GRANDMOTHER MACEDONIA

GRANDMOTHER MACEDONIA

DEAR MACEDONIA, LAND OF MOUNTAINS, LAND OF VILLAGES. YOU HAVE KNOWN WARS, OCCUPATIONS, ECCLESIASTIC STRUGGLES AND CULTURAL PILLAGES. MOTHERLAND OF MY FATHER, AND HIS FATHERS BEFORE HIM BY INHERITANCE YOU ARE MY GRANDMOTHER AND IN SPIRIT WE ARE KIN. THOUGH MY EYES HAVE NEVER SEEN YOU, OR MY FEET WALKED THROUGHOUT YOUR LAND, ONE THING I PROMISE, BABA MACEDONIA, ON YOUR SOIL I WILL STAND.

MY FATHER EMIGRATED AT FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE FROM YOU HIS BELOVED “STARI KRAI” TO THE NEW COUNTRY, LANGUAGE AND FORTUNE HE WOULD HIMSELF APPLY. THIS YOUNG MACEDONIAN OAK, CAME TO THE LAND OF THE MAPLE TREE. PUT DOWN DEEP ROOTS, BECAME A CANADIAN BUT IN HEART MACEDONIAN ALWAYS HE WOULD BE. HE TOLD OF HIS BOYHOOD IN OSHCHIMA THE SHEEP, THE WOLVES, THE BEARS. OF HIS FAR TRAVELLING FATHER TANAS AND HIS MOTHER, DINA, SO LOVING AND FAIR.

HE TAUGHT ME OF THE OTTOMANS AND ILINDEN AND OF THE KUMITA – MEN BRAVE AND BOLD. STORIES OF THE VILLAGE LIFE. SUMMERS, WARM AND BEAUTIFUL WINTERS, LONG AND COLD. HE PLAYED HIS VIOLIN SO JOYOUSLY SUNDAY NIGHTS WITH THE BANDS. AS THE DANCERS OF THE HORA REINFORCED THE ESSENCE OF THE VILLAGE BY BECOMING ONE IN HOLDING HANDS. HIS INFLUENCE OF CHARACTER, LANGUAGE, MUSIC AND FIERCE MACEDONIAN PRIDE. CAUSED ME TO REALISE, THAT THOUGH I AM CANADIAN, I AM MACEDONIAN INSIDE.

YES, THIS IS MY LAND, SO BEAUTIFUL, BOUNTIFUL AND CULTURALLY FREE. CANADIAN I AM, AND CANADIAN I AM PROUD TO BE. MY FATHER, SPERO, AS POET SAID, “REMEMBER THIS ALL YOUR LIFE. THE AFFECTION I HAVE FOR MACEDONIA IS THAT OF A MAN FOR HIS MOTHER. AND THE AFFECTION FOR CANADA IS THAT OF A MAN FOR HIS WIFE.” THESE WORDS HAVE STAYED WITH ME FROM A BOY TO NOW A MAN. SO I LOVE YOU, BABBA MACEDONIA, AS THE GRANDMOTHER YOU ARE FOR THIS CANADIAN IS YOUR GRANDSON IN TRUTH AND IN SPIRIT I AM.

EDWARD SPERO THOMPSON

Water Rights

Oshchima has two rivers (reki) running through its territory, the Zhelevska and Oshchimska Reki. Zhelevska Reka is located at the northern fringe of the village and runs east to west. Oshchimska Reka, located at the foot of the village in the west, runs south to north and empties into Zhelevska Reka at Djientsa. Long ago Oshchimians built about a dozen irrigation ditches to deliver water to the various fields throughout the village territory and to supply the mills. The longest and most complex ditch was Gorna Doadza, located at the highest level of the village. It delivered water to most fields. The second longest was Dolna Doadza also known as Yazo. Both Doadzi got their water supply from Oshchima River. Oshchima had three types of fields that required watering: the livagie (meadows), the olnishcha (crop fields), and the gradinie (gardens). At the height of the summer season when rivers were low and the demand for water peaked, the village hired a Vodar (water manager) and implemented water rights. The Vodar or Vodars were responsible for planning, scheduling, monitoring and enforcing the use of water. With power to sue violators, the Vodars managed the use of water 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Watering schedules were created and people were informed when they could water. Gardens were watered most frequently and the meadows had last priority. Being the most numerous and requiring a lot of water, the crop fields were watered one after another on a continuous cycle only interrupted by the watering of the gardens. Owners were responsible for watering their own fields and absence meant loss of a turn.

