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Documents



 GERKOMANIA


A Disease of the mind inflicted by Greek Brutality on a massive scale.


A bust of Alexander the Great donated by the Pan-Macedonian Hellenic Society of Toronto. This statue resides along Danforth Rd., originally settled by Macedonians in the late 1950s and early 1960s it is now home to the Greek community. The Pan-Macedonian society is the biggest organization of ethnic Macedonians posing as ethnic Greeks. Many of the top members, including past and current presidents, vice-presidents, secretaries, treasurers, etc. are ethnic Macedonians from Northern Greece (Aegean Macedonia) who call themselves Greek.

 

DEFINITION OF A GERKOMAN


A Macedonian who wants to be Greek.
One who refuses to accept his true Macedonian National Origins.
One who is ashamed of his background, the language he speaks.
One who is afraid to call himself Macedonian.
A Gerkoman is a person who always refuses to accept arguments that prove without a doubt of his Macedonian identity.
A Gerkoman is a person who always refuses to learn and accept his condition of what he is or who he is.
A Gerkoman is a person who is lazy,ignorant and has no courage. He is also a coward.
A Gerkoman is an individual who cooperates with the Greeks against all Macedonians.
A Gerkoman is a person who is suffering from self-inflicted national amnesia.
A Gerkoman is an individual who has no respect for others, himself, or his heritage.
A Gerkoman is a cancer within the Macedonian nationality, which stubbornly works to destroy everthing that is Macedonian.
A Gerkoman is the #1 enemy to the Macedonian people.
A Gerkoman is a liar because every time he utters the words, "I am Greek", he lies and he knows it.
The Gerkoman always speaks in Macedonian at home. He listens to Greek music. He shops at Greek stores for the usual, olives, halva and lukumia and always enjoys the conversation with tht Greek propriator.
The Gerkoman attends the Greek church. He doesn't understand what the priest is saying, but that's okay, for whatever the priest is saying must be good. At funerals the Gerkoman always lements and cries in Macedonian.
The Gerkoman is a person who lies to the Canadian census when the question, "What mother language is spoken at home?", he writes boldly Greek ,and he knows it's a lie.
And from my own personal experiences :

A Gerkoman is a person who speaks Macedonian at home, but goes to Greek church and gets married at a Greek church.
A Gerkoman is a person who attends the Greek Rally in Ottawa Canada protesting the Republic of Macedonia's recognition by Canada, and speaks Macedonian on the 3 hour bus ride to Ottawa.
A Gerkoman is a person who speaks among relatives and friends in the church in Macedonian, but as soon as the priest comes out they all speak Greek.
A Gerkoman is a person who belongs to the Pan-Macedonian society.
A Gerkoman is a person who calls himself Macedonian only when it is convenient.
A Gerkoman is a person who always tells a Macedonian he/she should learn Greek.
A Gerkoman always wears shirts with the Greek flag on it to convince HIMSELF and others that he is Greek.

Web Administrator, Biser Balkanski

continued

The definitions described are true life experiences that confirm the existence of such Macedonians who are distinctively recognized.

To the Greeks, the Gerkoman is an individual who promotes the interests of the Greeks and therefore, he is a good Greek.

To the Macedonians, the Gerkoman is the enemy within, that has depleted the Macedonians in numbers. It has given the Greeks a legitimate tool to further assimilate and oppress the Macedonians, their language, culture, and history.

A Gerkoman is a strange entity who wants to forget the past. He wants to forget his ancestors, of who they were, their culture, the language they spoke, the songs they sang, traditions, etc.

A Gerkoman is a person who is afraid to speak the Macedonian language in front of the Greeks because he feels sub-human when asked by other Greeks from what area he is from, he mumbles, and swallows before he answers.

A Gerkoman is a person who tries very hard to sound Greek. He sometimes uses long and complicated words to impress other Macedonians of his Greekness.

A Gerkoman is always interested in Greek politics. Of course, this interest reinforces the idea of being a concerned Greek.

A Gerkoman always blames the Macedonians for crimes committed in the civil war. He refuses the fact to acknowledge, that this was a Greek civil war, not Macedonian. The blame should be put on the Greeks, not the Macedonians

Ther Gerkoman always feels superior in comparison to other Macedonians, due to the fact that he is a Greek and they are somthing less than himself.

The Macedonians know that the Gerkoman has been used as a vehicle to further Greek interests to completely inhialate the Macedonians  from their own land. The Gerkoman is an individual who, from old hatreds against other Macedonians from emptiness, deprivation of culture, insecurity, fear, stupidity and ignorance has turned to the Greeks and continues to do so. He has been filled with Greek mythology and now believes he is a Greek, not realizing the void he is trying to fill was created by the same Greeks who continue to pour the Greek wine that keeps him intoxicated.

Macedonian Brothers, if you renounce your Greekness then what will happen to you? You are afraid to let go the illusion of Hercules, Jason, the ancient Greeks, their history, the "doxa" and all that jazz, etc. Do not be afraid. We have our history, our culture, nationality, and nation. We have rights. We are not sub-humans as the Greeks want us to believe. We are Macedonians. We want to honour our heroes, our grandfathers, our people. The Macedonian landscape has been soaked with blood, sweat and tears from Macedonians, not Kolokotroni, Ypsilantis, or Bouboulina.

When someone declares he is a Macedonian, he makes a statement that he is a free man; a distinct individual who belongs and shares the Macedonian culture, language, faith, traditions, history, etc. When someone declares he is a Macedonian, he demands respect for himself and his family, his people, his country, etc.

When someone declares he is a Macedonian, he develops and enriches his culture. He protects his faith and all rights that belong to the Macedonian nation.

When someone declares he is a Macedonian, he inherits the history, land, culture, traditions, language, art, music, etc.

When someone declares he is a Macedonian, he demands what is Macedonian.

If you are a Gerkoman, in the process of declaring yourself a Macedonian with responsibilities to the Macedonian people and nation, to you, dear Brother, we apologize. This article is for those Gerkomani who continue to support the Greeks and their propaganda. These Gerkomani will die as Gerkomani. We say, "The hell with you, you were no good for Macedonia, you are no good to the Macedonian Nation".  In the history of the Macedonian people you will be remembered as traitors, lackys to the Greeks : You were never Greek. You will never be Greek. You will die Gerkomani in shame.

ATA DA VE NAIDI

REMEDY FOR GERKOMANIA

Accept yourself for who you are. If you desperately want to be Greek, analyze your desperation why, and be honest about it. All the people in this world do not choose their nationality. They are born into it. Answer this question : What is in the best interest of the Greeks? Is it the physical existence of the Slavophones (that's you) or the land you occupy?

MACEDONIA FOR THE MACEDONIANS

S.O.M.A.

