their beliefs; they thought that everyone who came to Yugoslavia was an agent. Whether they themselves believed that or they were told to believe it, I don’t know. In the prison in Idrizovo more new arrivals were telling the investigator: ‘‘Well comrade, the ones who criticized Yugoslavia and swore at Tito the most, you welcomed with open arms first…’ And he said: ‘It is true that they swore and yelled against him there but they are yelling for him here. You kept your mouth shut there so you will keep you mouth shut here…’ After hearing that again, I became a permanent mute…!



                      That’s what he said to me so I gathered that every government all the time and everywhere has its own reasons for doing what it is doing… That’s how it was… And we, crippled, some with one leg, some with one arm, many with two and three huge scars on our bodies from wounds received during the Greek Civil War, went with one side and with the other so that they would sign our statement proving that we were participants in the Second World War and in DAG and they with their signature would decide whether we got a veteran’s pension or not. That’s how it was... Am I lying? Let someone else prove that it was not like that...” concluded Lena.
                      "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                      GOTSE DELCEV

                      Comment

                      • momce
                        Banned
                        • Oct 2012
                        • 426

                        fascinating stuff largely unknown to the world outside the Macedonian community

                        Comment

                        • George S.
                          Senior Member
                          • Aug 2009
                          • 10116

                          yep it sure is.
                          "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                          GOTSE DELCEV

                          Comment

                          • momce
                            Banned
                            • Oct 2012
                            • 426

                            wild stuff all this stuff and other on Macedonian affairs should be put on archival databases for critical use

                            Comment

                            • George S.
                              Senior Member
                              • Aug 2009
                              • 10116

                              The Village P'pli

                              By Janche Andonovski

                              Translated and edited by Risto Stefov







                              Origin of name



                              It is not exactly known how the village received its name. But according to Pianka, a Polish researcher who researched the basic meanings of the word P’pli in regards to the name of the village (which we believe was done while Macedonia was still under Ottoman occupation), it was found that the village was located parallel to, or at the same level as, other lower Prespa villages and from that he deduced that the word must have meant “naval” (belly button) or naval cord. According to village lore, passed on to us orally from generation to generation, P’pli existed as a village during Tsar Samoil’s time and served as an educational institution for teaching young priests and clerics their profession. Because of that, some say the village later acquired a new name from the word “Pop” which in Macedonian means cleric, reverend, priest… So from “Pop” we have Popli and then with time the name was shortened to P’pli.



                              Administratively, during Ottoman times, P’pli belonged to the Prespa Nahia, “has na nishandzhi”, Vizier Mehmed-pasha in “Gorichka Kaza”. Ottoman records confirm that the village was called P’pli in the 16th century.



                              With the arrival of the Greeks in 1913, in that part of Macedonia, and the forced change of place names in the 1920’s, the Greek regime renamed P’pli to “Lefkon” which in Greek means “white” or “poplar” i.e. a place where poplar trees are found (P’pli, according to village accounts, was covered with large poplar trees).



                              Geography and location



                              According to village accounts, the original village P’pli, known to exist from before the 8th century AD, was located in a place called “Gramada” or “Old P’pli” in the Lake Mala Prespa vicinity. The old village was moved to its present location because of inadequate living conditions such as unavailability of water and other facilities for which residents had to travel over a kilometre to obtain. Tired of performing these difficult daily chores, one by one, families abandoned their old village and built new homes in a field near P’plenska Goritsa, where the village is located today. The place where the old village was could be identified from the visible debris, rocks and foundations which existed up until the 1930’s when they were cleared. According to village accounts, the old village was abandoned during the first half of the 19th century because of lack of clean water for domestic purposes.



                              Geographically, the present day village P'pli is located near the foot of the great mountain Mount Bela Voda which the local villagers call “Mazni Vrv” (Smooth Peak). The residential part of the village is situated in the flat part of the Prespa plain, which extends on the west side to Lake Prespa and is one of fourteen villages in Mala Prespa Region.



                              P’pli borders with the following villages; on the north with Shtrkovo, on the south with Orovnik, on the east with Rudari and Rudari Mountain and on the west with L’k and Lake Mala Prespa.



                              History



                              The following rebel leaders (voivodi) deserve special mention for the preparation of the Ilinden Uprising in Prespa Region: Slaveiko Arsov from Shtip, Nikola Kokarev from the village Tsarev Dvor, Velian Iliev from the village Smilevo, Dame Maslanovski from the village P’pli, Spiro Miovski from the village P’pli (who was also a rebel leader in the village P’pli), Angel Andreev from the village Rudari, Naum and Petre Germancheto from the village German and many others. The first company (cheta), consisting of about thirty rebel fighters, to appear in the village P’pli was that of Mitre Pandzharov Vlaot from the village Konomladi (also known as Kolomnati), which secretly visited the village for the first time in the spring of 1901.



                              The Resen Revolutionary District Headquarters first received news of the Ilinden Uprising in the locality of Voditsi in Liuboinska Mountain. The news was actually an order for a simultaneous initiation of armed actions against Ottoman authority to begin on August 2, 1903. As a result, Andreev and Kokarev began immediate preparations of an action plan which was to take effect in the evening of August 2nd. The aim of this action was to take the village P’pli and free the people not only from the garrison of about 60 soldiers who were stationed there, but also from a large number of individuals (also living there) who exploited and terrorized the neighbouring villages. The action plan was very important for Regional Headquarters in order to determine how to attack the village. The action plan called for the participation of about 200 armed insurgents to be recruited from the neighbouring villages. In order to do this, however, it was necessary to seek help from Voivoda (Rebel Leader) Kote who had an especially strong influence in Lower Prespa. Unfortunately, while negotiating the details of a cooperative preemptive attack, Kote requested that about sixty villagers from villages Besvina, Bukovic, Drenovo, L’k and Orovnik (villages located south of P’pli) not participate in this action. As a result the planned attack on August 2, 1903 did not materialize.



                              After the Ottomans left Prespa Region, villagers from P’pli and those remaining from the other villages in this region were surprised by the arrival of new oppressors. The first to arrive in P’pli during the First Balkan War was the Serbian army, which took almost all of Prespa Region on October 19 and then halted at Kalugeritsa Hill and at Preval, blocking off the entrance into Prespa over the villages Orovnik, Rudari and P’pli.



                              At this point Prespa became a battleground where opposing armies began to test their strength. Soon afterwards the Greek army made its way into the region and occupation and assimilation were not far behind. But with the start of World War I in 1914, Greece’s opportunity to realize its assimilatory plans in Prespa were cut short. New occupiers arrived. Bulgarian gendarmes, in the service of the central forces, arrived in the region and a new front was opened in Prespa. The Bulgarian army arrived in Markova Noga and took position in Goritsa tumba and in the hills above the villages German, R’bi, Medovo and P’pli where it dug trenches and made a defensive line. With the arrival of the Bulgarian army, the Greek border units retreated to Mala Prespa.



                              After Macedonia’s partition in 1913, P’pli, along with many other Macedonian villages, fell under Greek rule. From that moment on life for the people of P’pli and for the people of other villages became difficult because the Greek-Serbian-Albanian border, imposed on them, separated families and broke all family ties with relatives whose villages fell under Serbian and Albanian occupation.



                              On March 28, 1946, the Communist Party of Greece (CPG) initiated the Greek Civil War which was fought in Greece until 1949 when the Democratic Army of Greece (DAG) was forced to capitulate and disband. Many villagers from P’pli took an active part in this war. In 1946 seven fighters from P’pli left the village and took an active part in the ranks of DAG. More were recruited during the course of the war and remained active until DAG was defeated and dissolved.



                              Employment and economic development of the village



                              The people of P’pli made their living through crop production, livestock, fisheries and pechelba (migrant work). P’pli was one of the richest villages in the lower Prespa Region because its territory occupied a large area of the flat and fertile lake coastal plain. Among the crops produced were grains (wheat, rye, barley, common wetch, oats, corn etc.), grapes, vegetables (peppers, tomatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, cabbage, watermelon, potato etc.) and sometimes the villagers planted tobacco. The production of livestock included sheep, goats, oxen, buffalo, horses, pigs and other domestic animals. The people of P’pli also did some fishing in Lake Mala Prespa.



                              Agriculture



                              Agriculture was the main occupation for the people in P’pli who produced food both for humans and livestock. Due to the region’s mild and moist climate, farmers grew mostly wheat, corn and beans and in their mountain fields they grew rye and oats. In the old days the soil was cultivated with a wooden plough pulled by a pair of oxen. The plough was composed of the plough-shoe, the carrier, the handle and the iron plough. The plough was attached to the necks of the oxen through a wooden tying bar and yokes. The oxen were tied together by the tying bar and shared the burden by pulling the plough together as a pair. The harvested grain stalks were delivered to the village threshing yards where, with the help of horses and mules, the grain was separated from the stalks. The grain part of the wheat was stored in large wooden chests and the corn stalks were kept in large baskets. Corn stalks were then placed in knitted baskets and fed to the livestock.



                              Gardening



                              Prespa Region was famous for its well-developed gardens. The people of Prespa were known to be excellent gardeners and so were the people from the village P’pli. Every family in P’pli had its own garden on which it depended for its own domestic needs, producing onions, garlic, leeks, peppers, cabbage, tomatoes, beans, pumpkins and other vegetables.



                              Fruit



                              Due to its specific climatic conditions and because of its geographical location, Prespa Region was famous, not only inside Macedonia but also outside, for its production of quality fruit, especially with its Prespa apples and plums. There was one part in the village where the soil was particularly fertile and it supported a number of rich apple, pear, plum and quince orchards. Besides the planted orchards, the land also supported wild trees such as dogwood, wild pear, wild cherry, rosehip and other wild fruit bearing trees. Most of the fruit picked was bundled in straw to preserve it for use in the winter. Some of the wild fruit, like wild pears and wild apples, for example, were made into jams and other preserves for the winter.



                              Vineyards



                              Production of grapes was a minor occupation with not much of a tradition in P’pli but the village did grow a number of select varieties of grapes. Most of the grapes were grown in the hilly areas of the village. The people of P'pli grew the following types of grapes: “ralushino”, “lisichino”, “pesiachka”, “strnushina”, “d’ga m’ska” and other varieties. The grapes were gathered in the autumn into knitted bushels and were transported to the village on carts pulled by donkeys. The grapes were fermented in wooden casks and produced quality wine. The leftover sludge and skins (komini) that settle to the bottom of the cask were distilled into rakia (a homemade spirit). Most families in P’pli owned vineyards and produced wine and spirits for domestic use.



                              Fishing



                              Approximately 40% of the village’s perimeter bordered with the lake shoreline. In other words, of the 14 square kilometres that made up the entire village, five bordered with water. Fishing was another of the village’s main occupations. Fishing was done with nets and the fish were stored in reed bushels made by the residents of P’pli themselves. Among the fish caught were trout, carp, eel and more. The fish were used for domestic consumption and for sale in the villages and at the various markets in Lerin and other cities.



                              Livestock



                              Raising livestock in P’pli was a minor occupation with small quantities being raised solely for domestic purposes. Every family, without exception, raised cattle which included a pair of oxen for ploughing the fields and pulling carts and at least one cow for milk. The village also raised sheep, goats, pigs and poultry for consumption and horses, mules and donkeys for general labour.



                              Forestry



                              Half of the village’s rural area was hilly and mountainous and was covered with deciduous trees with only a small area bearing evergreen trees. Among the varieties of trees growing in P’pli were:



                              • Oak trees – The people of P’pli made use of the oak forest to produce coal, firewood and agricultural tools. The oak forests were also used for pasture for the few goats that some families owned. Oak trees were also trimmed for their leaves. Leafy branches were cut, dried and then used in the winter to feed the livestock.



                              • English Holly trees – P’pli had a number of holly trees in the surrounding hills which were used mainly for firewood and making various things for around the house.



                              • Hornbeam trees - Hornbeam trees were widespread in the surrounding village hills and were used mainly for firewood. Hornbeam twigs were also used as feed for domestic livestock in the winter.



                              • Maple trees - Maple trees were as numerous as hornbeam trees and, like the hornbeam, they too had a similar elasticity and firmness from which the villagers made tools, handles for various small tools and other items for home use. The wood of this particular tree was also used as construction material for house and barn roofs.