Water Mills

During the prominent days, Oshchimians owned a number of water mills used to grind flour for themselves as well as people from other villages. Listed are the locations and owners of the mills;

Galik Petkova Livada Simo Keleshov Yane Petkov Sterio Keleshov Kole Petkov Vangel Keleshov Spiro Gigerov Vasil (Tsilko) Keleshov (Valeitsa)

Djientsa Vakovska Vodentsa

Dolni Livagie Selo Marko Keleshov Stoyan Argirov Naso Keleshov

Old Water Mills (No longer operational past 1939) Gigerov Toupourkov

Distilleries (Kazani za rakia) Oshchima owned two distilleries: Vakovska (owned by the church) and Argirovska.

Water for consumption

Like many Macedonian villages, Oshchima had no indoor running water and prior to 1963 had no drinking water systems at all. Oshchimians depended on natural springs for their daily consumption of water. The closest and most famous of these was Oreshki. Young girls and old maidens alike would stroll to Oreshki to fill their stomnina (clay gallon jugs) with cool, fresh water. At home they would pour them into the stomna (a four-gallon clay jug) then go back for more. A stomne is a round, baked clay vessel about a foot long with a three-inch base, widening to seven inches at the center and narrowing to an inch at the neck. The neck is about three inches long, at the top of which is the mouth (ousta). The stomne has a single bow-like handle. It starts an inch below the mouth and ends a little above the center of the stomne. There is a breathing hole at the highest point of the handle to allow airflow while drinking. The stomna is similar in design except that it has two symmetrical handles and no breathing hole. The top of the stomne is usually glazed and is a shade of dark blue or green. It is brightly decorated with yellow, red, green or blue flowers. The bottom of the stomne is porous and perspires slightly keeping the stomne and its contents cool. The stomna may or may not be glazed. At home the stomnina were covered with a cloth to keep dust and insects away. In the field, a plug of grass or leaves was used to prevent snakes, mice or other creatures from entering. There were many water springs in Oshchima, some famous for keeping the water cool in summer and warm in winter. When the surface of the rivers froze, shepherds would take their flocks to one of these springs to drink. Some springs gained notoriety that stretched beyond the borders of Oshchima. Many Oshchimians who since have immigrated to Canada still romanticize about how nice it would be to have a cool, crisp drink of water from one of the springs at Slavkoa Padina, Golina, Georgoa Glava, Gomnoush, Rusoa Niva, Taragia, etc. Memories like these remind Oshchimians of some of the better qualities of life that Oshchima had to offer. Around 1963, the Greek government commissioned a project to pipe water from the Tesna Prisoika Mountain spring. The project was successful and water was delivered to several key outdoor locations inside the residential part of Oshchima. The waterspouts are still in use today. Earlier projects were not as successful however. One commissioned in the 1920’s was intended to deliver running water to a single spout in the village-square. Unfortunately the spring was not reliable and dried up. This project was commissioned by the people of Oshchima with financial help from Oshchimians in Canada. At the time, the village lacked the funds to pipe water from a reliable spring and in haste chose the spring at Dlaboky Dol for its close proximity. Before the spring dried up the spout was relocated to Brego and was ironically named Shupuro, which in English translates to “pouring water”.

Mladiot O{~imec Risto Stefov roden na 11 Juni 1953g. vo selo O{~ima, Lerinsko od tatko Nikola i Majka Sofia doselen vo Toronto, Ontario Kanada;

Blagodarnica

Od imeto na ~lensvoto na redovnoto godi{no O{~imsko sobranie vo Toronto za 2002-ta godina. Ednoglasno re{i da mu se odade golemo priznanie za dolgogodi{na bezirekorna rabota kako ~klen i prezedatel na O{~imskiot adbor vo Toronto, Ontario, Kanada. I da se ova priznanie zapi{u vo knigata koja ke se pe~ati vo 2003-ta godina koja ke go opi{uva `ivotot na O{~imci vo Toronto i po{iroko.