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 Excerpts from the "Short History of Zhelevo Village" Macedonia

by Foto S. Tomev

The Zhelevo Village, district of Kostur, Macedonia, was one of the comparitvely larege villages in the district of Kostur. It was the second largest after Smurdesh Village in Koreshtata. Zhelevo is nestled in and surrounded by mountains and it lies at the foot of Mt. Bigla. It is pretty and a picturesque village. The river Bistritsa takes its source from the mountains near the village and empties into the Gulf of Solun (Salonica). It lies on the highway connecting the cities of Kostur and Lerin.
Prior to 1912 the village counted approximately 270 houses. There were two public schools in the village, one junior high school and two churches - St. Nicholas and St. Atanas. On its north-east boundary is the village Pisoderi and on the northern boundary, the village German; to the north-west the village Rudari and Paply; to the west Oronik and Bukovik; and to the south-east the villages Oshchima dn Tersia.
The Founding of the Village
It is not exactly known who were the first settlers of Zhelevo the village, as it stands today, is divided into two : the Old Zhelevo and the New Zhelevo. There is no concrete historical information to tell us who were the first settlers of the village. Of course, as it is in other villages, there are legends connected with Zhelevo which tell us about the first settlers of the village.
One of these legends, which I consider most plausable, states as follows : After an unsuccessful uprising against the Turks, six or seven families living in the plain ran away and settled in the location called "Old Zhelevo" where there was a dense and impenetratble forest. This location was practically inaccessible to the Turks and therefore considered safe by the settlers. The Turks would have never dared attempted to enter such places. There was actually no need for them to go to such places because they were mostly interested in the plains, where people lived, and not in the mountainous locations. Thus the settlement of Zhelevo began. But who were the settlers and where they came from is unknown to us. Even the year in which this event took place is unknown, nor it is known in what year thie uprising against the Turks took place. This legend I consider to be tru because the majority of the villages in the Macedonian mountain regions came into existence this way. Revolts and uprising took palce and the besieged "raya" (enslaved population) had to leave their homes, run from the Turks and hide in save places which were in the mountains.
The eminent Belgian scholar and politician Augier Bousbec, who trvelled though the Balkans in 1553 as an ambassador of the Emperor Ferdinand I, tells us of additional reasons why the Christians were abandoning their houses and their fertile land, and were running away to impenetrable locations. He writes thus : "Often, the Christians were annoyed by the tiresome proudness and insolence of the Turks, and withdrew from the "king's road" and went to places which were inaccessible and safe, leaving behind better land to the powerful Turks."
It is for such reasons that the population was forced to leave everything behind and search for safer locations in which to hide from the persecutions of the enslaver, and to start a better life. Many of the settlements in Macedonia, and in other parts of the Balkan Peninsula, came into existence because of the persecution of the Turks.
It is not exactly known how long the settlers lived at the first location - "Old Zhelevo", but in all probability it can be accepted that they lived there for many years. So the legend states. What forced the residents of "Old Zhelevo" to leave this place and relocated in New Zhelevo? Old people have told us that they have heard through traditions : that it had happened after a torrential rain. It is said that the rains were so heavy and terrifying, that it swept away the houses, the animals, the gardens and the fields of the people of Old Zhelevo. This forced them to settle on the new location - the present Zhelevo. The foundations of the houses of Old Zhelevo still existed before 1915.
Another legend tells us that a special ceremony was performed by the villagers before they settled in the new location. The people believed that by doing this ceremony, the new settlement would escape destruction, be it by men or natural calamity. The ceremony was as follows : at the suggestion of some of the older people, two heifer-twins were harnessed and, with the help a furrow was made tracing the boundaries of the new village. Two young boys who were twins led the heifers. It seems that this superstitious belief worked out fo rZhelevo. Many of the nearby villages were either burnt or destroyed during the uprising or by the calamity of nature, but Zhelevo remains intact to this day. Zhelevo was not affected by the Ilinden Uprising, nor by the Balkan War, nor suffered damages during the First and Second World Wars.
At first the settlers earned their livelihood as wood-choppers. They cut trees from the dense forest and transported them for sale to the small town of Lerin. At the same time they began woodcarving; they made wooden bowls, spoons and boxes. Some of them took advantage of the favourable surrounding which contained ample wild game, and began hunting. Others made ploughs, yokes, cart wheels, carriages, etc., which they sold to the villagers in the neighbourhood. Later on, they begam to cultivate the land. Land was scarce and was need for the grazing of livestock
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 THE HELLEMANIST


The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhaur wrote in his Magnum  Opus, "There are
three kinds of Greeks" the Hellenes, the Philhellenes [those who truly love the Greeks and
their culture] and the Hellenists [those who imitate the Greeks]. The philosopher of course
was referring to the ancient Greeks.

   The Gerkoman of Macedonia has been called and described as a Hellenist. But Hellenist
properly refers to ancient people who imitated the achievements of the ancient Greeks, in
sculpture, poetry, philosophy, etc. The Gerkoman who imitates the Greeks of today cannot
truly be called a Hellenist, simply because he does not have the pleasure to imitate any kind
of modern Greek achievement.
What the Gerkoman of today does, is imitate the Greeks in speech, dance, mannerisms
behaviour and many other Greek characteristics. Considering these facts, we confidently
state, that the Gerkoman is not a Hellenist, but an impersonator, an imitator, like a stage
performer.
Unfortunately for the Gerkoman, his impersonation of the Greeks is life long. The stage
performer's imitation is of short duration, unless, the performer loses control of his identity
and personality and merges with the characters he imitates, when that happens, you can rest
assure, the impersonator is a candidate for medical attention. Similarly, the Gerkoman, when
compared to the impersonators, identity crisis, he can be considered a basket case that suffers
the effects of a disease called Gerkomania.
The Gerkoman in fact, seems to be content with his condition. He uses the mechanism
of conscious repression to deal with his Macedonian reality which threatens his psychological
security. In effect, he tries to do away with his wishes and desires by constantly refusing
to acknowledge his Macedonian origins. In order to minimize the effects and conflict of his
identity dilemma, he has perfected, the mental process of introjection, by grafting on to his
own self, attributes that belong to the Greek character. As a result, he dilutes and confuses
his Macedonian identity altogether. Finally, he identifies himself as a Greek. It must be admitted,
 this constant identity crisis is not shared by all Gerkomani.

Fear is also a motivating factor that renders many of these Macedonians as Gerkomani.
They cannot be considered true Gerkomani. They are victims to the natural instinct for
survival. With the interest of the Gerkoman in mind, we have focussed our attention to the
dreadful disease of the mind we call Gerkomania, an obsessive and manic desire to be Greek.
This disease was brought upon the Macedonian people by Greek Draconian policies that
inflicted thousands of Macedonians, Vlahs, Albanians and others. One may ask, "How was
it possible for the Greeks to mentally paralyze so many Macedonians calling themselves
Greeks?.
After the Balkan wars in 1912-1913, the Aegean part of Macedonia became isolated from outside influence. The Macedonian population  subjected to Greek brutality that deprived the Macedonians of their
freedom to assert and develop their Macedonian national character. The Greeks having complete
control of the inferior position of the Macedonians, instituted a policy of full scale  terror and
propaganda. The Mcedonians being deprived the freedom to even speak their own language, were
forced to identify as Greeks or suffer the consequences. This being the position of the Macedonians
naturally large numbers submitted reluctantly to the brutal foe.

The most significant factor that influenced the Macedonian population especially Macedonian youth
was, ancient Greek culture. No one can deny the majesty of this amazing period in human civilization.
The Macedonians, being deprived of their identity, at the same time brain washed with propaganda
ancient Greek history and terror, they could not resist the assumed superiority of their forced identity.
Ancient Greek culture proved to be addictive to vast numbers of the Macedonian population, that
we identify as Gerkomani, thus resulting in a full scale epidemic of Gerkomania.
Being a victim of this addiction, which the Gerkoman is fully aware, and refuses to acknowledge,the
Gerkoman has become a target of curiosity and pity,
God willing, some of the Gerkomani will save themselves from this shameful condition. Unfortunately
great numbers will carry this disease to their graves.

