Risto Stefov - Articles, Translations & Collaborations

[Louis]

Yeah? And which are the "natural borders" of Greece?

[damian]

Maybe I will humour you. Natural borders are what was regarded as "Hellas" at the peak of its ancient development the Attica and the Peloponnesos. The natural borders of the Greek elite are the rich neighbourhoods of Athens, London and Switzerland. The rest of the country is tax and profit scam.

[damian]

I am being nice too maybe Greece will completely self-destruct now that its a failed state spiralling into chaos.

[damian]

Greeks will have to go back on the boats they arrived in the region on.

[Louis]

Damn. Can't you arrange your visits to coincide with the election days?
In Prespa, Rainbow Party takes 1% and Golden Dawn 5%.
Now, for the first time, Samaras is the first party throughout the district of Florina (except of one village: Variko/Mokreni)

[damian]

What do you mean? Im taking about Ottoman period, pre-Balkan Wars, pre-Civil War when the socalled "evtoph"(Makedonci) were drained out of the area through various methods. Post-1949 development of the region is not relevant. Do you know anything about the region? Prespa was an autonomous Macedonian state during the end of WWII for a short time. Your reply doesnt mean anything since the area has been reconfigured to suit the interests of the central Greek state, its ruling class, oligarchy, those settled in the area by the Greek government, the Greek Orthodox Church and foreign imperialist-colonialist patrons.

[Louis]

Do you know anything about the region? Prespa was an autonomous Macedonian state during the end of WWII for a short time.

I totally didn't know that (but History may not be my strong point). And what was the name of this state? And which was this short period?

[damian]

Check National Liberation War of Macedonia,:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Liberation_War_of_Macedonia

"This first Partisan activity led to the creation of partisan detachments in other regions of Macedonia during 1942. Until the end of 1942 a total of nine partisan detachments were active in Vardar Macedonia and had control of mountainous territories around Prilep, Skopje, Kruševo and Veles, including one free territory in Prespa."

Free territory, Prespa. The National Liberation War was just the natural wishes of the population a repitition of Ilinden even after decades of Greek occupation. So yes there were revolts, wars against Ottoman, Serb, Greek and Bulgarian occupation, against the Greek KKE/ELAS leadership and national surrounding governments etc. The most siginificant problem was the lack of internal base and power to create a real autonomous Mass Uprising.

Now Makedonci units were fighting as far south as Athens so what are the natural borders of Greece?

What is the purpose of the map you posted? Those are political borders not natural borders.


This may be of interest also,:

http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/IndependentMacedonia/MacedonianState.html

ASNOM - Macedonia and its national liberation in 1944 - World War II - YouTube

Its odd though(maybe not? same forces at work?) the "Western" position on Macedonia-Balkans(even globally) now is almost identical to that of the Axis powers.

[damian]

"

Damn. Can't you arrange your visits to coincide with the election days?
In Prespa, Rainbow Party takes 1% and Golden Dawn 5%.
Now, for the first time, Samaras is the first party throughout the district of Florina (except of one village: Variko/Mokreni)

"


Im sure if the original population was there now when Greece is becoming a garbage can they would want autonomy or to join the ROM.

[Risto the Great]

It was one path to Albania that many Macedonians took to flee the region during the fight for liberation in the 1940's. Macedonians were taken in and fed and sheltered by Albanians in Albania. This is what my father advised me and I have no reason to doubt it. However I do not know much about the local history. Sorry.

Make it a pet project!

[George S.]

On the Road of Time – Chapter 2 - Part 2



By Petre Nakovski

Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

[email protected]

July 1, 2012



They treated my foot sores with all kinds of potions for months and my feet eventually healed. Then I took on a job as a shepherd… and worked from April 1948 to August 1949. More and more people were taken from the village during that time. Men and women capable of fighting were mobilized and taken to the battle zones. Older men and women and some younger women were mobilized and given the task of transporting ammunition from the Prespa warehouses to the Gramos battle zones.



There was no day that passed that the people in charge, led by some woman named Vera, did not come to the village, take the people to the school, tell them that victory was near and ask them to give everything they had. And the people did give everything they had. They gave their bedcovers, pillows, forks, spoons, plates, cups, socks, shirts, sweaters and lives… there was no day when the church bell did not ring signifying the occurrence of a death. There was no day that bad news did not arrive of so and so being killed. Crying and wailing was an everyday regular occurrence in the village. And every day the village became poorer and more desolate; a wasteland…



There were no children my age. Except for the babies, there were no children at all… Mothers wept and wailed, took to the highway and waited at the border looking into the distance… They thought that by doing so their children might return. That’s when I realized that our people had been robbed of their greatest joy and deprived of their most valuable… happiness… their children. One day in 1949, I don’t remember which month, at Prisoio, near the border where my sheep were grazing, my father appeared to me. He was dressed in a military uniform and told me to quickly bring him clothes from home. I ran home and brought him some. He quickly changed and after he hugged me I thought that he was going to take me with him. But he didn’t. I don’t know why he didn’t. So again I was left alone…



One day, I think it was in August, in the afternoon, Partisans riding on horses ran into our village. They ran up and down the village streets going from house to house banging on doors with the butts of their rifles and yelling: “Leave! Leave! Leave! The front has been breached! The Greek army is coming and it will slaughter and hang everything it finds that is living!!!”



