Elizabeta MITRESKA

Krushevo – Krushevo is an inexhaustible treasure trove. “This is where history was made” – this comes to everyone’s mind when visiting.

After 122 years from the Ilinden Uprising, stories related to Krushevo and the Ilinden period are countless, involving preparations of the uprising, the ten-day Republic, the fist freed territory in the Balkans, the Krushevo government, the cherry cannons, the rebels, the secret foundry for weapons, the human stories involving the battles in Sliva and Mechkin Kamen. Also, involving sacrifice, the eternal longing for freedom and justice and the longing for statehood.

How many stories from that period remain untold? Krushevo-based historian Zoran Bogeski says: “We’ve only scratched the surface of the eternal historic moments by 20-25 percent.”

“We know the Republic established its own government that had ministers. In order for there to be government, there has to be an assembly. The Krushevo Republic had an assembly with 60 delegates (members of Parliament) and its own president and commissions that passed decisions.

Teohar Neshov was president of the assembly, or the Council to be more exact. He was a powerful and influential figure in the town of Krushevo. He also served as ‘finance minister’”.

Here lie the roots of the modern Macedonian assembly, according to Bogeski.

On the first day after the creation of the free Krushevo Republic, President Nikola Karev in Gumenje – in a classroom that was located in front of the Makedonium monument – had invited 15 influential figures that lived in Krushevo. Debating what the next steps should be, a decision had been made to establish an assembly in the Patriarchal School. It doesn’t exist anymore after it was destroyed during the 1903 bombing. (A monopoly was built on the same location, in downtown Krushevo in the 1930s). 20 delegates were elected from every church municipality in Krushevo. At the time, there were three such municipal communities: exarchical, patriarchal and Romanian-patriarchal municipal community. That is according to the Ottoman system. Those delegates, after Nikola Karev’s speech and the instructions, had a debate to elect the Administration of that free territory, says the historian.

The rebels and the delegates – the first Macedonian members of Parliament – were more practical than the current ones. They decided to elect a federal administration bearing state-like characteristics in order to represent the goal of the revolutionaries. Teohar Neshkov was elected president of the Parliament.

He was very powerful in Krushevo, involved in all revolutionary struggled during Krushevo’s resurgence. He even became a church elder, considered a prestigious post at the time. He was one of the main financiers of the organization in the Region. He was an exceptionally authoritative man together with his brother Matej Neshkov.

Gjorgji Chace was elected secretary of the assembly.

Historians are still combing through archives to try to identify the delegates, i.e. members of Parliament (Council) of the Krushevo Republic.

“So far, we have identified 14 delegates of the assembly, or the Council of the Krushevo Republic, out of 60. I hope we will identify the rest. We have only five or six photos of them. Those were people who were highly regarded in the Republic,” says Bogeski.

The then Parliament (Council) operated much alike the present assembly. The President held and opened sessions and everyone had the right to debate. The government and the assembly had commissions: finance commission, for requisition and sanitation. The regulations were approved by the top commander – Nikola Karev. Although functioning like the current lawmakers, they were far more constructive. Here lie the roots of the modern Macedonian assembly.

“There were debates more constructive than the ones today, which is really surprising. This involves not only the emergence of the first state in the Balkans. Our current politicians can learn a lot from them,” says Bogeski.

Teohar Neshkov, the president of the first Macedonian assembly, had a tragic destiny. He was set alive by someone who owned him money.

“On August 12-13, 1903, when the Krushevo Republic was already ‘on fire’ and the Ottoman army had taken over, while trying to find a shelter, Neshkov was recognized by a member of the Ottoman bashi-bazouk [irregular army] from the nearby villages. He owned money in Neshkov’s store. ‘Now you’ll get your money back’, yelled the man pouring petrol all over Neshkov and setting him on fire. This is how the life of this unknown but crucial figure and revolutionary had ended,” the historian says.

The private life of the president of the Republic, Nikola Karev, is also a sad and tragic story. Historians are “digging” as little is known about the woman Karev loved – Kostadinka Hadzova or Rakidzieva, a teacher in Krushevo before the Uprising.

Many legends bearing a lot of emotion are interwoven in the story.

It is hard to find our where she originated from. According to some, she hailed from Prilep. According to others, one of the parents was from Prilep, the other from Struga. And there are those who believe she was from Struga. But one thing is for sure – they had feelings for each other. She was supposed to be his fiancé, but he didn’t have time for love and for private life as he was completely dedicated to making history.

“It’s true they had feelings for each other. It is depicted in the several films for Krushevo, but Nikola didn’t have the time for a private life and he was completely dedicated to his revolutionary cause. There are letters who had been opened and read by a friend of his. Then, there are the ‘legendary’ stories that the flag of the Krushevo brigade, identified today as the flag of the Krushevo Republic, was embroidered with her hair. This is not true, of course,” says the historian.

Kostadinka died in 1907, two years after Nikola Karev was killed in 1905. She probably died in Struga and was buried in Saint George church in downtown Struga.

“There are records that she was buried on the east side of the altar in the church. We went there. At first glance, there is no tomb. Maybe the tomb was destroyed. And also, there are other tombs,” says Bogeski.

The untold stories also include the story of Stojan Vezenkov, a renowned resident of Krushevo.

Vezenkov earned the highest rank of craftsmanship in the Ottoman Empire. He built two military barracks in Bitola as well as the bridges on Marica and Nishava rivers near Nish [in Serbia]. He was permitted to wear Ottoman-style clothes as not every Christian was able to. He even carried guns publicly.

He is far more known for being an “all-Slavic agent”. In the 1850s, he was committed to taking measures, organizing and establishing committees with key figures. Vezenkov was the only delegate from Macedonia attending the Constantinople Conference and the 1878 San Stefano Peace Agreement. They heralded major political changes in the Balkans.

“He had been even received by the Russian emperor Alexander II while visiting Crimea to inform him about the situation involving the Christian population as part of the Ottoman Empire and to urge him to engage. He had used these ties later on to have access to the Russian consulates in Constantinople, Thessaloniki and Bitola especially after the Crimean crisis. He was vocal and committed to organizing revolutionary movements in Macedonia. Vezenkov had contacts with Albanian and Serbian officials and diplomatic representatives, which had paved him the way to become the only delegate from Macedonia in 1878 at the Constantinople Conference and the San Stefano Peace Agreement, which had resulted in major political changes in the Balkans. He had used his contacts to allow numerous Krushevo residents as well as members of his family to enrol in universities,” says Bogeski.

 

The historians have a lot of “digging” of archives to do. Also, archives belonging to Krushevo families should be explored as well as those located in several capitals across Europe, including Belgrade, Sofia, Istanbul and Athens.

Because untold stories related to the Ilinden era in Krushevo are waiting to see the light of day.

Photo: MIA