To ease the burden and torment of the Macedonian Gerkoman, we have a few suggestions that might
elevate the private anguish they go through. We have included to the philosopher's list a fourth kind
of a Greek-  [THE HELLEMANIST. ] To become a Hellemanist, it is a very simple procedure of consent
by the Gerkoman and a Greek preferably from the island of Crete or a Greek from the region called
Mani.These Greeks are considered to be descendents from pure ancient Greek blood. By introducing
pure Greek blood into the Gerkomans blood stream through blood transfusion, the Gerkoman will finally
legitimize his obsession of becoming a Greek. He can proclaim with total confidence, that Greek blood
flows in his veins. He will terminate the name Gerkoman. He will become a proud Hellemanist  and thus end the shameful saga of the Gerkoman once and for all.

S.O.M.A

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 ANCIENT MACEDONIA
BRIEF BACKROUND

Macedonia was a country to the north of Greece. It lied on the Aegean Sea. The Greeks considered Macedonians as barbarians.
The end of Greek dominance in the known world, or as it is otherwise known the Macedonian Era began at The Battle Of Chaeronea August 338BC.

THE MACEDONIAN ERA


Philip II of Macedonia (382-336 BC), king of Macedonia (359-336 BC), son of Amyntas II was born in Pella, the capital of ancient Macedonia. During his childhood he saw the Macedonian kingdom disintegrating while his elder brothers Alexander II and Perdiccas III, fought unsuccessfully against insubordination of their regional vassal princes, continuous attacks by the northern Greek city Thebes, and invasion by the Illyrians of the northwest frontier. Also, before Philips's rise, the ancient Macedonians regarded the ancient Greeks as potentially dangerous neighbors, not as kinsmen, and similarly, the Greeks viewed the Macedonians as barbarians (non-Greeks), and consequently treated them in the same manner in which they treated all non-Greeks. For instance, Herodotus, relates how the Macedonian king Alexander I (498-454 BC), the Philhellene (that is "a friend of the Greeks" and thus a non-Greek), wanted to take a part in the Olympic games. The Greek athletes protested, saying they would not run with a barbarian. Similarly, the historian Thucydidis also considered the Macedonians as barbarians.
Philip II was a hostage in Thebes, from 370 BC to 360 BC. During that period he observed the military techniques of Thebes, where the great tactitian Epaminondas was in charge. Before Philips arrival, Thebes defeated a Spartan army at Leutra (371 BC), which was by a series of successful expeditions into the Peloponnese (370-369, 369-368, 367, and 362). Thus, Thebes put an end to the military dominance of Sparta, firmly establishing itself as the biggest military power in Greece. Philip made great use of his stay in Thebes as he later reorganized the Macedonian army on the model of the Theban phalanx. In 364 BC Philip returned to Macedonia, and in 359 BC he was made regent for his infant nephew Amyntas, the son of his brother Perdiccas III. Soon he seized the throne for himself, suppressing foreign and Macedonian opposition.
Philip came to the throne suddenly and unexpectedly in 359 BC, after his brother Perdiccas III was killed meeting an Illyrian invasion. The Illyrians prepared to close in as the Macedonian state was further weakened by internal turmoil; additional claimants to the throne were a serious threat to Philip's dominance, since they were supported by foreign powers. Philip used the crisis as a great opportunity to demonstrate his diplomatic skills. He bought off his dangerous neighbours and, with a treaty, ceded Amphipolis to Athens. In less than two years he secured the safety of his kingdom and firmly established himself on the throne. After defeating the Illyrians in 358 BC, Philip sought to bring all of Upper Macedonia (especially Lynkestis, the birthplace of his mother) under his control and make them loyal to him. Apart from military, Philip had several political inventions that helped turn Macedonia into a world power. His primary method of creating alliances and strengthening loyalties was through marriage. In 357 BC he married Olympia, from the royal house of Molossia, and a year later they had a son, Alexander.

In the year 357BC the threat to Greece did not come from Persia but from the young and intelligent King Phillip 2 of Macedonia.

At first Phillip began interfering in the affairs of Greece as the ally of one or another state.
To begin with Phillip acted peaceably. In August 338BC the Macedonian army met the combined forces of Athens and Thebes at the Battle Of Chaeronea. The main Macedonian weapon was a long pike, the sarissa, terrifying to men armed only with short lances and swords. It was used by foot soldiers in the Macedonian phalanx an indestructible body of men, sarissas and shields. As long as the walls of the phalanx were not broken it was indestructible.
There was fierce fighting from the start with neither side gaining the upper hand. The Greek General said "you have to keep attacking until you push the enemy back to Macedonia" and Phillip remarked "the Greeks just don’t know how to win". Phillip ordered his left wing to drop back steadily, the Greeks sensing victory urged on but what they didn’t know is that they were walking into a well-rehearsed trap. The Macedonian cavalry (horsemen) led by Prince Alexander then came and attacked. The entire Greek wall was broken and they were cut down each one by one. It was a great victory to the Macedonians, as they had wiped out the army of the proudest civilisation of their time in a few hours in August 338BC at Chaeronea.
The people of Athens were terrified of the news of Chaeronea and Phillip was granted Athenian citizenship. Alexander was sent to Athens bearing the bones and ashes of the Athenians who had fallen at Chaeronea and in return was given Athenian citizenship. Phillip pushed on to Sparta and his task was complete, the days of the little states was over, what a pity the Greeks couldn’t unite themselves but had to have a conqueror do it for them. At the drunken wedding feast of Attalus King Phillip was murdered by one of his own guards who was suspected to be in the pay of the Persians
.
INVASION AND DEFEAT OF PERSIA

 The Greeks, who had breathed a sigh of relief over Phillip’s murder, began to realise that Phillip’s son was as much to be feared as Phillip had been.
Alexander was twenty-one when he crossed the Hellespont as Commander-in-Chief of the Macedonian Army and the league of Corinth. He took an army of 35,000 Macedonians and 7,600 Greeks.
King Darius did not take Alexander seriously at first. The Persians meet the Macedonians at the river Granicus and there objective was to kill Alexander as they thought he was the key and without him these Macedonian invaders would go home, although Alexander was very nearly killed only to be saved by a friend. The Persians were in a great position and attacked the Macedonians. Alexander drove the Persian left-wing up a hill and with that out of the way, then the Macedonian line started moving. Once within bow shot Alexander led the cavalry to charge all out, knowing he must get through. The Persian archers and troops turned and ran, Darius himself ordered his chariot to be turned and fled himself, deserting his army which went on fighting. When the Persians heard of the news that King Darius had fled himself they retreated and nothing much could be done to the Persian army before night fell.
The Macedonians saw what true luxury was for the first time as the Kings chariot was captured which one could imagine was a fairytale dome of gold and embroidery and precious stones.
THE END OF DARIUS

The Persians had taken battle position near Gaugamela with Darius himself in the centre. Alexander kept back his Macedonian fighters in most of the battle until he saw a gap in the Persian line and then when he saw one he led his Macedonians into the gap and the line broke, and as before Darius turned and fled.
All was not well on Alexander’s left as the Persians had broke through the phalanx so Alexander and his Macedonian Companions went to help. The news had got through that Darius had again deserted them. They turned and fled still angry and undefeated. He went to the palace of Persepolis and the treasure he knew was there. At Persepolis there was more gold bars and coins than in the whole of the western cities. Alexander heard of Darius' whereabouts and went. Then they saw the men they were after and two of them stabbed Darius and left him there lying in the dessert. The first Macedonian who got there gave Darius a cup of water-he was dead before Alexander saw him
.
THE MACEDONIAN EMPIRE
The Macedonian Empire went as far as India, as was the largest empire the world had ever seen.
Alexander The Great of Macedonia (the first king to be known by the words the great after his name) is considered to be one of the best military leaders of all time and a military genius to say the least
.
THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER
Alexander's army had enough and wanted to return to their homelands, they convinced Alexander to return home although Alexander became very ill on the way back to Macedonia. Alexander died on the 13th June 323BC of malaria in Babylon.