                              • Juniper trees – The junipers liked to grow and were more abundant high up in the foothills of Rudari Mountain. This short and stubby tree was particularly good for gardening stakes, which the villagers used to prop up tomato, bean and other plants. It was also used as firewood for daily domestic needs.



                              • Ash trees – Only a small number of ash trees grew in P’pli and they were exclusively used for extracting dye. Dye was extracted by stripping bark from the ash tree and boiling it in a cauldron of water. When the bark was boiled it released a black dye which the village women then used to dye clothing. The dye was permanent and did not fade. The wood from the ash tree was very hard and was used for making wooden distaff handles, wooden rolling pins, wooden clogs and more.



                              • Hazel trees – The hazel tree was plentiful in P’pli. The hazel nuts it produced were very tasty and were collected for consumption. Its tender branches and leaves were often harvested and used as cattle feed. Tender green hazel twigs were cut and used for weaving baskets, bushels and cages.



                              • Dogwood – Dogwood was not plentiful in P’pli. Its fruit was gathered for consumption and for making rakia (a homemade alcoholic spirit). Dogwood, because of its hardness and strength, was used for making a variety of domestic and agricultural tools including shepherd’s staffs, distaff handles, spindles and other miscellaneous items for personal use.



                              • Poplar trees –Poplars grew in abundance inside and outside the village. They were especially abundant around fountains, brooks, streams and the river. They also grew in wet fields where the soil was humid. Poplars were harvested and made into beams, boards and other house and barn construction material.



                              • Willow trees – Willows were not plentiful in P’pli and only grew around the banks of the river. Willow trees were good for their flexible twigs used to knit baskets, bushels, hand baskets and other materials for domestic needs.



                              In addition to the above mentioned deciduous and coniferous trees, there were other trees that grow in the hills and mountains of P’pli among which were the “egrebi”, linden, beech and many others in minute numbers.



                              Demographics



                              The national composition of the village P’pli, since Ottoman times, was as follows: In the year 1900 there were 180 Macedonian and 210 Muslim residents living in P’pli. In 1913 there were a total of 490 inhabitants. In 1924, after a population exchange agreement between Greece and Turkey, as a result of the Greek disaster in the Greek-Turkish war of 1921, the Muslim families left the village and went to Turkey and in their place 35 Greek (Christian Turkish) families, consisting of 130 Asia Minor Pontian settlers, came and took their place. In 1940 there were 281 Macedonians and 161 Greeks (Christian Turks) living in P’pli. After DAG’s defeat in 1949 the numbers decreased to 21 Macedonians and 32 Greeks. After the Macedonian families left P’pli in 1949 the village’s population structure completely changed so that currently there are 173 Greeks (or "Prosfigi", as the Macedonians call them) and 2 ethnic Macedonians.



                              The sharp decline in the village’s Macedonian population is attributed to the unprecedented 1944 Greek terror attacks unleashed on the Macedonian population. The decline began with 10 Macedonian families leaving the village in 1944 and fleeing to Yugoslavia (today’s Republic of Macedonia). Then, after DAG’s defeat, the village was emptied of its Macedonian population when Macedonian families left P’pli in droves to save themselves from Greek government retaliation. Now there is only one Macedonian family living in P’pli.



                              Residents of P’pli



                              Besides the Greek families that were brought to P’pli from Asia Minor, there were an additional 29 Macedonian families re-settled there from various other parts of Greek occupied Macedonia during different time periods.



                              The following families lived in P’pli in years leading up to 1949:



                              • Macedonian families – Arnautov, Begov, Damov, Kochov, Markov, Miov, Naumov, Petre Baliuko, Steriov, Stefov, Tanas Sheno, Trpchev, Tutunov, (moved from the village Nivitsi), Bozhanov, Gelev, (moved from the village of Rudari), Gake, Dimanov, Dimov, Dupenov, (moved from the village Dupeni), Drbitski or Mangaloi (arrived from the village Drobitishta), Traikov and Dzhuklev.



                              • Greek families - Apraxia, Anika, Antimidi (Shajtano), Andali, Bibitsos, Grigoriadis (Iuruko), Iatrakata, Kazdila, Katsonidi (Damian), Karavasili, Muratina, Mangata, Mial Vlaot, Manukina, Nalpantidi (Ianika), Papadopoulos, Panduko, Dimitropulos (Ristanoi), Stefanbei, Sideropulu, Tashko Vlaot (came to the village from Psoderi), Tortopidi, Haritola (Bolguro).



                              Distinctive P’pli names



                              The following characteristically Macedonian names existed in P’pli:



                              • Male names: Petre, Traiko, Done, Fote, Mitre, Nune, Sotir, Tome, Stoian, Alekso, Vasil, Metodi, Stoio, Lambro, Filip, Nikola, Goche, Iane, Vangel, Tsvetko, Iliia, Iankula, Giorgi, Spiro, Krstin, Simo, Tanas, Stavre, Todor, Dimo, Dimitar, Pando, Kosta, Bozhin, Mihail, Lazo, Eftim, Kicho, Stefo, Trpe, Trifun, Ioshe, Doichin, Dine, Gligur, Marko, Leko and Krste.



                              • Female names: Vasilka, Stoia, Olga, Stoianka, Fania, Germania, Velika, Dosta, Elena, Mara, Bosilka, Ristana, Petra, Tsveta, Stefana, Sevda, Iordana, Kata, Vangelia, Fotia, Nada, Flora, Ristosia, Traianka, Ilinka, Sofia, Aleksandra, Sotirka, Nuna, Donka, Iana, Sarakina, T’rnda, Temiana, Tsena, Mitra and Kita.



                              After the Greeks arrived in Macedonia in 1913 they forced a mandatory re-christening of all the Macedonian children so that they could acquire Greek names such as: Anthula, Dimitrios, Stavros, Hristos and the like.



                              Climatic conditions in P’pli



                              About one half of the village’s terrain is mountainous. The village itself is located at the lowest elevation of its territory, in front of a slight decline that leads to Prespa field and Prespa Lake. The highest elevation is 930 metres above sea level. In contrast to the neighbouring mountain peaks like Mount Gramada, with an altitude of 1576 meters, the mountains in P’pli were mild in comparison with gentle slopes and flat fertile valleys in between, supporting many fields.



                              Given the village’s altitude, winters in P’pli were cold with heavy snowfall. Summers were mild and warm with a few short but strong rain showers accompanied by loud thunder.



                              Most of the village’s territory consists of flat fluvial, glacial and alluvial deposits of fertile, easy to cultivate soil. Erosion of the land has uncovered rare oak trees, beech trees, juniper trees and other deciduous forest trees which, according to village lore, were burned down in a forest fire during World War I.



                              Social institutions



                              Education



                              After a long interruption, due to frequent wars and rebellions, the people of P’pli did not rebuild their educational institutions until years after the Ilinden Uprising. Even so, the education offered was in strange languages (Greek and Bulgarian) unknown to the people of P’pli. The first time, after the Ilinden Uprising, that education was held in the Macedonian language in P’pli was in 1947. It is interesting to mention at this point the various teachers who taught in P’pli during this period. In 1936 Hristo Papatrendafilu from the village Lagen, Lerin Region, taught there. In 1938 it was Sideras Thanassis from the village Zhelevo who later married the teacher Persefoni.



                              To strengthen the Greek regime’s hold on the people in 1939, two new teachers were brought to the village. One named Kostas Malukos was brought from Lamia, old Greece, and the other named Avgula came from the village Ekshisu. They got married soon after their arrival. Avgula remained in the village until 1946 when the Greek Civil War started.



                              P’pli had two buildings used as schools. The older building was built in 1926 and accommodated the children until a new school was built for them later. The old school was destroyed down to its foundation by a bomb in 1946 at the beginning of the Greek Civil War.



                              In May 1947 Prespa was declared “free territory” by the Communist Party of Greece (CPG) Interim Government and by DAG. In early June, 1947 a school was opened in the village German and began to teach Macedonian children and adults courses in the Macedonian language. The Macedonian schools and teachers were organized and provided by the provisional democratic government and by the National Liberation Movement (NOF). One hundred and eighty Macedonian children from Lerin, Kostur and Voden Regions participated in the Macedonian language courses. Among the teachers who taught these courses were Lazo Angelovski, Pavle Rakovski, Foti Ilikovski and Paskal Paskalevski. Courses were taught in Macedonian only. Towards the middle of 1948 more educational courses in the Macedonian language were provided in the village Zhelevo. These were designed to educate future teachers of the Macedonian language schools. More than 250 activists attended these courses and were given the task of teaching Macedonian children in the Lerin, Kostur, Voden, Seres and other regions in Greek occupied Macedonia. The first Macedonian teacher to graduate from the Macedonian language teacher’s school was Fotia Stefovska from the village P’pli, who successfully completed the course in the village German.



                              Cultural and natural monuments



                              Toponyms of P’pli



                              Compared to other villages, P’pli had a large territory with many place names. It was typical of Macedonians, and the people of P’pli were no exception, to name even the smallest place in their village, which, for centuries amounted to many names; descriptive names that, in one or two words, define the terrain’s configuration, historical events and even famous or unusual local people. All of these names were uniquely Macedonian.



                              Here is a list of the P’pli toponyms:



                              • SLAKOT – A hill a hundred metres away from the village.

                              • MECHOETS – A mountain stream that empties into the village river.

                              • STUDEN KLADENETS – A mountain stream coming from Mazev Vrv.

                              • VODENITSITE - The place takes its name from the mills and from a Turk named Rustem and from Stojan Dimanovski and Gligur Karanfilovski’s mills.

                              • DRENIK – The flat area overgrown with bush near the village P’pli and Rudari.

                              • PECHELKOITSA – A place in the village in the direction of Goritsa.

                              • ORMAN - A place towards the lake in P’pli plain.

                              • MALA LIVADA - A place with many meadows used for harvesting dried grass.

                              • GOLEMA GORITSA – A flat place up the hill not far from the village near Lake Mala Prespa.

                              • VRBITSA – A place towards the lake, overgrown with willows.

                              • GRAISHTE – A place which, according to village lore, was a fortress.

                              • SVETI TANAS – A small church at the foot of the “slakot”.

                              • GOIDARNIK - A place near the village cemetery where people gathered the cattle.

                              • SVETI IANA – A small church located in “Goritsa”.

                              • TSRNITSITE – A place named after the mulberry trees near “Goritsa” Hill.

                              • SLATINA – (SALT GROUND) A place where the villagers had “litsadi”.

                              • GRADINETE – A borrowed name from the village gardens.

                              • GRLO – An exceptionally hilly narrow place.

                              • GUMNATA – Village threshing yards.

                              • ENDEKOT – A naturally eroded ditch in the rural fields through which the village river flows.

                              • KLENTSITE – A place overgrown with maple trees.

                              • KRIVIOT PAT – A road with many curves.

                              • KRUSHA – A place where pears grow in abundance.

                              • LESKITE - A place rich with hazel trees.

                              • POPOI NIVIE - This place was named after the fields belonging to a priest.

                              • RIDO – A place on top of “Slakot”.

                              • TSRVENA ZEMIA – A name referring to the red colour of the soil.

                              • SHIROKA PADINA – A wide slope accordingly named.

                              • PLOCHITE – Named after the stone slabs between “Studen Kladenets” and Rudary Mountain.

                              • ZANOGA – A place before “Graishte”.

                              • IAROITSA – A place on the outskirts of P’pli towards the village cemetery.

                              • OREITE - Named after the walnut trees in “Dupenska Mala” before the small wooden bridge.

                              • KALETO – A place before the entrance to the village.

                              • KOCHII NIVIE - The place was named after its owner.

                              • DULOTO POD GORICA – A natural channel running under “Goritsa” Hill towards the lake.

                              • TURSKI GROBISHTA – A former Turkish cemetery.

                              • EVREISKI GROBISHTA – A former Jewish cemetery.

                              • OVOSHTARNIK – An orchard and the nursery under the village cemetery as well as Filip’s factory.

                              • OPAA- A place near “Goritsa”.

                              • NAD SELO - A place from where the entire village could be seen.

                              • GIUPSKA NIVA - Abandoned fields.

                              • ZADLOZIA – A place above the village vineyards.

                              • ULITSATA – A fallow place between the vineyards which the villagers used as a resting place.

                              • CHEZME BUSHKANI – A place in the fortress.

                              • KURBULINA – A very wet and unsteady place in P’pli Plain.

                              • SADEI – The place where the Angelov family had its vineyards.