Like a sudden storm, like a wild fury out of hell, like a flood spawned by a hailstorm, like a swollen muddy river and a cloud of fire, the frightening and terrible news was spread from house to house and from mouth to mouth. Great fear made throats of grown men tighten, hands tremble, knees buckle, faces distort, eyes sink, skins crawl and minds become confused.



“Leave! Leave! Leave!” thundered the hoarse voices of the horsemen, headlong and frantic, sowing the seeds of fear. Widespread fear was sown everywhere. When the fear of one becomes the fear of many, it becomes universal and nothing can stop it. And those who ordered the fear surely knew of its power…



The villagers, whom I came to know, already gripped by fear, now overpowered by the yelling of the horsemen who forcefully pushed the people to leave, quickly gathered their belongings, everything that they could carry from their homes. They took their bed covers, woolen blankets, etc., and some food and loaded them onto their wagons, donkeys (their horses and mules were confiscated by the Partisans), backs and shoulders. They also took their livestock; oxen, sheep and goats and ran for their lives.



We first took the road straight for Markova Noga. The border was close so we figured that we could cross it quickly, but when we reached the Sveti Jovan Church our Partisans closed the road on us. They began to yell and told us to return to our homes. One of the villagers explained what had happened and begged them to let us pass so that we could go to our relatives in the villages in Dolno Dupeni, Liuboino and Braichino where we would be safer than going back home. The man told them that most of us had family there and that we would remain there until the worst was over and then we would return to our homes. But our Partisans said, “NO!” and pointed their rifles at us. “Back!” they yelled, “Go back and take the road to Peroo and from there go to Nivitsi, Orovo and Grazhdeno.” We refused to budge as more and more people kept arriving with their wagons, oxen, goats, sheep, donkeys…



But they insisted and kept yelling, “Back! We order you to go back to Peroo!” And as the crowd swelled up they opened fire with a couple of machine guns. The whistling bullets flying over our heads made us even more afraid. But still they refused to let us cross the border. We turned around and took the road to Peroo. The people from German and Rabi crossed over the bridge first then were quickly followed by people from the other villages; Orovnik, Poply, Rudary, Shtrkovo, Medovo… We, the people who crossed the Kula-Peroo bridge first, spent the night hiding in the sparse trees along the road. In the morning we could see airplanes flying over the mountains Lisets, Moro and Chukata. We could see piles of soil fly from the ground as the airplanes dropped bombs and then moments later we would hear the thunderous explosions. After that we saw tanks and soldiers running behind them, rushing towards Prespa on the other side of Prevolot. And on Bela Voda towards German, Partisans were running to the level part of the mountain base where more and more people were coming and rushing towards Peroo. Then the airplanes appeared in Bela Voda and flew at high speeds towards the level part of the mountain base.



“Quickly, quickly, quickly, move, move, run, run, run fast, and don’t stop,” we could hear voices calling and yelling at the people. Some of those running tripped and fell while others jumped over them and stepped on them. Lost in the mad rush, some people were calling out, crying and looking for their friends and relatives. We could hear the screams of babies and young children and the cries of mothers and women, the mooing of cattle and the bleating of sheep. Among the people and on the sides ran men and women Partisans and they too were yelling, shouting, stopping, crouching and firing their weapons. The airplanes dominated the sky all day, flying in shifts.



There was one way to salvation for those people – Kula – so everyone ran for Kula.



“Leave!!!” a voice was half heard calling amid the roar of the airplane engines, which for days had dominated the skies. Airplanes were flying in and out of the area firing their machine guns, dropping their bombs, tearing up the earth, tossing soil into the air and blanketing everything with dust and black smoke. The tanks too were doing their bit adding to the chaos and ploughing the ground with their steel treaded tracks. The entire plain between the two lakes and every inch of land up to Peroo was full of people frantically running to escape the fire falling from the sky. Non-stop the aircraft persisted, flying low with engines thundering, firing long volleys of machine gun fire, dropping bombs that exploded into fireballs, giving rise to terrible flames that rose above the plains and burned people and everything in sight. Non-stop loud cries and wailing could be heard, people were dying from bombs exploding and from burning flames. Those alive were running, running, frantically running towards Peroo, falling and getting up again... There was salvation in Peroo, they would be saved if they reached Peroo but first they would have to cross the bridge, run across to the other side of the lake, take to the mountains and hide in the bushes and in the forest. To do that they would have to avoid the airplanes flying from Bela Voda, turning half circle and from high above firing their machine guns and dropping their bombs and grenades. They would have to pass through the fire, the smoke and the cries and screams of the wounded who had fallen all over the plains.