THE END OF THE MACEDONIAN ERA
The Macedonian Empire ended on the 22nd June 168BC as they were conquered by the Romans, although a Roman General who fought them, never forgot and often confessed to his friends in Rome that he had never seen anything more alarming and terrifying than the Macedonian Phalanx.

THE PROPAGANDA
*Macedonians should not be recognised as Macedonians as they have been of Greek nationality since 2000BC.
*Macedonians whose language belongs to the Slavic family, must not call themselves Macedonians as 4000 years ago they spoke Greek and today still speak nothing but Greek.
*Macedonia has no right to call itself by this name as Macedonia has always been a region and is today a region of Greece.
*Bulgaria's view is that Macedonians are ethnically Bulgarian.
*& that Macedonians are simply Western Bulgarians.
*The Serbs believe that Macedonians are misguided country cousins who belong in a Greater Serbia. (Yugoslavia)

THE FACTS

*Macedonia was never a region of Greece. On the contrary, Greece was often subject to Macedonia. In 1913, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria divided Macedonia into three parts. (BALKAN WARS)
*Ancient Macedonians were a distinct European people and proud of their nationality, their customs, their language and their name. The same applies to their descendants today.
*Ancient Macedonians regarded Greeks as neighbours not as kinsmen. The Greeks treated the Macedonians as foreigners ("barbarians") whose native language was Macedonian not Greek.
*Macedonians claimed kinship with the Illyrians, Thracians and Phrygians, not with Greeks.
*Greeks said Macedonians were "barbarians" (a word which means non-Greek)
*Demosthenes, the great Athenian statesman and orator, spoke of the Macedonian King Phillip2 of Macedon as:
Quote,
"...Not only not Greek, nor related to the Greeks, but not even a barbarian from anyplace that can be named with honours, but a pestilent knave from Macedonia, whence it was never yet possible to buy a decent slave."[Third Phillipic, 31]
*The Macedonian "barbarian’ defeated Greece at the Battle Of Chaeronea in August 338BC. The date is known as the end of Greek history or as The Macedonian Era.
*Alexander The Great spoke Macedonian and was proud of his ethnicity. However the Macedonian language then was not used as a literacy idiom.
The first native written language in Macedonia is the idiom called Macedonian or Old Church Slavonic (Cyrillic Alphabet) and is the basis of all Cyrillic alphabets today.
*Alexander won his empire with 35,000 Macedonians and only 7,600 Greeks and called it the Macedonian Empire not the Greek Empire.
*Today’s republic was created by Josip Broz Tito the anti-fascist leader of Yugoslavia during the 2nd World War who recognised Macedonians as a distinct nationality with their own language and customs.
*The claims by Bulgaria that Macedonians are of Bulgarian ethnicity are entirely false due to the facts that the Tatars a people from the east who invaded the balkans during Byzantine times mixed with the Gypsies and Turks in the Balkans and created a new race of people which go by the name of Bulgarians.
The Tatars dropped their native name and language in favor for the Macedonian language with its Cyrillic alphabet and customs and created the Bulgarian nation which is east of Macedonia and today has in its boundaries the Pirin region of Macedonia.
*By the Treaty of Bucharest, in August 1913 Macedonia was divided among Greece, Serbia (Yugoslavia) & Bulgaria.
Greece gained Aegean Macedonia and renamed it Northern Greece or Greek Macedonia.
Bulgaria gained Pirin Macedonia and abolished the Macedonian name.
Serbia gained Vardar Macedonia and renamed it Southern Serbia and it was included in the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats & Slovenes. Later renamed Yugoslavia.
Macedonian freedom fighters in 1944 created its Macedonian Republic (named Macedonia from then on, not Southern Serbia) but it was not entirely independent.
*Macedonia became a sovereign state in 1991 by referendum. Majority of voters chose independence.
*Therefore,
The claims put forward by Greece that the Ancient Macedonians and present are Greeks, that their native language was Greek, and that Macedonia was a region of Greece are all false. Historical truth is that Greece inhabited by Greeks and Macedonia by Macedonians. The presence of Greek settlements along the coasts which King Phillip 2 destroyed anyway did not change Macedonia’s ethnic character and like wise, a much longer and stronger Greek presence in Egypt did not change that African land into a region of Greece.
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 MACEDONIA DURING THE TURKISH RULE

(end of the 14th - beginning of the 20th century)

It was a long period of five hundred years (1395 - 1912) when Macedonia within her historic and ethnic borders shared the destiny of the powerful Ottoman Empire, as one of the central Balkan regions. After the defeat by the allies at the river Maritsa (1371), where the Macedonian feudals Volkashin and Uglesha took part, the Turks penetrated in the territory of Macedonia and conquered it by the year of 1395.The successor of Volkashin, Prince Marko (1371 - 1395) and the Deyanovi brothers became vassals. Prince Marko protected the population from the Turkish violence and was praised as a great hero in the folk songs.

The Turkish state in Macedonia imposed completely its military, political, administrative and tax system and started the Islamization of the Macedonian Christian population. This process was evident during the 16th and the 17th century especially in Western and Eastern Macedonia. Nevertheless, the Macedonian Islamized population (Macedonians Moslems nowadays) preserved the Macedonian native language.

During the Turkish period the Ohrid Archbishopric preserved the independence and turned into the main supporter of the Macedonian originality. Ohrid archbishops tried to start a liberation movement for Macedonia and other Balkan states from the Turkish yoke with assistance of the Western forces and Russia. The Macedonian inferior clergy was the protector of the cultural traditions, nourishing the vernacular and supporting the national feeling.

During the period from the 15th to 18th century the Ottoman Empire suffered military defeats; as a result of that it inforced the economy exploitation upon the Macedonian population. The timar-spahi system began to decay being replaced by a tchifflick one.

The enforced lawlessness and anarchy of the rebelled feudals, the high taxes and the corruptive local administration creating dissatisfaction and revolt among the Macedonian population manifested into a different form of resistance: haiduk life, rebellions and uprisings. The well known were the Prilep-Mariovo rebellion (1564/65), and the Karposh uprising (1689/90) which was put down with bloodshed by the Turkish authority.

After the repeal of the Ohrid Archbishopric autocephality and its subordination under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople Patriarchite (1767), the social circumstances aggravated in Macedonia. The feudal mutual struggles provoked migration of the Macedonian peasants into towns. At the beginning of the 19th century the handicrafts, the trading and the Macedonian middle class became developed. Except Salonica and Bitola (the main administrative and economic centres) the towns of Seres, Castoria, Prilep, Skopje, Veles etc. became developed at the same time. The population made mutual contacts during the usual fairs, breaking up the existing autarchy.