                              • MALA GORITSA – The “polamo” slope which merges with “Golema Goritsa” which now no longer exists.

                              • STARA CHESHMA – A fountain in the hills, between the village P’pli and Rudari.

                              • DRENKITE - A place when an abundance of Dogwood trees grow.

                              • G'RMADI – A place in front of “Opaa”.

                              • SLOGOITE – A place near “Goritsa”.

                              • IZVOZ – A place in the “Vrbitsa” locality.

                              • KOROI – On the left side of “Goritsa” towards Ail (Achilles) Island inside the lake where a lot of fishing is done. The place where Done Donevski (Dupenski) and Kole Gelev fished.

                              • KARSHI G’Z – On opposite side of…

                              • TSRVENITE IZVORI VODA – A place towards the village Orovnik and the village fortress.



                              Archaeological sites in the village



                              There were a couple of places that had special significance as archaeological sites in the territory of P’pli. One was the Salatasha locality located about 2 km west of the village where the Turkish cemetery used to be and the other was in Gramada locality where the Jewish cemetery used to be. There were also bunkers from World War II located in Goritsa and Drenik and trenches from the First World War located in the Slako locality. In Bushkani locality (under Graishta) as well as in Gramada locality, valuable “pitosi” of different sizes as well as fragments of ceramic and metal objects have been found on several occasions.



                              Centuries-old temples



                              There were three churches and a small holy place in P’pli. Sveti Dimitria Church was located in the western part of the village. It was built around the year 1700 and was later destroyed and restored again in the year 1810. Icons and other items in the interior of the church were inscribed with Cyrillic letters and Macedonian words. According to village lore the village church was much older. It was presumed to have been built as early as 1390. This church had an iconostasis and a bell tower. In its well-enclosed yard it had a graveyard holding the graves of the people from P’pli who passed on over the years, as well as several graves of French soldiers from the First World War. This was the most utilized of all the churches for village festivities.



                              Sveti Mihail Archangel church was built in 1936 with money sent from the many migrant workers who left the village and went to work in America (USA and Canada). It was built on the foundation of a former small mosque that existed in the village during Ottoman times.



                              Sveti Ilia Church was located in the eastern part of the village near the Zhilovska neighborhood. Sveti Ilia was a small church and was destroyed several times during the two World Wars but was rebuilt by Damian Katsanidis, a local resident. There was a grave inside this small church which the older people of P’pli called “Tekie” (Muslim mausoleum). This leads to the assumption that during Ottoman rule the church was a dervish sanctuary.



                              Sveti Atanas Church was located approximately half a kilometre west of the village. According to village lore there was a noticeably large oak tree near this church which was cut by the French army during the First World War.



                              Households



                              Depending on its size and the number of family members, each household owned and utilized the following items:



                              • Noshvi – For storing food.

                              • Kamara, mazgalki or sirnik – For storing bread and other dried foods.

                              • Stomna, stomninia, bukle, kanata and karta – For storing water and other drinking fluids.

                              • Sofa, masa, stolchinia, drveni lazhitsi, misuri, plavi and tavi – For dining.

                              • Kotle, grne, tserepina, kach, tepsia, gium, tigan and sukalo – For food preparation.

                              • Matka, churilo, kobet, tsedilo, katsi, kazan – For preparation of dairy products such as fat, cheese, sour milk, curds, milk, yogurt etc.

                              • Katsi, tenekinia – For storing cheese for the winter.

                              • Sepetki, koshnitsi, torbi, burgiti, koblitsi and tepsii – For carrying the food.

                              • Rogozni, krevinia, velentsa, lozhnitsi and pernitsi – For sleeping.

                              • Sapun, legen for water, cheshle, krpi for drying, korito, kotel and a gium for water – For personal hygiene.

                              • Sapun, kotel, gium for hot water, korito for washing, kopan for beating the bedcovers and other heavy bedcovers and clothing – For washing clothing.

                              • Drva for heating.

                              • Gazeni lambi, kandila and borina – For light.



                              Tools used for cutting, trimming, sawing, digging, drilling and the like were: Sekira, skepar, prion, lopata, svrde, motika, kama, kazma, dikel, chekan, rende, skeparche etc.



                              Tools used for making clothes and blankets were: razboi, grebeni, furka, prshlinia za predenie etc.



                              Folk Costumes



                              The folk costume of the village P’pli, worn by many residents, did not differ from the traditional costumes of other Prespa villages. Most people, up until the First World War, wore wool or tweed homemade clothing. But after men began to migrate to Europe and America in search of work, the male villagers of P’pli slowly began to give up their peasant dress while women continued to wear them and accepted the new fashions much later.



                              After the end of the Balkan Wars and in the beginning of World War I generally, old men wore cloth shirts but their pants, hats, jackets and socks were made of wool and leather. Women and girls wore long white cloth shirts and scarves but their aprons and socks were made of wool.



                              Bedcovers and pillows were made of wool and leather. The wool was cleaned, washed, pulled and processed with homemade implements and turned into string for use in a loom. Wooden looms were used to make the material from which all sorts of clothing and bedding was made. Housewives were skilled at cutting the material and making clothing for the entire family. The women’s dress was richly decorated with red lace, embroidery, fringed material with many diverse jewels and wrought precious metals. The men’s dress was simpler with fewer decorations, usually black or brown lace.



                              Elements of the woman’s dress



                              The main elements of the Prespa female folk costume consisted of resachka, shegun kusache, coshula, naglavok, Faneli, poias, remen, futa, mesal, gubeshgushniche, naruchinia, kocleshamia, chorapi, opintsi and nakit.



                              Women’s jewelry was mostly made of colourful beads, metal and silver while wealthier women also wore gold money. The jewelry worn consisted mostly of bracelets, earrings, rings, decorative sequins, buttons and clusters of beads.



                              Elements of the man’s costume



                              The decor of the male folk costume was simple and consisted of the following items: bekivi, shurdia, habadan, klachni, koshula, Faneli, poias, remen, chorapi, kapa, opintsi, guna (gunia) and palto.



                              Personalities



                              People from P’pli dealing with literary works



                              • Jance Andonovski

                              • Risto Popovski

                              • Vangel Dimanovski



                              Others from Ppli



                              • Vangel Arnaudovski (social and political worker)

                              • Sotir Miovski (doctor)

                              • Stavre Kicho Miovski (university professor)

                              • Riste Dimanovski (historian)

                              • Eftim Tutunovski (businessman)

                              • Stoian Dimanovski (killed in 1947) – Macedonian patriot

                              • Risto Miovski (killed in 1947) - Macedonian patriot



                              Emigration



                              Departure of children from P’pli



                              Please read the article: “Zaminuvanie na detsata od seloto P’pli”.



                              Evacuation of the P’pli refugee children from the Greek Civil War officially began on March 15, 1948 along with the evacuation of other children from the surrounding villages. The division of children into groups had been decided back in the village. One person from the same community was responsible for each group. The children from P’pli, numbering 91, were divided into 4 groups. The people responsible for these groups were:



                              1. Fania Donevska – Dupenska

                              2. Fotia Stefovska

                              3. Stefana Dimanovska

                              4. Iana Sekulovksa



                              Emigration from P’pli from 1941 to after DAG’s defeat (1949)



                              In the period from 1941 to 1949 after DAG’s defeat, people left the village and found refuge in Eastern European States. The following people left:



                              • Krstin Markovski left the village in 1945 and ended up in the USSR where he remained until he died. He left behind a family of 8 people, 6 of whom later moved to Yugoslavia and the other 2 moved to Romania.



                              • Stavre Trpchevski left the village in 1945 with 5 family members and ended up in Yugoslavia. The rest of the family ended up in Poland.



                              • Petre Donevski Dupenski left the village in 1945 with 7 family members and ended up in Yugoslavia. One family member fled and ended up in Romania.



                              • Vasil Arnautovski left the village in 1945 and ended up in Yugoslavia. In 1955 he moved to the USSR where he joined his family. Some time later he again returned to Yugoslavia. One family member died in the USSR.



                              • Traiko Miovski left P’pli in 1950 and ended up in Romania. His family, which had earlier fled and ended up in Poland, later joined him in Romania.



                              • Filip Angelovski left the village in 1945 with two family members and ended up in Yugoslavia. Four other family members also fled and ended up in Romania.



                              • Vasil Angelovski left the village in 1945 with six family members and ended up in Yugoslavia. Another family member who also fled ended up in Romania.



                              • Fania Ilovska (Miovska) left the village after being discharged from the Greek prisons and fled to the People’s Republic of Macedonia.



                              • Alekso Petrovski - Drobitski left the village in 1945 with 6 family members and ended up in Yugoslavia. Four other members of his family ended up in Romania.



                              • Krstin Steriovski left the village in 1945 and ended up in Yugoslavia. Other family members that fled ended up in Romania.



                              After DAG’s defeat, a massive evacuation order was executed to save the innocent civilian population from the unprecedented terror and torture campaign initiated by the Monarcho-Fascist Greek forces which invaded the Prespa region. After DAG’s defeat in 1949 the following villagers and their families fled P’pli to save themselves:



                              • Stefana Filipova fled with her family and ended up in Romania. A little later she moved to Poland.



                              • Traiko Dzhuklevski fled the village with 6 family members and ended up in Poland.



                              • Stefana Markovska fled the village and ended up in Poland. Two of her family members later moved to Yugoslavia and one member moved to Romania.



                              • Sotir Markovski fled the village and ended up in Poland. He later gathered his entire family and moved to Romania.



                              • Gligur Trpchevski fled the village and ended up in Poland where he gathered the rest of his 8 member family.



                              • Sevda Petrovska fled the village with her family and ended up in Poland.



                              • Mitre Donevski Dupenski fled the village and ended up in Yugoslavia where he was joined by the rest of his 9 member family.



                              • Fote Donevski - Dupenski fled the village and ended up in Romania. He later moved to the USSR where his family had ended up earlier.



                              • Done Donevski - Dupenski fled the village with his eldest daughter and ended up in Yugoslavia. He tried to re-unite his family but failed. Four of his children ended up in Romania while his wife found herself in Poland. He later died in Resen, Republic of Macedonia.



                              • Dimitar Bozhanovski fled the village and ended up in Romania. He later moved to the USSR where he gathered other members of his family. His daughter remained in Poland.



                              • Bozin Begutomu fled the village and ended up in Poland where he gathered his family. He then moved to the USSR and later to Australia.



                              • Sloboda Kochona fled the village with her family and ended up in Poland. Her husband died in Poland and she and her family moved to Romania.



                              • Dimitar Petrovski fled the village with his family and ended up in Poland. He later died in Poland.



                              • Eftimitsa Kochovska fled the village and ended up in Poland. She later moved to Romania where she collected 6 members of her family.



                              • Dosta Angelova fled the village and ended up in Romania, where she gathered 4 of her family members.



                              • Stefana Angelova fled the village and ended up in Romania. There she was joined by 2 members of her family. She then moved to Poland. Three members of her family, who found themselves in the USSR, remained in the USSR.



                              • Stefana Gerova fled the village and ended up in Poland. She later moved to Yugoslavia with 5 members of the family.



                              • Mitra Filipova fled the village and ended up in Poland where she gathered 4 of her family members. A little later she moved to Australia.



                              • Krstin Filipovski fled the village and ended up in Yugoslavia. His family ended up in Poland.



                              • Kolevitsa Filipova fled the village and ended up in Poland where she gathered 7 of her family members.



                              • Dimitar Sterjovski fled the village and ended up in Poland. He later moved to the USSR where he gathered 5 family members.



                              • Vangel Miovski fled the village with DAG and ended up in Tashkent, USSR. He was later joined by his family which had fled to the People’s Republic of Macedonia. His daughter later returned to her native Macedonia.



                              • Kata Kochova fled the village and ended up in Romania where she remained.



                              • Tanas Sekulovski fled the village and ended up in Yugoslavia where he was joined by 3 family members. One family member remained in Romania.



                              • Dosta Drobitska fled the village and ended up in Poland. She later moved to Romania to gather 4 members of her family. Dosta’s husband and one of her daughters remained in Yugoslavia.



                              • Stoia Drobitska fled the village and ended up in Poland. She later moved to Romania to gather 4 members of her family.



                              • Petre Popovski fled the village and ended up in Poland where he was joined by 5 family members.



                              • Mihail Tutunovski fled the village and ended up in Poland. He later moved to the USSR to gather 6 of his family members. One family member remained in Romania.