Mu se odava golemo priznanie na mladiot intuzijast i bezprehoren borec za edinsvoto na svojte soselani O{~imci kako za site Makedonci vo Kanada i po{iroko vo svetot. Mladiot Risto Stefov koj e dojden vo Kanada kako mnogu mlado mom~e, ali so vreme najde sili vo sebe da prerasni vo golem Makedonski patriot i organizator da rabota za dobroto na svoite soselani, da gi pomaga so site raspolo`ivi mo`ni strestva, a kako najmnogu so duhovnoto mzdignuvawe. Risto neumorniot borec e dolgi godini na kormiloto na O{~imci, a ke bide u{te podolgi godini bo idnina. Za izgradbata na negovata li~nost pokraj svoite urodeni sposobnosti, golema zasluga i negovite roditeli koi vo duh go vospi{uvale. A nee mala i zaslugata na svojata sopruga Lori Foset Stefova i svoite vredni de~ina koj se za sekoja pofalba, oti i tie trgale po ubaviot tatkov pat. Ali njmnogu da ceka`i i potencira golemata zasluga na negovata sopruga koja dava ogromen doprinos za celokupnoto dobro na O{~imci a dotolku povredno e {to taa `ena e od Kanadejsko poteklo odnosno Kanadejka, ali vo ni{to ne se pazlikuva, nito mzostanuva od drugite O{~imski `eni Makedonki. I zatoa site O{~imci i O{~imki krajno mu blagodaraat za site nejzini zaslugi. Ova priznanie i blagodarnost za gore navedenite ceneti soselani proizleguva od srcata i du{ite na site O{~imski patrioti golemi i mali i krajno mu blagodarat. I nekase ~ita vo novata kniga so golema pot~it i uva`enie sekoga{ i na sekade, neka gi potsetuva postarite O{~imci, a na pomladite neka mu slu`i kako primer i patokaz vo odnina. U{te edno golemo spolaiti.

Od imeto na 96-to redvno O{~imsko godi{no sobranie.

April 07-2002 godina, Toronto Ontario Kanada.

Mila O{~ima

Kapka voda da kapi, majka {o pla~i vo gorata pusta nema bez usta. I sekoa kapka srce mi ve~i vo misla me klava. Moita mlados deticka rados, pred mene vrvi i pomni, pomni mi veli. I pomna `orni lekadi so stari ora~i i mladi kopa~i. Pred sonce ugreno seloto se prazne{e, qugeto se plnea, pesni se slu{naa a veselbi sedea. I posle koga sonce na zado{ode{e seloto se polne{e, celi si gredeme, po doma si odeme. I setne na ve~erata blizu do oxako, okolu sofrata, ve~era se klava{e, od poto na{ jademe. I puqa bo`i~i i slu{am tapani i vodci so ~upi katali da dr`e krestovi po kla{ni irznici so {ul bez orok na vro ru`ani. Vo crkva odeme i posle vo Ore{ki kresto se frla{e. I koi go fatfa{e od kukja vo kukja ode{e, za mnogu godini mili seqani so zdravje i `ivot i dobar bereket gospo da podari. I starite pokrai oxako gi slu{am da {epte i dobra sednina na biro i dobra sednina. I pomna lo{i godini i stra{ni vremina, ~upi i deci mladi i celi vo borba se najdoa po {umata vjanaa, nazat, nazat ne se vratia, Vo neznaena li{ina koskite gi ostaja neme grob da zastana cvekja da mu donesa cve}a da mu zapaqa. Ve~ni pamet detinski drugari ve~ni pamet mili selani. So mislite tie so te{kite misli sonceto zajde ve~era me najde, vreme da begam. Nabliza vo rekata i tamo ne{~o me zastana. Vo bistrata voda slu{na od dale~ni glasivi navredeni i tifko, tifko eden po eden mi vele.