The conditions for both - the extensive integration of the Macedonian population and the development of the Macedonian national conscience were created. Despite the five century long Turkish rule, the Macedonian people preserved and nourished the national identity, vernacular language, the Orthodox religion, folklore, tradition and culture. The second half of the 19th century was characterized by the national struggle for liberation and foundation of the Macedonian state.
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 Blaze Koneski
Born in a village near Prilep in 1921. Studied philology at Skopje University and worked there as a professor. Was the first President of the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as of the Serbian and Slovene Academies, and Honorary Doctor of the Universities of Chicago and Krakow. Wrote poetry, short stories and essays, as well as scholarly works, many of them on the Macedonian language. Editor of the Dictionarv of the Macedonian Language, translator of Heine and Shakespeare. His work has been translated into Serbo-Croat, Slovene, Albanian, Turkish, Hungarian, French, Russian, Italian, Greek, Polish, Romanian, German and English. Winner of numerous prizes including the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings.

 Epistle

Without you, Tyre and Sidon,
life has existed here for thousands of years and will continue.
We humans are like grass:
crushed, dried, withering, dying.
The land alone remains.
We humans are like ants:
squashed, destroyed, and again gathering in a pile.
From here, sometime, began the march to the Indus, who could have foreseen that?
Along the Via Egnatia Cicero went into exile
in Salonika.
Near Drama
Caesar's ghost appeared to Brutus
in the tent
on the eve of the decisive battle.
And fifteen martyrs were consecrated at Tiveriopol. Naum built a monastery
at the source of the White Like.
This land also gave strength to King Marko. And yet,
has it not suffered humiliation?
Everything is ordained -
we depart
but the land remains.

 Small things

All these trinkets,
toys,
trifles, souvenirs,
small mementoes or great moments, small presents from great friends,
one day
they'll lose their magic attraction, their small warm souls,
to turn into cold bits and pieces. Maybe the elm which has begun to die
now similarly feels that it bears
a lot of withered branches.

 Skopje

You who will stand on Gazibaba, you, my descendant hear me:
From here I too have gazed on Skopje,
it was a spring day, one of those
when the fresh outlines of the roofs
are softly interwoven
and every poplar is a green waterjet.
My gaze a little veiled
(that's why I'm silent)
but clear-sighted and bright.
Know you:
I feel that this my call
is the boldest grasp for the future,
an embrace of your soul, I'd say,
and cutting like a fresh-honed edge, dreaming, teeming, screaming:
remember me!

 The call

This voice of the muezzin
from a tape,
this velvet baritone
from the mosque,
this morning it sounds so persuasive,
like a link between earth and heaven,
so consoling and so calming,
and so deep at first sight,
that intimate contact!
And yet, if you understand the prayer's words
you'd realise that this is just a call,
effective only for the faithful
on this poor earth of ours.

 Recollection after many years

I was perhaps not quite twenty when I wrote:
"So much did woe cry out within me that I was born into a tribe in need." And to this day
the injury will bleed:
I'm haunted by that ever-present woe and one that's greater still,
so that, sower of barren seed,
I'll say,
to change the words a little,
"Still does the woe cry out within me that I am horn into a tribe in need."

And yet I hope this isn't so,
since I have undergone the test
of such great woe.
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 MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE

  When speaking about Macedonia, one should bear in mind the fact that the language of the Macedonians gave the first literary language. The old language was for a long period of time the common language of all the Southern, the Eastern and part of the Western people.
From the ninth up to the nineteenth century hundreds of written works (most of them preserved) were created on Macedonian soil. They give proof of the culture and literacy which existed for almost a millennium, representing the Macedonian people as a nation with a high degree of culture, was marked both in Macedonian literature and world civilization.
The most brilliant traces of this rich cultural tradition, born on Macedonian soil are the alphabets - Glagolitic and Cyrillic. When speaking about Macedonia we should not judge it as a country that has only just started on the path to a civilized society, but must consider it as an old civilization and culture, which was pushed back and now has the possibility of developing once again.
However, when one says that the beginning of literacy and its activity amongst the Macedonian's means the beginning of the Macedonian people in general, it is not a phrase, because the first text, (composed by the brothers from Solun - Thessaloniki, Kiril and Metodija) were written in a dialect of the Macedonian from the district of Thessaloniki.
Kiril and Metodija (826-869 and 815-885) founded Macedonian literacy and literature. They were born in Thessoloniki, defending the positions of Christianity among pagan people. Their best known mission dates from 826-863 in Moravia, when they were asked by the Moravian Prince Rastislav from Moravia, to organise the church defending it against the Germanisation, which was being perpetrated by the German and Latin population. In that sense Kiril created Glagolica alphabet, which was used in necessary or writing church books, translated from the Greek. In Moravia and Panonia they increased the number of the books. In that period of Christian culture Kiril and Metodija fought a difficult struggle due to the fact that Hebrew, Greek and Latin were considered the only suitable languages for God's word. Kiril refused such a supposition affirming the right of every nation to be educated in its own language.
With their pioneer activity Kiril and Metodija had become the founders of Macedonian literature, the general literary language in the first place with their literary activity and establishing of the alphabet and with the translations of the most important church books.
The best proof of their activity are the preserved written words in glagolitic. The zoographer's gospel, the Marijinsko translated into the Macedonian language as well as other numerous books dedicated for the church. They are both mentioned as the authors of a series of original works (prayers, sermons and hagiographies).
The work of Kiril and Metodija began and reached its climax in Macedonia (then under the rule of the Bulgarian Emperor Boris) from where it was later spread to all other Slav country's.
The direct successors of Kiril and Metodija in Macedonia were their collaborators, Kliment and Naum. Kliment of Ohrid (Kliment Ohridski 840-916) was the founder of the Ohrid literary school. As the best pupil of the brothers from Thessaloniki after the pursuit from Moravia he settled in the region of Kutnjicevica (present day Western Macedonia) and after 887 he started his brilliant career as an educator. He started to open schools all over Macedonia both for children and older people and established his University with then 3,500 students. Due to such extensive activity he became one of the most famous educators. In 893 he was appointed as the first bishop in the region Velica (Ohrid). He introduced the language into the official sermons and prayers in Macedonia and Southern Albania, erected several monastery's and churches, delivered sermons among the people in their own language, becoming one of the first creators of Slav and Macedonian literature, as well as the author of numerous church hymns. He wrote a work of prays about Kiril. He is considered to be the founder of Cyrillic which is even today, apart from some new and modernised details the official alphabet of the Russian's, Ukranians, White Russian's, Bulgarian's, Serbian's, Montenegrians and Macedonian's.
The close collaborator and the successor to Kliment's work in Macedonia is Naum of Ohrid, who between 893 and 910 also worked in the region of Kutmicevica.
The oldest preserved monument was found in Macedonia. It is a tombstone plaque of Emperor Samuel from 993 and the Varoski epitaph from 996.
Several well known monuments written in Cyrillic, with some elements of Macedonia editorial remarks come from Macedonia "The Ohrid Apostle" and the "Shepherd from Bologna", "Bitolski Trod", "Stanisavljeg Prolog", Leskovski Psalter". We shall mention other preserved manuscripts: "Pop Jovanov Gospel" (XII c.), "Vranesnicki Apostle" (XIII c.), " Dobromirov Gospel", " Radomirovo Gospel" and others. All these works date from the twelfth to the fifteenth century. From the later period (the sixteenth to the eighteenth century) we have some manuscripts with some elements of the contemporary speech. These are anthologies of sermons and prayers and different texts from the apocrypha, called "Damascene".
The Macedonian language was introduced into literature mostly in an unofficial form, during the Turkish rule in Macedonia, particularly in the nineteenth century. Starting with Danilo's "cetijezicnik" (1802), through the works of Kiril Pejcinovic, Joakim Krcovski, and Teodosije Sinaetski (from the first decade of the nineteenth century) until the first generation of the Macedonian writers from the middle of the last century (Dimitrija and Konstantin Miladinov, Rajko Zinzifov, Grigor Prlicev, Georgi Dinkov, Andrea and Konstanti Petkovski, Marko Cepenkov, Kuzman Sapkarev and others), the national language gradually rose to the level of literary forms.
Krste Misirkov has scientifically and precisely explained the ideas for the creation of the Macedonian literary language, in his book "Za Makedonskite Raboti" (1903). These ideas were accepted by the generations after the First and Second World War's so that after the National Liberation War was officially codified by an Act of National Assembly of Macedonia.