                              • Bozhinitsa Stergiovska fled the village and ended up in Poland. She later moved to Romania where she was joined by 4 of her family members.



                              • Lambro Ilovski (Miovski) left the village in 1952 after being discharged from the Greek prisons and went to Yugoslavia where he gathered six of his family members. One family member remained in Romania.



                              References



                              Literature



                              • „Atlas na naselenite mesta vo Egejska Makedonija“ Todor Hristov Simovski

                              • „Naselenite mesta vo Egejska Makedonija“ Todor Hristov Simovski

                              • „Naselbite vo Prespa“ Vlado Jovanovski

                              • „Monografija za selo German“ Prespansko

                              • „Neuništlivi koreni“ Mitre Kajčevski –Mičo

                              • „ Orovo i Orovčani“ Monografija Tome miovski

                              • „Do pekolot i nazad“ Evdokija Foteva – Vera

                              • „I nie sme deca na majkata zemja“ D-r Fana Martinova Buckova

                              • „Makedonskata kultura i prosveta vo E. Makedonija i vo Istočnoevropskite zemji (1940-1968)“ D-r Fana Martinova Buckova

                              • „Pette sudbonosni godini vo E. Makedonija“ D-r Risto Kirjazovski

                              • „Ilindenskoto Vostanie vo Egejska Makedonija“ podgotveno od Mišo Kitanoski i Giorgi Donevski

                              • „Etničkite promeni vo Egejska Makedonija vo XX vek“ izdanie na Združenieto na decata begalci od Egejskiot del na Makedonija

                              • „Hronika za seloto Ppli“ Državen arhiv na Republika Makedonija

                              • „Edicii za Egejska Makedonija“ Institut za nacionalna istorija na RM.

                              • „Progonstvo što trae“ Sokrat Panovski i Ilija Lafazanovski

                              • Memoari na Georgios Kikicas, Atina, glava XV/1

                              • „Prespa vo plamen“ Kosta Mandušev

                              • „Grčkata kolonizacija vo Egejska Makedonija -1913-1944„ Stojan Kiselinovski

                              • Grčka carska naredba od 19.12.1918 god. v/k,br.259/21.12 Atina

                              • Od spomenite na Luka Gerov, Giorgi Pop Hristov, Angel Andreev,Giorgi Popančev i Lazar Dimitrov, za borbite vo Jugozapadna Makedonija, Kičevskiot, Bitolskiot, Lerinskiot,Prespanskiot i Debarskiot okrug. Sofija, pečatnica P.Gluškov 1926.

                              • „Ilindensko vostanie“ – Dimo K’nev, Sofija 1953 godina

                              • „Toponimistika na Ohridsko - prespanskiot basen“ Vlagimjerž Pjanka, Institut za makedonski jazik „Krste Misirkov“ Skopje, Posebno izdanie, kniga 7, Skopje 1970 godina

                              • „Topografsko –etnografski presek na Makedonija“, S .Petersburg, Voena topografija, vo Glavniot Štab, 1889 godina

                              • „Svetli likovi od Egejska Makedonija (1945-1949)“ Taško Mamurovski







                              П’пли

                              Јанче Андоновски



                              Потекло на името



                              Како селото го има добиено името не е точно познато. Според полскиот истражувач Пјанка кој со неговото истражување доаѓа до основни значења на зборот за името на селото (се мисли за времето на османлиското владеење), односно тој дознава дека селото се издигнувалo паралелно со другите долнопреспански села и зборот значел „папок“ или, пак, папочно врзани за споменатото село. Од постарите жители се говори дека во времето на Цар Самуил во селото П’пли постоел образовен институт во кој се вршело подготовки за свештени лица, односно попови, и од зборот „поп“ се добило името „Попли“ (П’пли) кое самите селани подоцна го преименувале во П’пли.



                              Селото П’пли од страна на турските власти припаѓало на нахијата Преспа, „хас на нишанџи“, везир Мехмед-паша во "Горичката Каза", кое уште од 16-от век било запишано како П’пли.



                              Со доаѓањето на Грците во тој дел на Македонија и со присилната промена на топонимите и имињата на селата и градовите, селото П’пли од тогашниот грчки режим било преименувано во „Lefkon“, што по нивниот јазик значи „Тополчани“ или „Белчиште“, односно место на кое има голем број на тополи (според сеќавањето на старите П’плени, ова село во минатото било обраснато со големи тополи).



                              Географијa и местоположба



                              Во непосредна близина на Малото Преспанско езеро, околу 8 век во новата ера, во месноста која се вика „Грамада“, односно „старо П’пли“ било сместено село П’пли кое поради неадекватната местоположба и немањето услови за нормално живеење, како на пример достапноста до водата, на 1 километар од денешното село (во полето) во близина на П’пленска Горица, тогашните жители самоволно го напуштиле местото и формирале нова населба каде и ден денес се наоѓа новото село. На старото место, се до 1930 година постоеле видливи урнатини (грамади) кои подоцна биле расчистени. Се смета дека дислокацијата на селото настанала во првата половина на 19 век, а како причина се наведува немањето на чиста вода за домашни потреби.



                              Селото П’пли денес е сместено во близина на подножјето од огранките на големата планина Бела Вода која тамошните селани ја нарекуваат „Мазни Врв“, а куќите во селото се сместени во рамницата на Преспанското поле кое се протега на неговата западна страна се до Малото Преспанско езеро и тоа е едно од четиринаесетте села во Мала Преспа.



                              Селото П’пли граничи со следниве села, односно на север со Штрково, на југ со селото Оровник, на исток со селото Рудари и Рударската Планина и на запад со Малото Преспанско езеро и селото Л’к.



                              Историја



                              За подготовките на Илинденското востание во Преспа, посебна заслуга имале познатите војводи Славејко Арсов од Штип, Никола Кокарев од селото Царев Двор, Велјан Илиев од селото Смилево, Даме Маслановски од селото П’пли, Спиро Миовски од селото П’пли (кој воедно бил и селски војвода), Ангел Андреев од селото Рудари, Наум и Петре Германчето од селото Герман и многу други востанички раководители и селски војводи. Првата чета на триесетина комити што се појавила во селото П’пли била четата на Митре Панџаров-Влаот од селото Кономлади која во пролетта, 1901 година, тајно, за прв пат, го посетила селото.



                              Штабот на ресенскиот револуционерен реон, веста за востанието ја примил во месноста Водици на Љубојнската планина. Таа всушност била наредба за едновремено започнување на вооружените акции на 2 август. Поради тоа, Андреев и Кокарев се зафатиле со итно изработување на планот за нејзиното спроведување. Според планот акцијата требало да се изврши на 2 август вечерта. Целта на акцијата била завземање на преспанското село П’пли. Во селото П’пли, покрај стационираниот гарнизон со околу 60 војници, живееле и голем број експлоататори чиј терор го чувствувало населението од сите соседни села. Овие сознанија биле пресудни за да реонскиот штаб се определи за напад на селото П’пли. Во акцијата требало да учествуваат околу 200 востаници и вооружени луѓе од сите соседни села. Од тие причини било неопходно да се побара помош од војводата Коте чие влијание во Долна Преспа било особено силно. Преговорите за соработка започнале, но Коте наговорил околу шеесетмина селани од селата Бесвина, Буковик, Дреново, Л’к и Оровник (што се наоѓаат јужно од селото П’пли) да не учествуваат во акцијата. На тој начин планираниот напад на 2 август, 1903, не се реализирал.



                              По заминувањето на Турците од овие простор, селаните од селото П’пли, како и останатите селани од другите села од овој регион, биле изненадени од доаѓањето на новите поробувачи. Во првата балканска војна, во селото П’пли, прва стапнала српската војска која веќе на 19 октомври ја имало заземено речиси цела Преспа и запрела на ридовите Калуѓерица и на Превал, односно на самиот влез во Преспа - над селата Оровник, Рудари и селото П’пли.



                              Преспа станала боиште каде што противничките војски си ги одмерувале своите сили. Времето на Грчката окупација било кусо и не им дало можност да ги реализираат своите асимилаторски планови затоа што во 1914 година избила првата свецка војна. Пристигнале нови окупатори, Бугарските жандарми во служба на централните сили. Во Преспа се отворил нов фронт. Бугарската војска пристигнала кај месноста Маркова Нога и заземала положај на тумбата Горица и ридовите над селата Герман, Р’би, Медово и селото П’пли. Тие тука ископале ровови и направиле одбранбена линија. Со доаѓањето на бугарската војска, грчките погранични единици се повлекле во Мала Преспа.



                              По извршената поделба на Македонија, селото П’пли, заедно со останатие македонски села, потпаднале под Грчка власт. Од тој момент за П’плени, како и за останатите селани од другите села, се создале тешки услови за живот бидејќи се прекинале сите семејни врски со роднините чии села потпаднале под српска и албанска окупација.



                              На 28 март, 1946, на повик од КПГ започнала граѓанската војна во Грција која се водела се до 1949 година кога ДАГ била принудена да капитулира и да се расформира. Во оваа војна активно учество земаат и жителите од селото П’пли. Во 1946 година од селото П’пли заминуваат 7 борци кои земаат активно учество во редовите на ДАГ. Со текот на војната се повеќе и повеќе П’плени се регрутирани во редовите на ДАГ. Овие селани остануваат во составот на армијата се до поразот и нејзиното расформирање.



                              Занимања и економски развој на селото



                              П’плени својата егзистенција ја обезбедувале преку поледелството, сточарството, риболовот и печелбарството. Селото П’пли важело за едно од побогатите села во долнопреспанскиот крај бидејќи неговиот атар зафаќал поголема површина од крајезерската рамница. Во рамки на поледелството се произведувало жито (пченица, ’рж, јачмен, уров, овес, пченка и друго), се одгледувале лозја, градинарски култури (пиперки, домати, праз, кромид, лук, зелка, бостан, компир и друго) а во некои периоди се садело и тутун. Во рамки на сточарството најмногу се одгледувале овци, кози, волови, биволи, коњи, свињи и друго. Рибата П’плени ја ловеле во Малото Преспанско Езеро.



                              Земјоделство



                              Земјоделието кај П’плени била основна гранка и главниот извор за производство на храна, како за луѓето така и за добитокот. Поради благата и влажна клима, селаните главно произведувале пченица и пченка, грав, а во нивните планински ниви сееле ’рж и овез. Земјата се обработувала со дрвено рало кое било влечено од волови. Ралото било составено од плаз, рачка, носач и железен плуг. Ралникот со јаремот бил прицврстуван за вратот на воловите со помош на прионите, а потоа воловите биле терани со остен. Жетвените култури биле вршени на селските гумна со помош на коњи и маски. Пченичното жито било сместувано во амбари, а постоеле и големи кошови во кои се чувала пченката. Во плетените кошови таа била складирана во кочани и служела за исхрана на добитокот.



                              Градинарство



                              Во преспанскиот крај мошне било развиено и градинарството. Преспани биле познати како одлични градинари, така што и во селото П’пли било развиена и оваа гранка од земјоделството. Секое П’пленско семејство имало и своја градина во која за свој домашни потреби произведувало кромид, лук, праз, пиперки, зелка, домати, грав, тикви и други градинарски производи.



                              Овоштарство



                              Поради специфичните климатски услови и поради местоположбата, преспанската околија е прочуена не само во Македонија туку и надвор од неа за производството на квалитетното овошје, а пред се со своите преспански јаболка и сливи. Во еден дел од обработливата земја на селото имало и бројни овошни насади богати со јаболка, круши, сливи и дуњи. Покрај садените овошни насади растеле и диви како на пример дренки, горници, диви црешни, шипинки и друго шумско овошје. Повеќето од плодовите, селаните ги чувале во слама за во зимскиот период од годината, а од другите, како на пример горниците, дивјачките и крушите, правеле зимница.



                              Лозарство



                              Лозарството во селото П’пли била како споредна гранка, па затоа во селото немала некоја поголема традиција, се одгледувале само некои одбрани сорти на грозје кои успевале на овие простори. Претежно, насадите со винова лоза на жителите од селото П’пли биле во ридските предели од селскиот атар. П’плени ги одгледувале следниве видови на грозје: ралушино, лисичино, песјачка, стрнушина, д’лга м’ска и други сорти. Тие грозјето го собирале во есен во плетени кошни кои биле пренесувани со помош на магариња или запрежни коли. Преку ферментацијата на грозјето селаните добивале квалитетно вино, а од комињето правеле домашна ракија. Со оваа земјоделска гранка, во П’пли, се занимавале повеќето селски домаќинства.