When the airplanes flew away we thought that they would not come back, but that was only wishful thinking. Soon after one group left, another group arrived, again dropping bombs and firing at the people with machine guns. Some were dropping bombs of fire. When the airplanes were changing shifts the cannons took their place pounding the plains. It was non-stop, one thunderstorm after another. The tanks were rolling, dominating the area between Orovnik and Rabi, firing their cannons during the time the skies over Prespa were free of aircraft.



Then suddenly there was a great big explosion. The bridge in Peroo and the lake flood gates were blown up. The masses of people left behind had nowhere to go. Without a bridge to cross and with water flooding the plain, many were left in peril… Some were lost to the bombs and now many were left to drown. The strait between the two lakes was too narrow to fit all of them. They jostled one another, shouted and screamed and, to save themselves, they jumped into the wild rushing water above which, every several minutes or so, aircraft flew and while doing so fired upon them and unleashed their bombs and rockets. Then immediately behind them, other aircraft flew and dropped the kind of bombs that spread fire and raised a lot of flames burning everything living and dead in their path. When the tanks and infantry arrived a vicious and bloody battle ensued. The aircraft began to bomb the coastline and the road that leads from Kula-Peroo to Vineni. The road was lined with dismembered bodies of people and animals. We took that road and sought our salvation on it…



I will say it again: an unprecedented hurricane hit Prespa. The airplanes dropped a hailstorm of hot iron from the sky and behind them flew more airplanes dropping blankets of flame. Black clouds of smoke rose from the earth, pieces of molten iron penetrated the living bodies of the powerless, a hailstorm of iron pounded the soil and long tongues of flames fell from the sky and scorched the earth turning everything to ashes. The sky was covered with black clouds and the lake waters turned red. Horrible, frightening, wild screams and death cries were heard everywhere and help was nowhere to be seen; it never came. The naked sandy plane between Rabi and Peroo was an open slaughter house… a killing field. That day our eyes were filled with horror, fear, despair, curses, swearing and hopelessness...



I experience that sight all the time, awake and in my dreams and have never managed to shake it off, to get rid of it, or to answer the question as to why it was so wild and fanatical, blind and cold, fierce and furious, why so much hatred and thirst for such savage killing? Why was there so much unnecessary, horrible, terrible and furious anger sown over Prespa? It seems to me that God never forgot that day… He gave strength and power to revenge, fire, evil doing and death…



Beaten from heaven and from earth, jumping over the bodies of those killed and wounded, skipping over the bloated carcasses of dead cattle whose intestines were scattered all over the road and in the meadows and constantly being accompanied by terrible screaming, we moved, dizzily moved through the wilderness that would lead us to the Albanian border. Walking with us were men and women Partisans carrying wounded on their shoulders, in blankets and on stretchers. There were old men and women and men and women of very old age walking, moving, trying to escape the horror... There were also very young children with a mad look in their eyes clenching at their mother’s dress. They walked and walked and turned their heads, but only for a moment, just to see if there were living walking behind them and if they were keeping up the pace.



When we crossed the border and when the blasts of the bombs could not reach us, and when we could no longer hear the roar of the flying aircraft, that’s when I felt the greatest emptiness, the greatest pain. That’s when I realized how painful the forced abandonment of my home was. How could one carry their entire property, their belongings, things collected over centuries and put them in a bag and walk away? What about the house, the garden, the fields, the meadows, the vineyards, the forests? Could one even take a small piece of those and put them in a sack?



I could not even begin to imagine the pain that I would feel if I had lost members of my family, as so many of those travelling with me had done!



Can you imagine how much it hurts to leave your birthplace under duress? Do you know how much it hurts to be pushed to go to a foreign country and only take with you what you can carry on your shoulders, under your armpits and around your neck? Do you know how upsetting it is to have to choose things from your long acquired property and take only as much as you can fit in a bag or sack? Do you know how much grief it causes to have to put a padlock on the gate of your own home and not to know when you will take it off?



Our days of hope blackened in only three days, our effort and sacrifices were in vain, all our hopes and aspirations were dispersed and disappeared. We were leaving but could not escape the war that raged behind us. Thousands of us crossed over the mountains and the same thousands left behind our homes, fields, meadows, vineyards, forests… which we had built with our own sweat and fertilized with our effort.



I could not even imagine how people, who were separated from members of their family, must have felt as they were leaving, running for their lives!


I realized that for us there was no other road except the road that led to our uprooting... and at that very moment we heard voices shouting, “Continue to Albania.” We travelled... people and livestock together... Heavy rain fell during the night. There was no place to hide, to secure your head. We kept going, God knows where, travelling in a long column. Hungry and tired our livestock took to the meadows, gardens, fields and yards of the Albanian villages and we continued to walk on foot until we arrived at the village Pogradets. Here they loaded us onto trucks and took us to the plains just outside the city Elbasan. A month or so later they loaded us on ships and took us to Poland.