 The Macedonian literary language, the official language of the Republic of Macedonia has already been in use for five decades  since 1945, for the rich and developed literature of the Macedonian's. It was created on the basis of the Central and Western Macedonia dialects and written traditionally from the nineteenth century, as well as from the first quarter of the twentieth century (Miladinovci, Cepenkov, Misirkov and Racin). The vocal system of the Macedonian language consists of five sounds (a, e, i, o, u). There are 26 consonants of which two are "milde" lj, nj hard palate, k and g, dental fricative: s (dz) and trilled: r. The accent is expiratory and immobile - over the third sylable, from the end of the world. Grammar is analytical, while the case system does not exist, except Dative and Accusative, concerning only proper names. There is a definite article in three forms ov, ot, on (covek-ov, dete-to, and dete-no). All the tenses exist, and the Macedonian writing is phonetic. The alphabet is Cyrillic consisting of 31 letters (a, b, v, g, d, dj, e, z, z, s, i, j, k, l, lj, m, n, nj, o, p, r, s, t, k, u, f, h, c, c, dz, s).
Besides its use in administration, public communications, schools, newspapers, radio, and television and theatres, the Macedonian language is used in literary works, translations as well as in foreign universities which hold permanent language courses in Macedonian language.
In conclusion after eleven century's the Macedonian language has gained its reaffirmation.
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 CHRISTIANITY AND CHURCH

Christian worship had taken root early in Macedonia with the Christianisation of the Pantheist People being almost complete by the 8th century. Christianity amongst the Macedonian's was consolidated with the creation of the Macedonian Archbishophic in Ohrid in the 10th century, during the region of tsar Samuel. Though it managed to survive the excesses of the Byzantine and Serbian Empires, its most severe test came with the Ottoman conquest, and the threat of the mandatory imposition of Islam. Paradoxically, the Turks initially proved quite tolerant of Orthodoxy. However, conscious of its role in fomenting rebellion and under the influence of the increasingly powerful Greek Patriarchate in Constantiopole (which together with an aggressive Greek bourgeoisie undertook to expand Greek domination in the Balkans), the Turks abolished the Macedonian Church in 1767. Its Eparchates were absorbed by the Greek Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Many attempts were to restore the Ohrid Church, intensifying during the anti-partriarchate drift during the 1870's. In 1967, the autonomy and the nature of the Macedonian Church was declared, thus crowing the long struggle which had led to the restoration of the Archibishophric of Ohrid in 1958. During its period of darkness, the local clergy in Macedonia, who held very tenuous links with the Bulgarian Exarchate, which was established in 1870, and the Greek Church often supported the I.M.R.O, during the Ilinden era, a period in which coincidentally, the idea of a separate Macedonian Church prospered.
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 Bolen Dojchin

Koga bev prepoln sila
shto pridojduva kako matna rechna glava,
koga se setiv vreden za mojot podvig,
dostoen za slava,
koga mi zakrepna glasot za najdlabokiot zbor,
rakata za najtezhok mech,
nogata za najveren od -
togash se slomiv.
Padnav kako creshovo drvo od premnogu rod.
Edna potsmeshliva senka mi ja izdemna tragata,
kako zmija vo grobno kamarche se vovleche vo svesta,
smeata mi ja urochi, mi ja zacrni tagata -
da se obDziram podozrivo, da dumam da shestam.
Togash se setiv siten i smeshen i dolen,
se stopi snagata, kapnaa racete,
padna mechot,
padnav bolen.
Bolen lezham do devet godini,
shto iskinav do devet posteli
ne gi chuvstvuvam vekje svoite zglobovi,
jas sum rasfrlan na tvrda ledina
na pekolen pladneven prisoj,
jas sum raskosten koska od koska
niz moite koski treva poniknalo
niz taa treva zmii se vedat.
Jas kopneam grob temen i studen
nema kraj bez mojot podvig suden.
Nepoznata zheno edinstvena na svetot,
sestro i majko moja, ti shto si stradala mnogu,
ti shto si setila maka do vbigoruvanje,
dojdi sestro zlatna,
zberi gi moite muvlosani koski, ne grozi se,
sostavi me,
povij me so trista lakti platno,
rechi mi tih rech,
ispravi me,
nauchi pak da odam, majko,
daj mi v raka mech -
da ubijam crna Arapina.
Da umram.


 Teshkoto

O teshkoto! Zurli shtom divo kje pisnat,
stom tapan kje grmne so podzemen ekot
vo gradive zoshto zhal luta me stiska,
vo ochive zoshto mi navira reka
i zoshto mi ide da placham ko dete,
da previjam race, da prekrijam lik
ta grizam jas usni, stegam srce kleto,
da ne pushti vik.
O teshkoto! Starci izleguvaat eve,
na chelo im misla, vo ochi im vlaga
i prviot chekor po mekata treva
e miren i baven, so zadrzhana taga.
No 'rznuva tapan i piskot se kreva
i molnija svetnuva vo sekoj gled,
i napred se spushta, se strelka, se sleva
stegnatiot red.
Do starcite momci se fakjaat skokum;
ne izdrzha srce - siv sokol vo kletka,
ne izdrzha plamen zhiv potulen v oko,
ne izdrzha mladost shto saka da letne!
Se zalula oro! Se zavrte zemja,
i chinish - se korne stresnatiot vek,
i okolu trpnat ridishtata temni
i vrakjaat ek.
I bozhem se vraslo kipnatovo oro
so iskonska sila za zemjava nasha
i vo nego shumi na rekite zborot,
i vo nego rika div veter i strashen
i vo nego shepnat uzreani zhitja
i vecheren miris se razleva tih,
i zemjata dishe vo proletna sitost
so zapalen zdiv.
I dushata chinish, na rodot moj machen
vo teshkoto oro se utkala seta -
vek po vek shto trupal se' popust i mrachen
od krvava bolka, od robija kleta,
vek po vek shto nizhel od korava misla
za radosna chelad, za sloboden svet,
od pesna - za ljubov shto gine so pisok
ko zherav vo let.
O teshkoto! Koga vo molk, da te gledam,
na ochive magla mi napagja sura,
i odednash - v beskraj se rastega redot
i ridja se gubat v pustelija shtura -
i eve kaj ide od maglata matna
se' senka do senka, se' eden do drug -
vo beskrajno oro sin odi po tatka,
po deda si - vnuk.
Vreminjata mrachni se nivnoto pole,
i nivnata svirka - na prangite dzvekot,
a glavite im se navedeni dole,
i pokroce vrvat - se' chekor po chekor.
O vreminja, shto ve v mrak rodot moj minal,
koj zbor kje mi najde za vashata strav?!
Koj zbor kje mi najde za uzhasot zinat
nad pustosh i krv?!
Koj broj kje mi kazhe na lutite rani,
na plamnati nokji, na peplishta pusti,
koj na srce bolki kje izredi zbrani,
i na ochi solzi, i kletvi na usti.
O teshkoto! Sindzhir ti beshe na robja,
od kaleshi momi i nevesti red,
so vrzani race so plen shto gi pognal
nasilnikot klet.
O teshkoto! Sindzhir ti beshe na robja,
dur ne stana narod vo listena gora,
se' duri so jadot od vekovi sobran
ne povede bujno, buntovnichko oro!
Se zalula tanec niz krvje i ogan,
i povik se zachu i grmezh vo chad -
te raznese segde buntovnata noga
po rodniot kat.
O teshkoto! Sega po nashite sela
vo sloboda prvpat shtom kje oro sretam,
zar chudno e - solza da poteche vrela,
zar chudno e - zhalba jas v srce da setam?
Od vekovno ropstvo, moj narode, idesh
no nosish ti v srce dar zlaten i poj.
Pchenicata tvoja trizh plodna kje bide,
i zhivotot tvoj!