                              Риболов



                              Приближно 40% од селскиот атар се наоѓал под вода, односно тој се протегал на копно со 14 километри квадратни од кои 5 биле под вода. Една од главните преокупации на жителите на ова село бил риболовот. П’плени ловеле со мрежи кои самите ги изработувале, а, исто така, плетеле и коци од езерската трска. Пред сθ, тие ловеле белвици, крап, јагули, скобуст и друго. Уловената риба ја користеле за свои потреби како и за продавање на пазарите во градот Лерин и на уште неколку други места во околијата.



                              Сточарство



                              Сточарството во селото П’пли било застапено во помали количини, исклучиво за домашни потреби. Без исклучок, секој семејство од селото одгледувало крупен и ситен добиток. Селаните чувале волови кои секогаш биле во пар (ѕевгар) и ги користеле како работна сила за орање и влечење на запрежни коли. Исто така, тие чувале и крави, магариња, коњи, овци, кози, свињи и ситна живина.



                              Шумско богатство на П’пленскиот атар



                              Половината од селскиот атар е ридско планински и е покриен со листопадни, а има и мал дел со иглолисна шума.



                              • дабова шума - П’плени ја користеле дабовата шума за производство на драдежен материја, за јагленарство, за огрев, како и за производство на земјоделски алатки. Овој вид дрвја биле користени и како пасишта за малкуте кози кои неколку фамилии ги поседувале и за кастрење и правење на лисници за зимска исхрана на добитокот.



                              • зеленика - Во околните ридови на П’пли ја има во големи размери, а дрвото селаните го користеле како огревно дрво и за изработување на предмети за домашна употреба.



                              • габер - габерот е доста распространет во околните ридови од селскиот атар. Него селаните го користеле главно како огревно дрво, но во зимските денови од годината габеровите гранчиња ги користеле како клавна исхрана за домашниот добиток.



                              • клен - кленот не бил многу застапен за разлика од габерот. Исто како и габерот и ова дрво е карактеристично по својата еластичност и цврстина, па затоа селаните изработувале разни алатки како на пример рала, разни рачки за ситниот алат и други различни предмети за домашна употреба. Ова специфично дрво селаните го користеле и како градежен материјал за изработка на чатиите од селските куќи и селските плевни.



                              • смрека - смреките биле доста застапени во околијата на П’пли, тие растеле на повисоките ридски предели и во повисокото подножје на Рударската планина. Овој вид на нискостеблеста шума, селаните го користеле особено за изработка на колци за градинарските потреби, но и како огревно дрво за секојдневните домашни потреби.



                              • јасен - јасенот го имало во мали количини во П’пленскиот атар. Селаните него го користеле исклучиво за добивање боја. Процесот на добивање боја бил едноставен, односно тие прво ја стружеле кората од дрвото и ја ставале во метален котел со вода, па кога ќе се стоплела водата се добивала црна боја со која селаните, односно домаќинките, си ги бојадисувале своите алишта, а бојата била трајна и не белеела. Од овој вид на дрво селаните изработувале и дрвени предмети како фурки, сукала, налани и друго.



                              • лески - овој вид на дрво го има во изобилие. Плодовите од леските се многу вкусни и служеле за исхрана, додека, пак, нивните гранки и лисја се користеле за исхрана на крупниот добиток. Од потенките прачки селаните плетеле кошеви, кошници и кошари.



                              • дрен - дренот не бил мнгоу застапен во селскиот атар. Селаните ги собирале плодовите од дренот кои ги користеле за јадење и варење на ракија. Од древното дрво селаните произведувале разни домашни и земјоделски алатки како остени, фурки, вретена и други разни предмети на лична употреба.



                              • тополи - тополите ги имало во изобилие, како во самото село, така и околу него. Тие ги имало покрај селските чешми и покрај речиштето. Исто така, тие растеле по меѓите на повлажните ниви. Селаните нив ги бичеле и добивале штици и друг градежен материјал.



                              • врби - врбите биле помалку застапени, односно ги имало само покрај селската река. Селаните ги користеле врбовите за плетење на кошови, кошници, сепетки, плетови и за други домашни потреби.



                              Од сите гореспоменати листопадни и иглолисни дрвја, по планините и ридовите од П’пленскиот атар, растеле и егреби, липи, бука, но во помали количини од тие кои се набројани.



                              Демографија



                              Националниот состав на селото П’пли бил таков што уште од времето на Турците, тука, освен македонско население живееле и муслимански фамилии. Во 1900-та година имало 180 македонски и 210 муслимански жители. Во 1924-та година, по договор помеѓу Грција и Турција, муслиманските фамилии го напуштаат селото и заминуваат во Труција, а на нивно место се доселуваат околу 35 грчки фамилии или вкупно 130 лица емигранти од областа Понтс кои емигрирале од нивното место поради катастрофата на Грција во 1921 во Мала Азија-Турција. Бројот на населението во селото П’пли се движел така што во 1913-та година имало околу 490 жители, а во 1940-та околу 281 Македонец и 161 жител-Грк, вкупно 442 жители, се до поразот на ДАГ во 1949 кога бројот на населението се намалил на 61 жител меѓу кои 21 македонец и 32 грци. Со напуштањето на селото од страна на македонските фамилии, структурата на населението е потполно променета така што во моментот во селото П’пли има 173 жители Грци („Просфиги“, како што македонците ги нарекувале) и двајца етнички Македонци.



                              Големиот пад на македонското население во селото П’пли е кога 10 македонски фамилии го напуштаат селото во 1944 година и пребегнуваат во тогашна Југославија, односно Македонија, поради невидениот терор од страна на грчките монархофашисти, но со поразот на ДАГ и напуштањето на селото од страна на македонските фамилии, во селото П’пли остана да живее само уште едно македонско семејство.



                              Жителите на селото П’пли



                              Во селото П’пли покрај Грчките фамилии имало и 29 македонски фамилии кои биле доселени од разни места на Македонија и во разни временски периоди. Се до 1949 година во селото П’пли живееле следните фамилии



                              • македонски фамилии- Арнаутовци, Бегои, Дамовци, Кочовци, Марковци, Миовци, Наумовци, Петре Баљуко, Стерјовци, Стефовци, Танас Шено, Трпчевци, Тутуновци (доселени од селото Нивици), Божановци, Гелевци (доселени од селото Рудари), Гаке, Диманови, Димовци, Дупенци (доселени од селото Дупени), Дрбитски или Мангалои (дојдени од селото Дробитишта), Трајковци и Џуклевци.



                              • грчки фамилии- Апраксија, Аника, Антимиди (Шајтано), Андали, Бибицос, Григоријадис (Јуруко), Јатраката, Каздила, Кацониди (Дамјан) Каравасили, Муратина, Мангата, Мијал Влаот, Манукина, Налпантиди (Јаника), Пападопулос, Пандуко, Димитропулос (Ристанои), Стефанбеи, Сидеропулу, Ташко Влаот (дојден од селото Псодери), Тортопиди и Харитола (Болгуро).

                              Карактеристични имиња на П’плени



                              Во селото П’пли постоеле следниве имиња (словенски)



                              • машки: Петре, Трајко, Доне, Фоте, Митре, Нуне, Сотир, Томе, Стојан, Алексо, Васил, Методи, Стојо, Ламбро, Филип, Никола, Гоче, Јане, Вангел, Цветко, Илија, Јанкула, Ѓорги, Спиро, Крстин, Симо, Танас, Ставре, Тодор, Димо, Димитар, Пандо, Коста, Божин, Михаил, Лазо, Ефтим, Кичо, Стефо, Трпе, Трифун, Јоше, Дојчин, Дине, Глигур, Марко, Леко и Крсте.



                              • женски: Василка, Стоја, Олга, Стојанка, Фанија, Германија, Велика, Доста, Елена, Мара, Босилка, Ристана, Петра, Цвета, Стефана, Севда, Јордана, Ката, Вангелија, Фотија, Нада, Флора, Ристосија, Трајанка, Илинка, Софија, Александра, Сотирка, Нуна, Донка, Јана, Саракина, Т’рнда, Темјана, Цена, Митра и Кита.



                              Со доаѓањето на грците во селото македонското население било принудено задолжително да ги прекрстат децата со грчки имиња, така што од тој период се сретнуваат и имињата: Антула, Димитриос, Ставрос, Христос и слични на нив.



                              Климатски услови во селото П’пли



                              Скоро една половина од селскиот атар е ридски. Најниските коти се наоѓаат во селото, а понатаму благо опаѓаат и водат кон Преспанското поле и Езерото. Највисоката кота во селото е 930 метри надморска височина. Освен повисоките планински врвови како планината Грамада со нејзината надморска височина од 1576 метри, другите ридски височини се благи и меѓусебно зарамнети, така што повеќето од нив создаваат ниви и падини со плодно земјиште.



                              Со оглед на надморската височина на селото П’пли, зимите се доста студени со обилни снежни врнења, а летата се умерени и топли со мал број на дождови, кратки и доста силни, проследени со грмотевици.



                              Поголемиот простор од селскиот атар зафаќа рамничарско флувиоглацијално и алувијално, лесно обработливо и плодно, но ерозивно земјиште обраснато со ретка дабова, букова, смрекова и друга листопадна шума за која според сеќавањата на селаните се вели дека била запалена и целосно изгорена во текот на првата светска војна.



                              Општествени институции



                              Образование



                              Селаните од селото своето образование започнале да го градат во годините по Илинденското востание. Поради честите војни тоа било прекинувано многу често и траело со многу долги прекини и секогаш на туѓи јазици, непознати за П’плени (бугарски и грчки). На свој мајчин македонски јазик, во селото П’пли, за прв пат настава се одржала во 1947 година. Интересно е да се напомене дека во различни периоди како наставен кадар во 1936 година во селото бил Христо Папатрендафилу, дојден од селото Лаген од Леринско, а во 1938 година во селото пристигнува учителот Сидерас Танасис од селото Желево кој подоцна се оженил со учителката Персефони.



                              За зајакнување на режимот во 1939 година од градчето Ламија, стара Грција, е донесен учителот Костас Малукос и учителката Авгула од Екшису каде што набргу стапуваат во брак. Последните споменати учители во селото остануваат се до почетокот на граѓанската војна. Во селото П’пли имало две училишни згради, старото кое било изградено во 1926 година и новото школо. Децата од селото учеле во старото школо, па подоцна се преместиле во новата училишна зграда. Со почетокот на воените дејствија во 1946 година старото училиште било бомбардирано и изрушено до темел. Во месец мај, 1947 година, Преспа станала слободна територија на привремената влада на ДАГ. Во почетокот на месец јуни, 1947 година, во селото Герман започнал со работа курсот по македонски јазик наменет за школување на македонските учители организирани од привремената демократска влада на НОФ. На курсот активно учество земале 180 учесници, Македонци од Леринско, Костурско и Воденско. Од страна на привремената влада за учители на курсот биле поставени Лазо Ангеловски, Павле Раковски, Иљковски Фоти и Паскал Паскалевски. Наставата на курсот се изведувала на чист македонски јазик. Кон средината на 1948 година во селото Желево започнал со работа и вториот курс за подготвување на учители по македонски јазик. И овој курс го посетувале повеќе од 250 активисти кој имале за задача да ги учат македонските деца ширум селата во Леринско, Воденско, Костурско, Серско и други места. За прва школована учителка по македонски јазик се спомнува учителката Фотија Стефовска од селото П’пли која курсот успешно го завршила во селото Герман.



                              Културни и природни знаменитости



                              Топонимите на П’пленскиот атар



                              Атарот на селото П’пли е доста голем, па оттука произлегуваат и многуте топоними во него. Се знае дека П’плени низ вековите на секое помало место му давале име, а тие места биле нарекувани по географската конфигурација на теренот, нивниот изглед, по историските настани или по имиња и презимиња на некои селани од селото.

                              Сите овие имиња се со Македонска, односно словенка јазична основа.



                              • СЛАКОТ - рид оддалечен стотина метри од селото

                              • МЕЧОЕЦ - планински поток кој се влевал во селската река

                              • СТУДЕН КЛАДЕНЕЦ - планински поток од Мазев Врв

                              • ВОДЕНИЦИТЕ - местото е именувано по водениците на некој Турчин кој се викал Рустем и по водениците на Стојан Димановски и Глигур Каранфиловски.