In Poland they placed the children, including myself, in children's homes. There I graduated from elementary, high school and university and established my own family. I visited the Republic of Macedonia, then a part of Yugoslavia, in 1961 so that I could see my father. He worked in Belimbegovo and lived in a small room 3 by 2.5 meters, had an iron bed, two blankets, a small wood stove, a table made of rough boards and one chair. I recognized him when I saw him but he did not recognize me. I went for a visit a second time after the Skopje earthquake and took my father with me to Poland.



So I, a former shepherd from German, known as Kole to some and Nikola to others, moved to Skopje in the summer of 1964 with my entire family and became a Skopje resident. With a degree in civil engineering I was able to get a job in the Directorate for Reconstruction and carry on with the reconstruction of various buildings in Skopje, including the University Library, the Archives of the Macedonian Institute for History, the Theatre for Nationalities, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum Complex of Macedonia and other buildings ... And that’s the road I took...” concluded the man.



The man tucked his fingers in his hands for a moment and then spoke again, softly:



“I have built and restored many houses… Now, sitting here, I ask myself, “Will the government allow me and will God help me restore my father’s house?...”



The man hunched his shoulders, took a long sad look and with his pupils blurred and a broken voice said:



“I have built a house in Dolno Dupeni for the sole reason of being closer to German. Earlier, in my younger years, I often went up there and from there, from Tsutse, I watched our house with a telescope. Now I go to Sveti Ilija and from there, from the hill I watch the level plains. After August 15th, every year this part of Prespa is full of sounds, singing, fun and serious music. During those days the road leading to Sveti Ail is full of traffic, passenger cars, buses and luxury limousines. The Sveti Ail Island, for an entire week, holds concerts in the remnants of King Samoil’s Cathedral. This is not a local event and the concerts are not about what happened in Prespa between August 13th and 15th, 1949. Every year at the same time passenger cars, buses and cars with government plates, accompanied by security men arrive here. Do you know who and what lies in this plain and under the asphalt between Rabi and Kula-Peroo and from Peroo to the parking lot at the entrance of Sveti Ail?



While the concerts are taking place and cars and buses arrive and leave Sveti Ail, I go to Sveti Ilija, to the hill where the small Prespa Lake lies, to the surrounding mountains and to the Prespa Plains and light candles. I light candles to honour those who, sixty years ago, gave their lives and left their souls here for eternity. And as the candlelight flickers I stare at the plain motionless, thinking of the noises made by the flying aircraft, the explosions made by the bombs and grenades, the whistling of flying bullets, the smell of napalm, the cries of the hundreds being beaten from heaven and from earth, run over and crushed by tanks, running, trying to save themselves with all their strength, running in this last small bit of land by the lake with hopes of pulling a long straw that would save their life… I then cross myself and whisper: “Athenians, slowly, steadily, quietly... quietly, steadily...



A while ago a relative of mine who lives in Lerin brought me a book entitled “History of the Greek Civil War”. It was an interesting read. On page 533 it says that in the space around the intersection in front of the village Rabi to the bridge at Kula-Peroo, a length of 5 and width of 2 kilometres, the Greek Military Air force dropped 34 bombs weighing 250 kilograms, 530 bombs weighing 125 kilograms, 1,900 bombs weighing 10 kilograms, 70 napalm bombs, 620 rockets, 26,000, grenades 20mm and 43,000 machine gun bullets 12.7 to 7.7 mm, all this in the course of August 13th to August 15th.



The author of the book did not specify how much iron and lead was dropped on the 5 by 2 kilometre (or 10 square kilometre) area nor did he specify how much more was added by the artillery, tanks, mortars and infantry. Little or a lot, is a matter of personal judgement. As to how much iron, lead and fire fell on the heads of the wounded and maimed Democratic Army of Greece (DAG) Units and on the large civilian population that passed through here, only they know and can tell you! But let me remind you that they were innocent and helpless people, these were our people who felt this pain in this unprecedented attack that took place around Peroo! These were our people who were rushing to find salvation in this small peninsula which the enemy dubbed “Africa”!



The author says that eighty percent of those who entered this open space were killed. This was not a battleground. This was a slaughterhouse. Again a little or a lot, is a matter of personal judgement, as to the amount of iron and lead dropped on the heads of powerless people. A little or a lot are those lost, whose bones lie in the mass graves in the area between the intersection in front of the village Rabi and the Kula-Peroo bridge and in the area between the Large Lake Prespa coast and the sands and reeds of Small Lake Prespa?



On page 620 in the book “Anti-Bandit Struggle 1945-1949”, General Zafiropoulos wrote the following praise about the Greek Air Force:


«Η φιλια Αεροπορια απο της εω ενεσπειρε τον τρομον και την καταστροφην εις την περιοχην του Λαιμου.» (The friendly air force, from morning until night, sowed terror and catastrophe in the region around Rabi.)