 Vezilka

1.
Vezilke, kazhi kako da se rodi
prosta i stroga makedonska pesna
od ova srce shto so sebe vodi
razgovor nokjen vo trevoga besna.
- Dva konca paraj od srceto, dragi
edniot crn e, a drugiot crven,
edniot budi mornichavi tagi,
drugiot kopnezh i svetol i strven.
Pa so niv vezi ednolichna niza,
pesna od kopnezh i pesna od maka,
ko jas shto vezam na lenena riza
rakav za bela nevestinska raka.
Sudbinsko neshto se plelo za veka
od dvete nishki dva sozvuchni zbora,
ednata budi temnica shto shtreka,
drugata budi vkrvavena zora.

2.
Vezilke kreni navedena lika,
pogledaj v nebo vo pretpladne zlatno:
se shari tamu i chudesno blika
tvojata vezba na sinoto platno.
Za tebe nema ni vecheren zapad,
ti - morno oko na trepetna srna.
Dve boi tamu ti gorat i kapat
dve sharki tvoi - crvena i crna.
Zar ne se plashish od jarkosta nivna,
i najmil spomen deka kje ti zgasat?
Zoshto se gubish, ti stroga, ti divna
dnite ti minat, prokobi se glasat.
- I najmil spomen shto v dusha mi blesna
se gasi od niv ko cvekje bez boja.
No ti shto lovish zvuk na chudna pesna
ti si ja kazha sudbinata svoja.
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 Tutunoberachite

Na kantar studen so tuch go merat
a mozhat li da go izmerat
nashiov tutun - nashava maka
nashava solena pot!

Od temni zori na utrini letni
do nikoa doba na vecheri zimni
toj gladno pie tagata nasha
i potta i krvta i snagata ni.
Zholt - zholti pravi licata bledni
i zholta gostinka u gradite nosi.

Po utrini rosni, po mugrite presni
navedeni nichkum po polinja rodni
zachmaeni nie go bereme.
List po list kini
list po list nizhi
list po list prevrtuj, pritiskaj,
list po list milno, tagovno redi
i na dolga niza od kapki pot
i nadezh so kletva i zelena jad,
so korav pogled na ochite matni
po krevkite lisja zholtozlatni
prikaska gorka na zhivot klet
nanizhi bezglasna a taka jasna.

Ta ne znaesh li?

Denot li dojde toj da se meri -
merka mu nema, a v gradite dlabi
bez da se zapre, bez dno da najde
ne taga a kletva, i v ochi matni
i ne sakajc'i sama da se diga
furijata.

Kantarot nosi lisjeto zlatno
a v gradi luto dalgite besnat
na zholtata maka - na zholtiot tutun
na zholtata pot na racete ni!

 The Tobaccogatherers

On cold scales with bronze they weigh it-
but can they gauge its weight-
our tobacco, our troubles,
our salty sweat!

From the dark dim dawns of summer mornings
up to the godless time of winter evenings
greedily it drinks of our sorrow,
our sweat, our blood and our strength.
The yellow-gold makes faces pale
and brings a yellow guest into out breast.

On dew-laden mornings in the first dawn
bowed low in the fields of the place where we were born
listlessly we gather it in.
Pick leaf by leaf
string leaf by leaf
turn leaf by leaf over and press down,
line leaf by leaf gently, sadly
on the long string of beads of sweat
hope with an oath and green fury
with hard stares from cloudy eyes
at the soft leaves all yellow gold
a bitter tale of a life accursed
string on so, soundlessly but clear.
Don't you know this ?

The day is come for the weighing-up.
There is no gauge meet, it burrows in the breast
without ceasing, without finding its level
not grief but an oath, and in the clouded eyes
unsummoned rises the tempest.

The scales bear golden leaves
while in the breast rage furious waves
of golden grief, of golden tobacco
of the golden sweat of our hands.

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Tobacogatherers in Pelagonia near Prilep
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Konstantin Miladinov (Struga, 1830 - Carigrad (Istanbul), 1862) is the first macedonian lyrical poet. In his early ages he left to study in Moscow, which, in that time, was an important cultural center for the slavic world. In the Moscow university Miladinov studied philology.
In the time of his stay in Russia he was feeling deep sorrow and loneliness because of his being far away from his own country.
On his way back from Moscow, Konstantin heard that the Ottoman police has arrested his brother Dimitar Miladinov and, hoping that he would be able to free his brother, he changed his route and went to Carigrad (istanbul). But the Ottoman police arrested Konstantin too, and the two brothers died one after the other in the Carigrad prison in 1862.
Konstantin and Dimitar Miladinov had a major role in the waking of the macedonian people and their nationality. With their teaching activities and the collecting of the macedonian folk literary works, they set the grounds for the modern macedonian literature.

 T'ga za jug                          

Orelski krilja kak da si metneh,
i v nashi strni da si preletneh
na nashi mesta ja da si idam,
da vidam Stambol, Kukush da vidam,
da vidam dali s'nce i tamo
mrachno ugrevjat kako i vamo.

Ako kak ovde s'nce me sretit;
ako pak mrachno s'nceto svetit,
na p't dalechni ja kje se stegnam,
i v drugi str'ni kje si pobegnam,
k'de s'nceto svetlo ugrevjat,
k'de neboto dzvezdi posevjat.

Ovde je mrachno i mrak m'obviva
i temna m'gla zemja pokriva,
mrazoj i snegoj, i pepelnici,
silni vetrishcha i vijulici,
okolu m'gli i mrazoj zemni,
a v gr'di studoj, i misli temni.

Ne, ja ne mozham ovde da sedam,
ne, ja ne mozham mrazoj da gledam!
Dajte mi krilja ja da si metnam
i v nashi str'ni da si preletnam;
na nashi mesta ja da si idam,
da vidam Ohrid, Struga da vidam.