                              • ДРЕНИК - восорамнина обрасната со ниско теблеста шума помеѓу селата П’пли и селото Рудари

                              • ПЕЧЕЛКОЈЦА - место под селото во правец кон Горица

                              • ОРМАН - место према езерото во п’пленското поле

                              • МАЛА ЛИВАДА - место кое имало селски ливади за косење

                              • ГОЛЕМА ГОРИЦА - висорамнинка не далеку од селото, односно до Малото Преспанско езеро

                              • ВРБИЦА - место према езерото обраснато со врби

                              • ГРАИШТЕ - место према селското кале

                              • СВ. ТАНАС - мало црквиче во подножјето на слакот

                              • ГОЈДАРНИК - место до селските гробишта каде што селаните го собирале добитокот

                              • СВ. ЈАНА - мало црквиче во месноста Горица

                              • ЦРНИЦИТЕ - местото е наречено по самите дрвја црници во близина на ридот Горица

                              • СЛАТИНА - место на кое селаните имале лицади

                              • ГРАДИНИТЕ - позајмено име од селските градини

                              • ГРЛО - ридесто тесно место

                              • ГУМНАТА - со ова име се опфатени селските гумна

                              • ЕНДЕКОТ - природно ископан ендек по селските ниви низ кој тече селската река

                              • КЛЕНЦИТЕ - место обраснато со кленово дрво

                              • КРИВИО ПАТ - пат со голем број на кривини

                              • КРУША - место кое изобилува со круши

                              • ЛЕСКИТЕ - место богато со лески

                              • ПОПОЈ НИВЈЕ - ова место го носи името по поповите ниви

                              • РИДО - местото е на врвот на Слакот

                              • ЦРВЕНА ЗЕМЈА - името го има добиено според бојата на земјата

                              • ШИРОКА ПАДИНА - според изгледот на местото е наречена и падината

                              • ПЛОЧИТЕ - по камените плочи спрема студен кладенец и рударската планина

                              • ЗАНОГА - место пред Граиште

                              • ЈАРОИЦА - место на излезот од селото П’пли, према селските гробиштата

                              • ОРЕИТЕ - именувано според оревите во Дупенска Маала, пред малото дрвено мовче

                              • КАЛЕТО - место пред влезот во селото

                              • КОЧИЈ НИВЈЕ - местото било наречено по името на сопственикот

                              • ДУЛОТО ПОД ГОРИЦА - природен канал под ридчето Горица, према езерото

                              • ТУРСКИ ГРОБИШТА - некогашни Турски гробишта

                              • ЕВРЕЈСКИ ГРОБИШТА - некогашни Еврејски гробишта

                              • ОВОШТАРНИК - овоштарникот и расадникот под селските гробишта и фабриката на Филип

                              • ОПАА - место до сама Горица

                              • НАД СЕЛО - место од каде што целото село можело да се види

                              • ЃУПСКА НИВА - запуштени ниви

                              • ЗАДЛОЗЈА - место над селските лозја

                              • УЛИЦАТА - не обработено место помеѓу лозјата кое селаните го користеле за поминување

                              • ЧЕЗМЕ БУШКАНИ - место на самото кале

                              • КУРБУЛИНА - многу влажно и растресено место во самото П’пленско поле

                              • САДЕЈ - место каде што фамилијата Ангеловци имале лозја

                              • МАЛА ГОРИЦА - поламо ридче споено со Голема Горица кое сега веќе не постои

                              • СТАРА ЧЕШМА - чешма во ридовите помеѓу селата П’пли и селото Рудари

                              • ДРЕНКИТЕ - место кое изобилува со дренки

                              • Г’РМАДИ - месност пред Опаа

                              • СЛОГОЈТЕ - во непосредна близина на Горица

                              • ИЗВОЗ - место под месноста Врбица

                              • КОРОЈ - од левата страна на Горица према островот Аил во самото езеро за ловење на риби, белвици, односно местото каде што ловеле селаните Доне Доневски (Дупенски) и Коле Гелев

                              • КАРШИ Г’З-

                              • ЦРВЕНИТЕ ИЗВОРИ ВОДА - место спрема селото Оровник и селското кале



                              Археолошки локалитети во селото



                              Во селскиот атар како археолошки локалитети од посебно значења се посочуваат месностите Салаташа на околу 2 километри западно од селото каде постојат турски гробишта, а во месноста Грамада еврејски гробишта. На локалитетот П’пленска Горица и Дреник постојат бункери од Втората светска војна, а во месноста Слако, исто така, ровови од Првата светска војна. Во месноста Бушкани (под Граишта) како и во Грамада во повеќе наврати при обрботка на земјата се пронајдени вредни питоси од различна големина како и фрагменти од други ќерамички и метални предмети.



                              Вековни светилишта



                              Во атарот на селото П’пли постојат три цркви и едно мало вакавче. Црквата свети Димитрија се наоѓа во западниот дел на селото. Таа е изградена некаде околу 1700-та година, во меѓувреме била разурнувана, но повторно возобновена во 1810-та година. Споменатата црква во внатрешниот дел била живописана со словенски натпис. Според кажувања на постари жители од селото црквата е многу постара и се претпоставува дека била изградена уште во 1390 година. Оваа црква има иконостас и камбанарија. Во нејзиното добро оградено двориште се наоѓаат и селските гробишта, а таму мир наоѓат и неколкуте гробови на француски војници од Првата светска војна.



                              Другата црква која се наоѓа во селото е Свети Михаил Архангел. Таа е изградена во 1936 година со пари од многуте печалбари од селото кои биле на печалба во Америка. Таа е изградена на некогашната мала џамија која постоела во селото. Во источниот дел на селото, поточно во Жиловската Маала, се наоѓало црквичето Свети Илија, а ова мало црквиче во текот на двете светски војни неколку пати било разурнувано и пак обновувано од мештанинот Дамјан Кацанидис. Во внатрешноста на ова мало црквиче имало гроб. Овој објект постарите П’плени го нарекувале и Теќе, што упатува на претпоставката дека во времето на турското владеење тој бил дервишко, односно бектишко светилиште. Црквичето Свети Атанас се наоѓа на околу половина километар западно од селото. Во некое време, се сеќаваат постарите селани дека, до него имало забележително голем даб кој бил пресечен од страна на француската војска во текот на Првата севетска војна. Жителите од селото П’пли за своја општа селска слава го имаат Свети Димитрија.



                              Покуќнина



                              Во секое домаќинство, во зависност од неговата големина и бројот на членовите на семејството, ги имало следниве предмети:



                              • за чување на храната имало ношви за леб, камара, мазгалки и сирник,

                              • за пиење на течности имало стомна, стомниња, букле, каната и карта,

                              • за јадење имало софа, маса, столчиња, дрвени лажици, мисури, плави и тави,

                              • за приготвување на храна користеле котле, грне, церепина, сач, тепсија, ѓум, тиган и сукало,

                              • за приготвување на млечни производи како на пример маст, сирење, биеница, урда, потквас, млеко и др., селаните ги користеле предметите како матка, чурило, кобел, цедило, каци, казан, а за приготвување на туршија за во зимскиот период тие користеле каци, тенеќиња и слично,

                              • за носење на храната употребувале сепетки, кошници, торби, вургити, коблици и тепсии,

                              • за спиење користеле рогозини, кревиња, веленца, ложници и перници,

                              • за одржување на личната хигиена селаните користеле сапун, леген за вода, чешле, крпи за бришење, корито, котел и ѓум за водаза,

                              • за перење користеле сапун, котел, ѓум за топла вода, корито за перење, копан за чукање на веленцата, ложниците и шајаковите алишта,

                              • за греење тие употребувале дрва за осветлување, газени ламби, кандила и борина.



                              Алатките кои ги употребувале за сечење, деклање, дупење, стружење, копање и слично се следниве: секира, скепар, прион, стврде, мотика, кама, казма, дикел, лопата, чекан, ренде, скепарче, а за изработка на алишта и покривки користеле разбој, гребени, фурки, пршлиња за предење и друго.



                              Народна носија



                              Народната носија на жителите од селото П’пли многу не се разликувала од носиите на другите преспански села. Повеќето од нив до првата светска војна носеле волнени или платнени алишта што самите си ги изработувале. Но, со појавата на печалбарството жителите од селото П’пли започнале да одат на работа во Европа и во Америка, па мажите постепено се откажувале од селската носија, додека, пак, жените и понатаму ја носеле, а подоцна и тие ја прифатиле ново надојдената мода.

                              По крајот на балканските војни и почетокот на првата светска војна, генерално, старите мажи носеле платнени кошули, а шалварите (панталоните), капите, палтата и чорапите ги изработувале од волна и кожа. Жените и девојките носеле долги бели платнени кошули и шалови, а футите и чорапите им биле волнени.



                              Веленцата, гините, перниците и ложниците биле волнени и кожни. Волната ја чистеле, переле, ја влечеле со грабени, ја пределе со фурки и пршле, ја сновале и на крај ја ткаеле на дрвени разбои кои биле составени од кросно, ниште, брдо, соалка и подлошки. На разбоите ткаеле платна, шајак, веленца од кои потоа самите домаќинки кроеле и шиеле алишта за семејството. Женската носија била богато украсена со црвени гајтани, ширети, реси и везови и со многу разновиден накит од ковани племенити метали, додека, пак, машкта била поедноставно украсена, односно само со црни или кафеави гајтани.



                              Елементи на женската носија



                              Главните елементи на П’пленската, односно на преспанската женска народна носија, се состоеле од ресачка, шегун, кусаче, кошула, наглавок, фанела, појас, ремен, фута, месал, губешгушниче, наручиња, коцлешамија, чорапи, опинци и накит.



                              Женскиот накит претежно бил изработен од разнобојна монистра, метал, сребро, додека побогатите опшивале и златни пари. Од накитот претежно носеле белегзии, обетки, прстени, украсни хухулиња, петлици и китки од монистра



                              Елементи на машката носија



                              Декорот на машката народна носија бил поедноставен и се состоел од елементи како беќви, шурдија, хабадан, клачни, кошула, фанела, појас, ремен, чорапи, капа, опинци, гуна (гуња) и палто.



                              Личности



                              П’плени кои се занимаваат со литературно творештво



                              • Јанче Андоновски

                              • Ристо Поповски

                              • Вангел Димановски



                              Останати П’плени



                              • Вангел Арнаудовски (општествено политички работник)

                              • Сотир Миовски (лекар)

                              • Ставре Кичо Миовски (универзитетски професор)

                              • Ристе Димановски (историчар)

                              • Ефтим Тутуновски (бизнисмен)

                              • Стојан Димановски ( - стрелан 1947 година) - македонски патриот

                              • Ристо Миовски ( - стрелан 1947 година) - македонски патриот



                              Иселеништво



                              Заминување на децата од селото П’пли



                              Главна статија: „Заминување на децата од селото П’пли“.



                              Евакуацијата на П’пленските деца официјално започнала на 15 март, 1948 година, заедно со останатите деца од околните села. Поделбата на децата во групи била направена уште во селото. Секоја група имала и одговорно лице кое било од нивната средина. Така децата од селото П’пли кои биле вкупно 91, биле поделени на 4 групи. Одговорните личности за овие групи биле:



                              1. Фанија Доневска - Дупенска

                              2. Фотија Стефовска

                              3. Стефана Димановска

                              4. Јана Секуловкса



                              Емиграција на П’плени од 1941 год. и по поразот на ДАГ



                              Во периодот од 1941 година, па се до поразот на ДАГ, селото го напуштаат и наоѓаат засолниште во источните држави следните лица:



                              • Крстин Марковски го напушта селото во 1945 година и преминува во тогашниот СССР каде и тамо ќе почине, од 8 лица од неговото семејство 6 ќе најдат засолниште во тогашна СФРЈ, а останатите двајца од познати причини ќе се најдат во Романија.



                              • Ставре Трпчевски го напушта селото во 1945 година и пребегнува во СФРЈ со 5 члена од неговото семејство, а останатите членови од семејството ќе се најдат во Полска.



                              • Петре Доневски-Дупенски во 1945 година го напушта селото со своето 7 члено семејство и пребегнува во СФРЈ, а додека еден член од семејството од познати причини се наоѓа во Романија.