* * *



We quietly and silently travelled the road from Rabi to Kula-Peroo at the slowest speed our SAHO could roll. The road was straight as an arrow and travelled at the centre of the flat plain lying between the two Prespa lakes. On the left was the long coastline of the small lake with its tall reeds waving. On the right was the long coastline of the large lake with its thick willow groves. This is the bloody killing field of which Kole spoke to us a while ago.



A bus caught up to us and began to honk its horn. It appeared that the driver was in a hurry. I could see in my rear view mirror that he was getting angry and making threatening gestures with his fist. And judging by the movement of his lips, I could see that he was swearing at me. I did not speed up so he followed closely behind for a while and then passed, speeding away leaving behind a trail of thick smoke and smell of burned oil. I continued to drive as slowly as possible, attempting to imagine, in my thoughts at least, a small part of the bloody picture, of the horrors that took place here.



Saddled with the burden of this difficult time, I did not notice that we had left the flat plain of horror and were crossing the bridge where the two Prespa lakes come into contact. After crossing the bridge I greeted the soldiers, leisurely sitting on a bench in front of barrack, and then turned right taking the road to Ψαραδες (Psarades). That’s what was written on the traffic sign. I checked the old map, published by Chubovski, and found that Psarades (Fishermen) was the Greek name for the village Nivitsi. The uphill road was wide and led to the top of the lakeshore. There was a sharp turn in front of the Sveti Giorgi Church and to the right there was a wide parking lot with a great view of the eastern Prespa coastline which, to the north began in Asamati and to the south ended at top of the hill. In this view the mountains and villages rested in the palms of your hands and the lake below rested under your feet.

Excited by the beautiful scenery we decided to go and visit Nivitsi. The village is located on the lakeshore and is surrounded by rocks on which stunted oak trees grow. It has been said that, in the past, the people of Nivitsi lived off the “tsironi” (smelts, tiny fish) that they caught in the lake and sold to people in the most remote villages in Lerin and Kostur Regions. Unfortunately no one got rich from selling tsironi so today the people of Nivitsi stave off poverty with tourist money. By joining forces the people of Nivitsi built a hotel with a restaurant that offers famous Prespa carp and other local Prespa dishes. They also fixed up rooms in their old houses and now can accommodate paying guests. The hotel parking lot was full of buses. A well-established advertising campaign also brings them tourists from all over Greece.



But we did not come here for the hotel or for the famous carp. We came here because of a significant wartime event that took place in the Sveta Nedela (Golema Bogoroditsa) village church. The Second Congress of the People's Liberation Front was held here on March 25, 1949. It was here that resolutions were adopted to invite the Macedonian people to join the struggle (Greek Civil War) en masse. It was here that the Macedonian people were told and retold by the Greek Communists that they would allow them to create their own Macedonian state, unlike the Republic of Macedonia which was under Yugoslavia. But there was a condition, a catch. For that to happen, every able bodied Macedonian man and woman had to join the struggle. “All to arms – everything for victory,” read one slogan.



There were many slogans written especially in honour of Zahariadis, the so-called “greatest”, wisest and most respected son of Macedonia and then, a little later, no one wanted to believe that he was the “greatest” liar and cheat! But the leaders of NOF (National Liberation Front) and all those serving under him, believed and trusted him and that is why they all suffered and many died; because of those beliefs! Everything is known now!!! The entire nation suffered. The older people know and remember… but the younger generation did not want to listen. Now, hopefully, they learned from their mistakes.


We took the rarely used winding circular cobblestone path, now overgrown with grass, to Vronderon which, according to the old map, used to be called Grazhdeno in Macedonian. On the way there we passed a place where the village Piksos, known as Orovo in Macedonian, used to be. There is hardly anything left of Orovo now. The only building left standing is the church now hidden under the shade of a tall oak tree grove. While visiting Grazhdeno we had a great desire to visit the large cave which served as a hospital for the Partisans during the struggle. Wounded Partisans were treated there after the houses serving as a hospital in the villages Nivitsi, Orovo and Grazhdeno were bombed. We expected to find only ruins and empty space in Grazhdeno but, to our surprise, we found new houses and children running in the streets… but the language spoken was Albanian. We surmised that the Greek authorities had populated this village with farmer and pastoralist settlers, refugees from Albania. They spoke to us in Greek but between themselves they spoke Albanian. They said it was easier to understand each other if they spoke Albanian.



After our visit to the cave, the former Partisan hospital, which still has remnants of wooden beds placed in layers of three, we took the road to Pili, or Vineni as it is called in Macedonian. Vineni was the first village in Prespa Region to receive Asian colonists, who, after the Asia Minor disaster, following the Greek-Turkish war, were settled here. The Macedonians call these people Madzhiri. They are distinguishable from the indigenous people not only in speech but also in appearance. They have black hair, bony facial features, convex eyes and eagle noses. They call themselves Pontii, meaning former residents of a region situated above the shores of the Black Sea. During the struggle most of the Pontii fled to Lerin and resided in the city. Their abandoned houses were occupied by the so-called Democratic Provisional Government of Greece, which was established in December 1947 in the village Asamati located in Prespa Region in the Republic of Macedonia. Before the village entrance, to the left of the road we noticed a piece of plank nailed to an oak tree which read: “Σπηλια Ζαχιαριαδης” (Cave Zahariadis).