Tamo zorata greit dushata,
i sn'ce svetlo zajdvit v gorata;
tamo darbite prirodna sila
so s'ta raskosh gi rasturila:
bistro ezero gledash beleit,
i si od vetar sino temneit:
pole poglednish, ili planina,
segde bozheva je hubavina.
Tamo po srce v kaval da sviram,
s'nce da zajdvit, ja da umiram.
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Grigor Prlicev is probably the biggest macedonian author from the XIX-th century. He was born in Ohrid in 1830. His father died early and Grigor was taken care for by his mother and his grandfather. He studied in the Greek school in Ohrid and then went to a medical school in Athens. In Athens, in 1860, he took part of the contest for the best poem in Greek language, and he won the best prize "the lovorov venec" for his poem Serdarot. The poem talks about the macedonian national hero Kuzman and his fights against the Gegis.
When Prlicev heard about the death of the brothers Miladinov he came back to Ohrid and became a teacher. In Ohrid he was fighting against the Greek propaganda in the churches and the schools, because of which he was arrested and put in the prison in Debar. After he got out of prison he was a proffesor in the gymnasiums of Ohrid, Bitola, and Solun.
Apart from the poem Serdarot, Prlicev has also written his own autobiography, where he talks about his hard life and the suffering of the macedonian people under the Ottoman ocupator. His poem Skenderbeg was left unpublished when he died in Ohrid in 1893.
Extremely well-acquainted with Hellenistic culture, Prlicev was a poet inspired by epics to a great extent. As an admirer of Homer, he devoted himself to translating his favourite poet. He was given the title 'Second Homer' in 1860 for his poem The Sirdar while he was a student of medicine in Athens. Based on a folk poem, it deals with the exploits and heroic death of Kuzman Kapidan, a famous hero and protector of his people in their struggle with the marauding tribes.
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 VO ZHELEVO BILBILITE VECHNO PEAT\

Gorniot naslov e fragment izvaden od enciklopedija. Vonea ushte pishuva deka vo Makedonija zhiveat najraspeanite bilbili vo svetot …! Verojatno toa se I najskapocenite zborovi napishani vo edno vakvo obemno delo. Poslednovo e fakt, zashto napishanoto e vistina, a ubavinata shto zrachi od nea e nesporedliva. Vprochen, shto bi bilo toa, neshto drugo shto bi deluvalo kako opis ili realnost poubavo od prirodniot raskosh vo zemja vo koja peat bilbili?

Zapisot na pesnata za bilbilite me vrati tri desetletija nazad vo moeto Zhelevo. Seloto e rasposlano vo lerinskata oblast od Primorska Makedonija, [ denes , pod okupacija na Grcija ], Pesnata na ovie pesnopojni ptici me vrati so mislite vo tatkovinata zashto tochno ova selo e gnezdoto na bilbilite. Tie se tamu I denes, po gorite I livadite peat.Denes seloto e rechisi urnato. Vo znak na grchkata drzhavna tiranija selanite se raseleni. Zhelevo e mrtvo. Samo pticite kako zhiv ornament na prirodata ostanaa da go ubaveat ovoj kraj, se razbira megju niv I bilbilite so nivnata opojna pesna koja, kako da ja slusham ovde vo Kanada, preku golemite okeanski dalgi pristignata od Zhelevo… No bez da me lazhe zanesot, jas znam deka I denes bilbilite peat kacheni na granki od ovoshki pred kukite vo Zhelevo, ostaveni prazni da zjaat I stradaat od zabot na vremeto. Zhelevchani kraj rodnite ognishta gi nema. Tie, kako I jas se razseleni po svetot, ostanati samo so spomenite za ubavoto selo Zhelevo.

…Zhelevo od site strani e opkoleno so planini. Kraj seloto teche Zhelevskata reka-kako konec od gerdan, so duzina mostovi gi sostavuva tesnite patchinia so djadeto. Djadeto pak, e istorija za sebe. Pochnuva od albanskata granica I minuva niz Kostur I selata Rula, Trnava, Oshchima, Zhelevo, Psoderi, Rmensko, Lerin…I ponatamu pravi nova nizalka od sela I gradchinia, se do Solun. Ovoj pat go izgradile rimjanite, koga pominale francuzite niz Makedonija go asvaltirale.

SONOT  ZA  ZHELEVO

Da se zboruva za Zhelevo, znachi da se zboruva za rasplakana ubavica za koja osven ubavina ima I teror nad nea od grchkite okupatori. Zagradeno vo planinite, seloto e rechisi poplaveno od izvorski vodi. Vsrede selo grgaat cheshmi. Nema planina ili gora da nema izvori, voda lesna, studena I chista, izvorska-da se napiesh I da nemozhesh so leb da se nasitish…Zhelevo e lichno I vo zimsko vreme. Koga pagja sneg, mu dava inakva ubavina. Go oblekuva kako vo belo platno-nekakva-kralska nosija, sekoja godina se nova soshiena. Sepak, vo Zhelevo sonot e son vo letno vreme. Seloto e kako slika nenaslikana, ubavina neotkriena, livada nepokosena, polna so cvekinia povadeni, izrasnati I nesobrani I neizmirisani…Ex, tuka megju tie gori, trevi, izvori I cvekinia…tuka, mozhesh da ja slushnesh pesnata na bilbilot shto go miri I topli srceto. Tuka, toa e mestoto na rajot nad koe denes vladee molk I pustilo. Ulicite vo Zhelevo stanaa stinija, diva I obrasnata. Patchiniata so nivjeto I razurnatite kuki stanaa edno, ne se poznava nishto. Nekojpat, edno od najgolemite sela vo lerinskata okolija, kade orata I pesnite go plamtea zhivotot, sega e samo ubav spomen. Minatoto I za minatoto se zhenite I chupite oblecheni vo zhelevskata nosija koj ja pravea krasotijata na seloto ushte poubava.

KOGA  REDI  MAKEDONSKATA  MAJKA

Ne daleku od Zhelevo e Prespa I Prespanskoto ezero, German I Nivici, Oromnik, Papli I Rudari. Ovde se ubavinite I bogastvata, planinite kade komitskite pesni se peele i kade se razvivalo makedonskoto komitsko zname. Ovde e makedonskata istorija I bogastvoto od minatoto na nashiot nesreken narod. Grchkite shovinisti prekrstija I zabranija se shto e makedonsko. Samo dve raboti ne uspevaat da gi izmenat. 1. Koga redi makedonskata majka, gorda makedonka, plache, vika I redi po makedonski; 2. Poveketo mesta, nivje, gradini I imoti koj bea krsteni od dedovcite I chukun pradedovcite na zhelevskite selani. Grchkite shovinisti ne mozhat da gi izmenat ovie iminia, zashto ne bea zapishani nikade osven vo umot na zhelevchani. Ete, sega gi pishuvam jas, za da ostanat vechni I besmrtni. I za da se srami od niv grchkiot okupator se duri ne ja napushti teritorijata na Egejska Makedonija. Makedonskite iminia od mojata porobena rodina - Zhelevo ne stojat samo vo mojata I svesta na selanite. Zad dolu navedenite iminia stojat I imenuvanite prostori vo Zhelevo koj ne se odbelezhani za grkot da gi pogrchuva, nitu pak mozhe da gi krene I odnese negde. Iminiata se: Zhelevo, Starozhelevo, Bratindol, Broda, Chukite, Vodenchiniata, Kilevska maala,Vardar maala, Ostenec, Selca, Kafeto na Temovci, Golema Livada, Kasharica, Djolintrap, Belioch, Sperkojca, Galik, Volnishtata, Zdraec, Losh trap, Asana padina, Zhelevskata reka, Rendesh, Crvenicata, Lojata, Shalojca, Kundelica, Beli orebje, Mankoj livadje, Rasarnica, Belich, Shelishte, Malata kilevska maala, Pandarcheto, Padinata, Ramna plocha, Sveticheto, Gorna crkva, Dolna crkva, Gorna maala, Dolna maala, Gjupska maala, Pitachot, Osten, Pod osoo, Temni lak, Kupo, Chezmeto, Bachorniche, Kuleto, Ostenec, Padinata, Kosachki orev, Vo slivata, Georgova glava, Oshchimskoto, Ramna plocha, Sredni reki,  I planinite: Maznior, Djembra, Kokoshka, Golinata, Bigla, Pelior, I Preol.
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