                              • Васил Арнаутовски го напушта селото во 1945 година и преминува во СФРЈ, за подоцна односно во 1955 година се преселува во СССР кај неговата фамилија. Нешто подоцна тој повторно се враќа во Југославија, а додека еден член од неговото семејство ќе почине во СССР.



                              • Трајко Миовски го напушта своето село во 1950 година и преминува во Романија за нешто подоцна неговото семејство кое од познати причини ќе се најде во Полска да премине кај него во Романија.



                              • Филип Ангеловски во 1945 година го напушта селото со двајца од неговата фамилија и преминуваат во СФРЈ, а додека останатите 4 членови од фамилијата ќе се најдат во Романија.



                              • Васил Ангеловски го напушта селото во 1945 година и со 6 членови од фамилијата ќе се најде во СФРЈ, а еден член од фемилијата ќе биде во Романија.



                              • Фанија Иловска (Миовска) го напушта селото по излегувањето од грчките затвори и преминува во ФНРЈ, односно Нардона Република Македонија.



                              • Алексо Петровски-Дробицки го напушта селото во 1945 година со 6 члена од фамилијата и преминуваат во СФРЈ, а останатите 4 члена ќе се најдат во Романија.



                              • Крстин Стерјовски во 1945 година го напушта селото и преминува во СФРЈ, а додека останатите членови од семејството од познати причини ќе се најдат во Романија.



                              По поразот на ДАГ е извршена масовна евакуација на населението со цел спасување од невидениот терор и измачувањата на невиното цивилно население од страна на монархофашистичките сили кој завладеале на тие простори. По поразот на единиците на ДАГ во 1949 година селото го напуштаат следните лица заедно со своите членови од семејствата.



                              • Стефана Филипова со фамилијата пребегнува во Романија, а нешто подоцна таа заминува во Полска.



                              • Трајко Џуклевски со 6 членови од фамилијата пребегнува во Полска.



                              • Стефана Марковска пребегнува во Полска, двајца членови од фамилијата се враќаат во СФРЈ, а еден член останува во Романија.



                              • Сотир Марковски пребегнува во Полска а нешто подоцна тој се прибра кај неговата фамилија во Романија.



                              • Глигур Трпчевски пребегнува во Полска и се прибира со својата 8 члена фамилија.



                              • Севда Петровска пребегнува со својата фамилија во Полска.



                              • Митре Доневски-Дупенски пребенува во СФРЈ и се пибира со својата 9 члена фамилија.



                              • Фоте Доневски-Дупенски пребегнува во Романија а нешто подоцна заминува во СССР кај својата фамилија.



                              • Доне Доневски-Дупенски пребегнува во СФРЈ со најстарата ќерка, и не успева да ги прибере останатите своите 4 деца кои се наоѓат во Романија, а додека неговата жена се наоѓа во Полска, подоцна тој умира во Ресен.



                              • Димитар Божановски пребегнува во Романија, нешто подоцна заминува за СССР и се прибира со останатите членови од семејството додека една ќерка останува во Полска.



                              • Божин Бегутому' заминува во Полска и се прибира со неговото семејство, еден член од семејството заминува во СССР а нешто подоцна и во Австралија.



                              • Слобода Кочова заминува во Полска а нешто подоцна и во Романија кај нејзината фамилија, нејзиниот сопруг починува во Полска.



                              • Димитар Петровски го напушта селото и заминува во Полска кај неговата фамилија, нешто подоцна тој починува во Полска.



                              • Ефтимица Кочовска заминува во Полска, а подоцна заминува во Романија и се прибира со нејзината 6 члена фамилија.



                              • Доста Ангелова го напушта селото и заминува во Романија каде се прибира со нејзиното 4 члено семејство.



                              • Стефана Ангелова заминува во Романија, а нешто покасно со 2 члена од фамилијата се прибира во Полска, од каде што 3 члена од фамилијата од познати причини се наоѓаат во СССР.



                              • Стефана Герова го напушта селото и заминува во Полска,нешто подоцна се сели во Југославија со 5 члена од фамилијата.



                              • Митра Филипова го напушти селото и заминува во Полска каде што се прибира со 4 члена од фамилијата, а нешто подоцна таа заминува во Австралија.

                              • Крстин Филиповски заминува во СФРЈ, додека неговата фамилија заминува во Полска.



                              • Колевица Филипова го напушта селото и заминува во Полска каде што се прибира со нејзината 7 члена фамилија.



                              • Димитар Стерјовски го напушта селото и заминува во Полска, а нешто покасно се преселува во СССР и се прибира со 5 члена од фамилијата.



                              • Вангел Миовски го напушта селото со празот на ДАГ и заминува во СССР, во градот Ташкент, а неговата фамилија подоцна од Н.Р. Македонија и неговата ќерка заминуваат кај него и подоцна се враќаат во нивната родна Македонија.



                              • Ката Кочова го напушта селото и наоѓа прибежиште во Романија.



                              • Танас Секуловски заминува во СФРЈ и се прибира со 3 члена од фамилијата, а еден член од фамилијата се наоѓа во Романија.



                              • Доста Дробицка го напушта селото и заминува во Полска, а подоцна се преселува во Романија и се прибира со нејзиното 4 члено семејство, додека пак нејзиниот сопруг и една од ќерките се наоѓаат во Југославија.



                              • Стоја Дробицка го напушта селото и заминува во Полска, а нешто покасно се преселува во Романија и се прибира со нејзиното 4 члено семејство .



                              • Петре Поповски заминува во Полска и се прибира со неговото 5 члено семејство.



                              • Михаил Тутуновски го напушта селото и заминува во Полска, а покасно се сели во СССР и се прибира со неговото 6 члено семејство, а еден член од семејството се наоѓа во Романија.



                              • Божиница Стергиовска го напушта селото и заминува во Полска, а нешто покасно се сели во Романија и се прибира со нејзината 4 члена фамилија.



                              • Ламбро Иловски (Миовски) го напушта селото во 1952 година излегувајки од грчките затвори и заминува во СФРЈ каде што се прибира со неговото 6 члено семејство, додека 1 член од фамилијата се наоѓаат во Романија.



                              Наводи



                              Литература



                              • „Атлас на населените места во Егејска Македонија“ Тодор Христов Симовски

                              • „Населените места во Егејска Македонија“ Тодор Христов Симовски

                              • „Населбите во Преспа“ Владо Јовановски

                              • „Монографија за село Герман“ Преспанско

                              • „Неуништливи корени“ Митре Кајчевски –Мичо

                              • „ Орово и Оровчани“ Монографија Томе миовски

                              • „До пеколот и назад“ Евдокија Фотева – Вера

                              • „И ние сме деца на мајката земја“ Д-р Фана Мартинова Буцкова

                              • „Македонската култура и просвета во Е. Македонија и во Источноевропските земји (1940-1968)“ Д-р Фана Мартинова Буцкова

                              • „Петте судбоносни години во Е.Македонија“ Д-р Ристо Кирјазовски

                              • „Илинденското Востание во Егејска Македонија“ подготвено од Мишо Китаноски и Ѓорги Доневски

                              • „Етничките промени во Егејска Македонија во ХХ век“ издание на Здружението на децата бегалци од Егејскиот дел на Македонија

                              • „Хроника за селото Ппли“ Државен архив на Република Македонија

                              • „Едиции за Егејска Македонија“ Институт за национална историја на РМ.

                              • „Прогонство што трае“ Сократ Пановски и Илија Лафазановски

                              • Мемоари на Георгиос Кикицас,Атина, глава ХV/1

                              • „Преспа во пламен“ Коста Мандушев

                              • „Грчката колонизација во Егејска Македонија -1913-1944„ Стојан Киселиновски

                              • Грчка царска наредба од 19.12.1918 год. в/к,бр.259/21.12 Атина

                              • Од спомените на Лука Геров, Ѓорги Поп Христов, Ангел Андреев, Ѓорги Попанчев и Лазар Димитров, за борбите во Југозападна Македонија, Кичевскиот, Битолскиот,

                              Леринскиот, Преспанскиот и Дебарскиот округ. Софија, печатница П. Глушков 1926.

                              • „Илинденско востание“ – Димо К’нев, Софија 1953 година

                              • „Топонимистика на Охридско - преспанскиот басен“ Влагимјерж Пјанка, Институт за македонски јазик „Крсте Мисирков“ Скопје, Посебно издание, книга 7, Скопје 1970 година

                              • „Топографско –етнографски пресек на Македонија“, С. Петерсбург, Воена топографија, во Главниот Штаб, 1889 година

                              • „Светли ликови од Егејска Македонија (1945-1949)“ Ташко Мамуровски
                              "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                              GOTSE DELCEV

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                              • George S.
                                Senior Member
                                • Aug 2009
                                • 10116

                                On the Road of Time – Chapter 20



                                By Petre Nakovski

                                Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

                                [email protected]

                                December 23, 2012



                                The storm has passed. We have a few that survived. On the roll call of friendship many do not... S. Esenin



                                V. left yesterday. D. was sent away today. We said this for those with whom we were together in the formations, in the long night marches in the rain and snow, in the trenches and bunkers, in the wet and cold underground hangers and in the battlefields. We said this for those with whom we were together for many years, with whom we swallowed the bitterness of defeat and with whom we found ourselves on foreign shores. We did not say they had departed, we did not say they had died; we simply said they had left… So if we said that they had left then there was always a chance, hope, that they would one day return…



                                I listened intently to a speech given by our friend from the Veterans Council. It was a very nice speech full of praise and big words. And while he was talking I couldn’t help myself but think that when a man dies and disappears from this world should we always say nice words about him? How many times did we gossip about him, swear at him, inform on him and make his life miserable while he was alive? Are there no sinners amongst us and amongst those who left us? Why in the five minutes of waiting for him to be buried, to be put underground, to be covered by soil can’t we say something other than that he was a good person? Then when the funeral is over and after we return to our homes we begin to unfold our memories only to find out that he was not all good and that he also had a bad side to him. What prevails? There was no goodness in N. because all his life N. was an informer. He was an informer in the battlefields, in the countries abroad and back here again. He was an informer spying on people, he was good at it and he enjoyed it. And what government can survive without informers? The informers are the pillars of the establishment.



                                I would say that I knew G. very well. We were sent to Gramos together and were deployed in the same platoon. He was given a German machine gun and they loaded me with a rifle; an English rifle. We charged, ran, hid, took up new positions and ate together with the same spoon from the same portions and covered ourselves with the same blanket. Yes, we did many things together. For God’s sake, does a man need to die for his close ones to uncover and reveal his character and the emptiness that remains? A few days ago I was back at the cemetery. The funeral passed quietly, without much talking, without crying and almost in silence. Although cursed, this person was one of us. We kind of tossed a handful of soil on the coffin in a hurry and we left even before the coffin was lowered into the ground.



                                He did not come to the last meeting of the municipal board, even though he was always among the first to be there. On his way to the club he felt a pressing pain on the left side of his chest. He bent over looking for something to lean on but as he slowly bent down he slumped over and fell onto the frozen pavement. Passers by took him inside the closest door and put an urgent call in for an ambulance. Death was instant. He was gone. We sent him away with the blessing of many big words. No word was said about his sins, not a single word. So he went underground clean. Clean as a crystal. And before what did we not say? And everything we said was bad!



                                Now we often meet at the square in front of the chapel. Look how things have turned out. A long time ago it was the village church bell that announced the death of a person. It did not matter whether the person was a relative, a friend, or an acquaintance. Now the telephone rings and you get the bad news through the receiver. Or you open the newspaper and you see a picture of a relative, a friend... And I tell you we often gather together at the chapel square and every time we gather, there are less and less of us. At one time we were healthy looking, standing erect and proud. Now we are bent over, we have grey hair, we are bald, shaking and leaning on a crutch. We greet each other and then we go off to our own groups. It now has become a custom for us to gather together here at the chapel and go off in groups.



                                And on the road to our last resting place, there too, we stand in groups. But no... those are not groups. Those are the remnants of the lines of companies, battalions, brigades. Our conversations too are always about how we spent our time in Gramos, in Vicho, how we fought battles and went on marches. How we were wounded and how we lost our friends. Our conversations were about how we passed our time on the road to Tashkent and from there to here. We often talked about how we had spent time in the hospitals in Yugoslavia, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Germany. We also talked about where there were good places to have our dentures adjusted, the time we spent in sanatoriums and infirmaries in those countries, how we worked there and what we did to earn our living... This is how we unwound the spool of our destiny from youth to old age.