There is a narrow, uphill path leading to the cave and in front of the cave, under the wide canvas spread under the shade of the oak trees, the path turns left. There is another wooden sign with the same writing and about ten steps after that there are two connected rocks. Above the rocks there are old cracked oak trees growing with their roots stuck in the crevices of the rocks. Under the low hanging branches, facing west is an ugly, dark chill-giving, gaping hole; the cave entrance.



I turned on my battery powered lantern and carefully put my foot on the first step carved out of stone. There were three or four more steps like that going down and after I took the last one I was in total darkness… This, at one time, may have been a bear cave, but then, during the struggle (Greek Civil War), a brain came to live here. When the brain was here the cave was not a cave, it was a cabin. The floor was covered with smooth planks and hand woven carpets, believed to be gifts from Tito, given to Zahariadis in better days. To the left there was a large desk, a telephone apparatus and a radio transmitter. To the right there was a long table covered with a red cloth and chairs stacked in a pile. These were for the members of his immediate political and military leadership. There was a colour portrait of Stalin, a personal gift, hanging on the front wall. There was also electric lighting and heating.



This is where the brain of one side of the war resided, where political and military solutions were conceived and decisions were made. This is where the decision to attack Voden, Negush and Lerin was made. And this is where not a single bomb was dropped. Vineni and the cave were two places where the government air force did not drop a single bomb. In those days there were few who knew and were able to cross the road to find the cave. Today many come to visit it. The cave that once was a home to bears, bats and spiders and the seat of darkness and misfortune, is now a tourist attraction…



It was late evening when we set off for Sveti Ail Island following the pontoon bridge, recently constructed by the army. The most noticeable object in Sveti Ail was Tsar Samoil’s Cathedral which was constantly visited and photographed by many tourists. We did not want to miss out resting at the only and surprisingly wonderful hotel and restaurant with a large terrace overlooking the lake, so we decided to stay a while. Hosting this unusual establishment were the very kind Kosta and Vera. We were met with a bit of history at the entrance. There were wood and stone carvings of Tsar Samoil’s blinded warriors. Preserved in their suffering and tortured faces were signs of pride and dignity, compelling you to want to stop and, with a restrained breath, pay your respects.



The restaurant resembled an ethnological museum. Much of Prespa’s material culture had been painstakingly assembled and lovingly displayed. And while we lovingly observed all these exhibits with tremendous curiosity, our attention was caught by an announcement on the television that said Thessaloniki TV would be broadcasting a documentary entitled: “Πρεσπα η καρδια της Μακεδονιας” (Prespa the heart of Macedonia).



The camera lens captured the coastal reeds, the stillness of the lake water, the many flocks of various birds, Sveti Ail Island and the walls of the large, one time beautiful cathedral where Tsar Samoil and his warriors prayed. It captured the high stones and white lakeshore in which are preserved the cave churches and cells of monks and hermits. It captured the Sveta Bogoroditsa icon painted on a rock a hundred metres above the lake water. There was a lot of boasting and praising by the commentator about nature in Prespa but not a single word about its people. The documentary ended with pictures of houses, passenger cars and buses full of tourists crossing the bridge at Kula. They were delighted to be part of the beauty in this corner of God’s world as they left to return back to the south. The lake wind picked up the dust and the noise left behind and Prespa once again rested in silence.



We left Prespa and before we crossed over to the other side of Prevolot we stopped and looked, for a long time, at the ring of mountains with the beautiful lake in the centre. The lake looked like a mirror in which the sky, clouds, stars, moon, sunrise and sunset constantly reflected.


A deep sigh came out of our chests and with it the question: “Bogoroditse, whose portrait was painted on the rock and endured the cold and moisture, the beating of strong autumn rains and winter winds, the baking of the summer heat, why did you not protect us and keep us safe and away from harm? Why did you not raise Your hand against the hands of those who erased the people of Prespa from Prespa?...”



Prespa, a beautiful and peaceful place, cleansed, devastated, beaten, rinsed out, made desolate, cleaned out and left sad without its elders, the old men and women of Prespa…

[damian]

I am actually moving in that direction to make it a research project. If anyone knows how I can get source materials, personal narratives etc drop me a private message please. Thank you.

[Risto the Great]

You live in Canada.
I strongly recommend you reach out to Risto Stefov. A great Macedonian who has some excellent narratives as well as many military briefs in relation to the Aegean Macedonians.

[damian]

OK Thank you. I am reading his articles online now very interesting.

[George S.]

Gruevski: Macedonia deserves membership invitation, NATO lacking response


Skopje, 20 May 2012 (MIA) - Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski refers in an interview with MIA to the NATO Summit in Chicago, saying he does not expect Macedonia will get the deserved membership invitation due to Greece's blockade, the unprincipled position and double standards policy of the Alliance, as well as the selective application of international law. He also speaks of the Government's future activities after the summit.



Q. The NATO summit in Chicago is starting in a few hours. Why are you not there?



Because Macedonia will not get a membership invitation, which it deserves according to international law, but also in line with all human, moral norms, principles and achievements. We have been getting information for months that we should not expect an invitation to join NATO.



Q. If we still get the invitation, would you go?



Yes, gladly!



Q. Who will represent Macedonia at the summit?



There will be a high-level representation of Macedonia in Chicago, even higher than normal, taking into account the circumstances, when a country is subjected to injustice, lack of principles and a double-standard policy, and on top of that, the country is told it should feel guilty for this and show understanding for the one who is doing the injustice and acts irresponsibly. This is not only a problem for Macedonia, it is obviously also a problem for the Alliance, much bigger than a formality. This is an essential problem from a political, moral and legal point of view, in the sense of rule of law, and NATO has no response to this. Therefore, this is not an issue only of Macedonia and Greece, but an issue of NATO too.



And when I am referring to being in Chicago, I say attendance, not participation. The summit is intended for member-states, we are only a candidate country, which is used when needed, but when we need NATO, we get lessons in politics and the importance of principle of solidarity and consensus, in the sense there is no justice in politics when it comes to the relationship between the more powerful and the less powerful. And then we should feel guilty that we had not known this, or understand there is no justice or injustice in politics, but reality or interests. This is classical distortion of essence and the main goal of politics, which creates values, but does not protect material interests at any cost.



Q. And what else?



That injustice should be a normal thing in our moral values, whereas disrespect of international law by the more powerful is called political reality. And that we should learn to be faced with injustice because we are smaller and less powerful. Instead of we being the ones who are angry, they are angry at us because we are angry at injustice that comes from the big powers.



Q. Still, the Foreign Minister will be in Chicago?



Yes, the Foreign Minister, the President, the Ambassador to NATO and many others. Personally, if I was the President, I would not go, and I am not sure if the minister should be there in circumstances where NATO has ignored us in the past. Maybe his deputy should have represented us, taking into account the obvious lack of interest by the most powerful countries in NATO towards Macedonia, as well as their obvious interest to be at the service of Greece at any price, taking the burden - if they see it as burden - of the utterly unprincipled and incorrect conduct towards a country, which they have mistreated for years regarding membership, but is always invited when needed, whether in times of its necessity as a logistical base such as the case with the 1999 intervention in Serbia, or when they needed our presence in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places where allies were required. Then they require our army, our presence, our flag, our determination.



An example of the distortion I am referring to. I don't know how certain representatives of leading NATO countries address us or slander us of missing a chance with Papandreou, but also use similar diplomatic terms that, to be frank, make me sick when hearing them. I have not witnessed for a long time such hypocrisy, such policy of double standards, such lack of principles and distancing from the values they publicly promote, as in the case with Macedonia. On the top of that, we have the International Court of Justice ruling that is beneficial for us. I know that some politicians believe they are strong enough to do this and no one can do anything, but there is a rule which says that when someone lacks principles in continuity, all allies, friends and associates will lose confidence in time.



When saying this I do not refer to everyone, since there are a lot of countries, politicians and diplomats in NATO who openly, sincerely and publicly support us. They criticize when we deserve it, but they always stick to principles rather than their grand interest. I would like to thank our sincere friends, who support us and fight for us in spite of all challenges. I know my thesis can be taken out of context and someone can manipulate it, but I say this sincerely and with my head held high, because I am talking about my country, my people, their perspective, and I do not intend to be silent in this regard.



Q. What will you do during the NATO summit?



I will be in Macedonia in the coming days after the return from China, where we had a week-long presentation of Macedonia's investment opportunities before about 500 companies. I fight for every friend, for every investor, for every citizen with all my heart, I invest everything into securing a better and more prosperous future for our citizens and their generations.



I will travel for Turin, Milan and Rome next week, where we will hold presentations before groups of investors, followed by a reception with the Pope and the Vatican PM, in the framework of the celebrations of the holy Cyril and Methodius.



I know there is no hope of altering the Chicago agenda with my presence. Therefore, I will work on something that has hope, to attract some company to Macedonia and employ people.



With regards to NATO lobbying, we have done everything in our power over the past 7-8 months. Together with the President and the ministers we knocked on every door, we visited literally all member-states and our conscience is clear.



Q. Who is, according to you, the main culprit for the situation we are in?



The main culprit for our failure to join NATO has a name - Greece. Undoubtedly, this is a country that has halted our progress for the past two decades, investing enormous resources in this, spending political credits, using the name issue in internal politics and populist propaganda. This is done for the sole purpose of changing the country's name, the name of our people, the name of our language, our identity. While they fussed the people in Greece by showing muscles towards Macedonia, by endangering the future of two million people, we are seeing now what they have been doing behind the scenes, bringing the country into the current state.