                                Then you heard someone raise their voice and talk about another person ‘leaving’ their company, their battalion, their brigade. In those days, up there in the mountains we did not speak the words ‘killed’ or ‘was killed’, we said he or she ‘fell heroically’... If we said they ‘fell’ then there was always the hope that they would ‘stand up’ again... Yes... In those days we defied death with our vast and boundless faith in victory. We truly believed that we were winning and could not even imagine that we might be beaten, even though we were losing battle after battle with great losses. We were young and confident.



                                Were we coaxed into believing? For sure! Soldiering was an exercise in how to kill and on how not to be killed. We grew up practicing the art. Each burial in the mountains began and ended with a call to victory and the person being buried was not perceived as being dead but as missing from the line, from the trench, from the bunker, from the hanger, from the food line standing in front of the cauldron. And now standing in front of the chapel waiting for them to carry the coffin, we are reminded of those stormy times. Now every funeral, I would say every time a friend goes, he or she summons us here to send them away but the ‘sending’ is not just ‘sending’ it is a reminder and an awakening of many memories and considerations.



                                In those memories there are many dark and gloomy spots. The days and nights seemed to get darker, gloomier and more painful. Anxiously we gathered together in front of the chapel and we stood in groups of 102, 103, 105, 107, 18 and 14 Brigade and all the other units. The darkness appears more often now like a shadow of light that lasts. It cannot be seen but it is here and it can be felt. And again you will hear ‘here, another one of us from 102, or 103 or 105 or 107 or 18 or 14 Brigade has left us.’ Slowly they are all going. The telephone rings again and the receiver whispers to you, ‘P. has left us.’ And you reply, ‘I will see you at the chapel.’



                                One by one we go and less and less of us grandfathers to Marian, Angelina, Maria, Zhaklina and Johnny remain here. And those who have left have taken with them the names of their grandfathers and grandmothers. Zhaklina, Maria and Marina, Valentina and Marian and Johnny and Victor will cry a little... Now there are less grandchildren named Kire, Krste, Traianka, Petranka, Traiche, Velika, Sevda, Florinka, Tsveta, Dushanka...



                                We come back frowning. If the weather is nice and it is not raining and it is not winter, we sit on benches in front of buildings and talk. And in our discussions we return to our youth, which we left in the Greek Civil War and in those distant countries. We bring back the youth of an entire crippled generation robbed of its hopes and aspirations and as we speak we feel bitterness in our throats with every word that comes out. All around us our grandchildren run and play, some fight, some cry and others laugh. Then after a few days or so another spot on the bench becomes empty. The telephones become active again and the next day we are summoned to the chapel. Here again those of us who are still left from 102, 103, 105, 107, 18, 14 Brigade... will approach someone and say, ‘One more went from our company.’ And then will ask, ‘How is so and so?’



                                Every time we go to the chapel we count each other and every meeting is the last meeting for someone. This will be the last time we see them. This seems to be very similar to our returning from combat when we were counted and accounted for. This many dead, this many wounded and this many remaining in the line. And as it was then so it is now, there are less and less in the line with every count. Slowly, silently, quietly, we become fewer and fewer, as we are leaving to go with our friends...



                                After the coffin was loaded in the hearse we silently followed behind. Along the way to the final resting place the squeaking of the brakes became louder. Some had to stop to catch their breath while others held hands to give those who were tired some support. And while this was going on, new conversations were started; conversations about our youth and about our stormy past. Clap, clap, clap, clap, Pavle’s prosthesis was heard clapping. Clap, clap, clap, clap, Lina’s prosthesis was heard clapping and squeaking. And while this was going on we revisited our past through our memories which howled and set off storms in our heads and fire in our chests.



                                Things went dark before our eyes. This was a day of mourning and there was no good light to cheer us, we were dragged into the gloom. Bent, twisted, sickly, we marched along behind our friend from 102, 103, 105, 107, 18, 14 Brigade.... He, on the other hand, lay there straight but somewhat shrunken. None of us at that moment thought that tomorrow or perhaps the day after we too would be sent this way and maybe this quiet walk behind the hearse covered with flowers would be our last march of many marches.



                                Quietly, slowly, carefully we limped along; seeming like each person was in formation taking part in one of those long night marches in the rain, snow and blizzard. That is where our thoughts were... in the long marches over the mountains that led to nowhere. Now we are not in formation but we take steps like we were… And quietly someone will ask, ‘Do you remember?’ ‘I remember,’ will echo another quiet whisper... And as such we take steps knowing that nothing has been forgotten...



                                Like a flash the days are strung and we return to our memories of the battlefields and of the foreign shores, we return to our existence there and here, in our yesterday and today and we are reminded of the question, ‘Whose picture will appear in tomorrow’s newspapers and whose name will we hear on the receiver of the telephone?...’



                                Did you say my voice is shaking? It is shaking not because it is weak, quiet and barely audible but because it is strong, mature and smarter. My voice must be and should be more understanding. Do I go to the cemetery? Yes, I do go. And while I am there I think of and remember Kopanche, Haro, Buhetsi, Orleto, Polenata, Lisets, Baro, Iamata, Chuka, Charno and every other place where the graves of our fallen are indistinguishable from one another. Now after all these years, who will be able to find those places? If you want to find them you will need to go to those mountains. Our fallen were buried in shallow graves covered with a little earth and mostly branches.



                                They were buried without lighting a candle, without a cross on the grave and without their name engraved in stone. But their names are remembered and will live on in the memories and in the pain of their relatives. Their names have been written down in the notebooks which now rest on the archive shelves collecting dust every day. Everyone there is the same. And here, in this cemetery they are different. Each marble slab whiter than white, blacker than black, thicker than thick, brighter than bright that has a wreath larger than large and bouquets of flowers more beautiful than beautiful, is distinguishable from the other plain concrete slabs. But the soil and the worms are the same...



                                I go there only sometimes because my health is not that good. Not as often as I want to because of the time, the years ... but when I do go to the cemetery I buy candles and inexpensive flowers, with part of my pension, and I sit beside the graves of my friends from the detachment and we have conversations. We talk about today and about yesterday but mostly about yesterday. I ask them, ‘Do you remember the terrible snow storm we had to endure? Do you remember having to stand in a long row, one behind another, stepping on the snow under a shining full moon? Do you remember the time when we heard a loud rumble above us and a pile of snow the size of a cloud descended down on us?’ We ran as fast as we could and when we came back into our formation six of us were missing. We left them buried under the snow and we continued our march. We marched all night...



                                I interrupted our conversation, then I kept silent for a while and in the silence I got my answer. Then I asked what is there? Well, there is a bit of everything; pain, strength, joy, happiness and sadness... And again I went back to asking the same kind of questions, ‘Do you remember?’ Yes, we need to remember, we need to remember because in our memories we are those people who we used to be... If we don’t remember it means we never were... please write that down, that we were as we were... just don’t write that we were faint-hearted because we were never faint-hearted. Write down that we were very loyal and very deceived, but always persistent and strong... That’s what you should write down…



                                We conversed about our youth and in those conversations we found a couple of our people who had lost their lives for nothing. They paid with their lives for their flirting, laughing and winking at each other because it was prohibited for a boy to want a girl and for the girl to like the boy back. They were tried in a church, a trial that lasted all night and in early dawn the next day the two were taken outside of the village and shot to death. They were murdered because of their love, because they were in love. They murdered the love so that our morale would be stronger! And is there anything stronger than love? Do you remember, I said to them, when we passed by the place where they were shot? Do you remember how some of us stopped, collected flowers and put them at the place of their death? For whom were those flowers, for the dead people or for their love?



                                Silently and secretly we defended our love from a bullet. Do you remember, I asked, how the lady from the public house in Kostur was killed? Those from there sent her here to our unit to inform on our boys, to say that they liked her, wanted her and made suggestions to that effect. Our people from command summoned some of us to night trials and sentenced us to death because of her. But the lady could not endure the hunger and cold being out there with our unit so one day she split and hit the road. We grabbed her while she was escaping and after that she confessed to everything. I personally had to unload an entire clip of cartridges before the bitch was dead.



                                The next day you had to shoot a young man convicted of stealing a chunk of bread. Don’t deny it, I said to him, you did what you had to do, those were the orders. We were ordered not to express love and not to steal because we were the people’s army, born out of the people. That’s what they told us. And as a people’s army we were prohibited from taking bread from the peasants and as such we endured much hunger. Do you remember, I said, the spring of 1848, when the grass was green and the trees were budding, how we ate grass and buds? I waited for an answer but all I got was silence... That’s how it was.


                                I tell you, I rarely go to the cemetery now because of the pain in my legs and hips. But in spite of my pain I still go there visiting my friends and spending time talking to them, asking them about the past and telling them about the present. After that I tell them that yesterday we brought so and so here. So and so are in the hospital. So and so rarely get out of bed and that everyone else is okay, at least for now.



                                Do we get together? Yes we get together for our grandchildren’s birthdays and after the men bring the presents, they leave and go to cafιs where they talk politics until the next morning. They talk about their experiences in the mountains, constantly looking for the culprits who made them lose their arm, leg, gave them large scars, devastated their villages, destroyed their houses and crippled and killed their friends. They talked about their beliefs, the false promises they were made and the slippery slopes they were put on… Then they came back frowning and angry, swearing and cursing, praising and making accusations about who was worthy and who was worthless. I told them about many things, things that they already knew, but some couldn’t seem to see these things or hear what I was telling them.



                                And as such all the commanders left. Those from our side (Macedonians) with lower ranks are still here and those of higher ranks, who had never been wounded in battle, left for home and went back to Greece. They established themselves well there; the state against which they fought did not prosecute them. It accepted them as soldiers and recognized their ranks by only a single rank lower, even though they were not educated in military affairs. Some even published books about their experiences in the Greek Civil War. In those books they spat at each another and slandered one another claiming everyone was wrong except for them and if the others had done the same as they did, victory would have been ours. When they commanded us, if anyone had said that they were idiots and worthless, I would have shot them between the eyes. We trusted them. We trusted the Party and we trusted our leader (Zahariadis) the most.



                                The Party abandoned us. The Chief said that we did not exist. Parliament voted declaring that in order for us to return to our homes we could not be who we were. And what could we be? We could only be what they wanted us to be. Our leader hung himself in Siberia and his dead body was returned to Athens. Before that, someone appointed by Todor Zhivkov signed an agreement to move us Macedonians to Bulgaria. Some went to Bulgaria but were quickly disappointed. They sent us letters explaining the situation. If we went to Bulgaria we would be dispersed throughout Bulgaria. We would be asked to sign a statement declaring that we were Bulgarian. Those who would not sign such statements would find it difficult to get an apartment and a job that suited their profession and education.



                                We told them not to go, to wait until the situation was sorted out and we then would move to the Republic of Macedonia. We were sure we would find difficulties there too but there no one was going to make us not be Macedonians. After every war people return home. Our war ended sixty years ago and we still we have not returned. Every people, even those exiled and kicked out of their homeland, are eventually allowed to return home. Home is where they crave to be, where they long to be, where they belong. But not our people, year after year they gathered, counted their numbers, waited, hoped and wished, healed their wounds, nursed their pains, looked at old photographs, thought, dreamed and talked about home but that was all they could do. The only choice left for them was to start life all over and build on the cracks of the old foundations...



                                Only we the Macedonians did not go home after that war... they took our homes, they took our fields and meadows, they took our vineyards and our gardens... and they gave them to the foreign settlers and colonists… Those were crazy, foolish and unreasonable times. Those were times when some people profited from the pain of others. Those were times when some people made soft beds for themselves from the difficulties, horrors, devastation and breakdown of others. Those were times when some people made great gains from the uprooting of others… That’s how it was and that’s how it should be remembered…



                                It was our time, our pain, our suffering, our belief, our defeat ... Yes, ours, difficult, terrible defeat that destroyed us, that crushed us, that eradicated us, that exiled us... Who can and how can this mindlessness be judged? What can save you from this blind recklessness, from a bowed head before others, which led its own nation to its eradication? As for the defeat, however difficult, we need to talk about it and remember everything... At least for the sake of remembering...


                                Did the telephone just ring? Yes. The person on the other side said that J. from 105 Brigade had left us. I told him I would be in front of the chapel at 12 noon tomorrow.


                                Other articles by Risto Stefov:







                                Free electronic books by Risto Stefov available at:
                                "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
                                GOTSE DELCEV

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