Q. Are there talks and is there a chance to work out a better conclusion at the summit?



For me, only a membership invitation can be a good or better conclusion. Everything else is throwing dust in one's eyes. Therefore, I would like to say that all other speculation regarding certain formulation in the conclusions, commas etc are completely beyond the reality and the result of this summit. And the result is that Macedonia will not get a membership invitation. There is nothing in between, no commas, nothing more, nothing less, either there is or isn't an invitation.



Conclusions are a diplomatic game without borders. Interest and power wins at the end. This is small solace of the big powers when they abuse the small ones. They give them a certain conclusion as hope, as means to control the deep frustration caused by injustice. Even if they figure out a new conclusion that differs from the Bucharest one, it will mean nothing as long as one, two or three NATO member-states, the most powerful ones, decide to oppose Greece's policy, which is characteristic of the 19th century. That is why I am saying that whatever the conclusion, nothing will change the situation unless there is a membership invitation. And then we should rejoice for weeks, debating the conclusion, saying at the end that America, Germany, France and others are our big friends and that we are indebted to them.



Q. Do you think they are not our friends?

Unfortunately, this is not a question of friendship or good intentions, but one of interest and classical demonstration of power. It seems as if there are no friendships in international politics at this time, or as if the word has lost importance.



Q. This means you do not consider these countries as our friends?



If you insist on the word friends, I will respond in this way. I consider them my friends, but at the same time, they are closer friends of Greece. Such has been the case in the past 21 years, and that is why Greece has managed to mistreat us to the utter limit without facing serious consequences. If the situation was opposite, for example, if Greece did not meet its commitments resulting from an ICJ judgment towards America, Germany or France, it would have been faced with UN Security Council sanctions. The same would go if we did not meet our commitments when it comes to Greece. Just look at what is happening in the EU, they literally beg Greece not to exit the Euro zone.



Q. Do you believe that international law is implemented selectively?



Absolutely. There are many specific examples of this, but ours is one of the most obvious. I deeply believe and am certain that Barack Obama himself is aware of Greece's injustice towards Macedonia, but probably has other reasons why he cannot say this. He is a man of flesh and blood, he also has consciousness, emotions and reason. Many people behave differently in everyday life from what they think within due to certain reasons or interests at the given time.



Q. Still, most officials of NATO member-states have clearly said that the accession requires consensus, and that NATO rules say that every country can block the accession of another?



I would sustain this as an argument if NATO states put Macedonia's accession on the agenda of the NATO summit and put Greece on the spot, so that it can violate international law again and put a veto following the Hague ruling. Only then NATO will not have any guilt or lack of principles. But this will not happen.



Q. However, you knew that the principle of solidarity is valid in NATO?



No! The NATO act reads that all countries should demonstrate solidarity with a member-state if it violates the international law, if it imposes injustice to another country. This is not solidarity. Word solidarity is used for other issues. For example, if a country is attacked from outside, then all others are engaged in its defense. Look, I do not want this to seem as if I am delivering a lecture to the big powers or sound pathetic. No. I am indebted before my people to say the truth. And the truth is just like this.



Q. What interests are at stake in the case with Greece?



There are many, starting from the Diaspora voting in another country, funding of campaigns by Greek billionaires, large weapon procurements, EU relations, where everyone can block the other for everything, or support for that matter. The list is long.



Q. Then, how should we proceed?



We will continue to act with principles, in a much more European manner compared to certain Union member-states. We will not halt the reforms, which are primarily important for ourselves, but we will continue to hold active talks in finding a solution, and wait for our historic chance. And we will use it. Just as our ancestors worked tirelessly for the achievement of their ideals, continually and patiently, using their historic chances in 1944 and 1991.



Q. Are you still prepared for a compromise in order to solve the name problem?



Absolutely. I will continue to work hard on this.



Q. Domestic critics accuse you of irritating Greeks by erecting certain monuments, putting names on highways and airports?



Having in mind the injustice and damage Greece is doing to us, I don't know why even the word irritation is used. If we irritate them, what word can be used for the thing they are doing to us? This is a complete distortion of the theses. There is no greater irritation than 20 years of blocking, denial, underestimation, financial damage to the people and the country, even tensions. This is not irritation, but a crime on a nation and a state. They should not expect us to think whether something will irritate them until this crime is imposed to us. What we ask is justice in order to get what we deserve. We have no pretensions or want something bad to happen to anyone, we only want stability, progress and membership in EU and NATO.



Q. What is the role of the Macedonian opposition in this situation?



I do not intend to enter into quarrels with the Macedonian opposition. This issue is too important, a strategic issue of Macedonia's foreign policy, which means not only prosperity, but also stability. Is there a prime minister who would not want his country to join EU and NATO in his time? No. There is no need to dispute with the opposition over this topic, where everything is clear. Instead of conducting witch hunts, it would be best if citizens unify and continue together on the path of reforms. Therefore, if someone asks what is Macedonia's alternative after Chicago, the answer is - reforms! Investing all of our strength, without stopping and hesitation. History will find a place for everything else.