Jas si Petre, jas si Jane, jas si German, jas si Ko~e, jas si Kole, jas si Iqo, jas si Leko, ias si Lazo, jas si Pavle, jas si Stojan, jas si Pando, jas si Boris, jas si Georgi, jas si Risto, jas si Go~e, jas si Trajko, jas si Pando, jas si Boris, jas si Gjorgi, jas si Trena, jas si Risto, jas si Paso, jas si Konda, jas si Vasil, jas si Fana,... Vo neznaeni li{ina vo te{kota borba mkite na{i vo seloto ova du{ite sede i ~eke sel~kii od ~u`ina da veli zdravo i zivo od deci i `eni da donesi. Vo pustoto selo vo letite ve~eri kukajci kuke i sveto ke side tie se sfe{~i za mrtvite, edna prorodna daros za zaguna na mlados. Vo pustoto selo vo qutite zimi, vo crnite temnici penxeri ne svete, ku~iwa ne lae, ~upi ne bere,... Vo pustoto selo so avlii padnati bez keze }ozaci de~ina ne igre, vrap~ina ne lite nema `etfari, nema ora~i, nema gumnari, nema {umari, nema drvari.... Pesni ne se pee {~emala svedia vo pustoto selo tamo pameto samo `ivi. Po sokaci, po Marena, po Golina, po Gomnu{, po Bodanca, po Padiwe, po pi~ina, po trp~ina i izvori toi samo ~eka dali pomo~i mene mi gormi pred nas da donesi{.

Naso Goli~ov

Children’s games

Bishka – A circle was drawn on the ground and a hole was made in the center. Children with sticks around the circle attempted to knock a ball into the hole.

Preskokantsa – (similar to leap frog) children crouched on all fours. The last child jumped over each crouched child then crouched in front of the line. This continued in a circular fashion.

Shoutka – (similar to soccer) ball made of wool from grooming oxen and horses

Nogalki – (similar to stilts) walking with sticks made from tree branches

Sighny – sled made of wood

Kola – wagon made with wooden wheels

Obrach – (hoop) metal band, usually a strap from a wooden barrel, pushed by a “U” shaped wire band. The hoop was pushed on its outer rim to rotate like a wheel at walking or running speeds.

Poupi – (similar to Jacks) five stones the size of chestnuts were dropped on the ground and picked up, first one then two, three, four and finally all five at once. The stones on the ground were picked up while the play stone was thrown in the air and was caught before it fell back.

Ashik – an animal knee bone with four sides. The narrow sides were called Tsar and Vesir. The curved side protruding was called magare (donkey) while the curved side intruding (hole) was called furna (oven). Two or more could play this game. The bone was rolled and if Tsar or Vesir was up you took extra turn. If magare was up you passed and on furna you got a slap on the hand and passed.

Krientsa – hide and seek

Koutsanga – similar to hopscotch

Klendza – played with two sticks. One was 6 to 8 inch long, a quarter to a half inch in diameter, sliced at a 30 to 45 degree angle at each end. The second stick was about a yard long. The short stick was dropped to the ground and hit at one end by the player with the long stick. As the short stick jumped up in the air, the player tried to hit it a long distance. The player that hit the stick the furthest was the winner. This was a dangerous game and many children lost an eye to it.

The Oshchima School

The type of schools that we are familiar with today were not existent in Macedonia until the third quarter of the 19th century. For the most part, Macedonians, especially those living in rural areas, were illiterate all through the Ottoman occupation. Like most small Macedonian villages, Oshchima had a single room public school and one teacher for all grades (1 to 6) simultaneously. Prior to 1960, the Ramovski house was temporarily used as a school. One of its rooms was converted into a classroom and used for teaching until a new school at Toumba was built in 1960. Before World War II and the Greek Civil War, Oshchima had a dedicated school building located at stret selo (village square). This building, due to years of neglect (wars), became unsafe and was abandoned. The new school was heated by a potbelly stove fueled with firewood. Students were responsible for providing firewood and managing the stove, on a rotational basis. Sometimes a generous resident, usually a parent, donated some firewood. Each student was responsible for bringing a log or two of firewood from home daily. Failing to do so usually resulted in punishment. A student was delegated the task of bringing coal embers to school from home for a week. In the morning the child filled a perforated tin can with a long wire handle, with coals from the fireplace at home and brought it to school to start the fire and warm up the classroom before classes began. Leftover wood at the end of the day was taken to the teacher’s residence for his or her use.

A Young Shepherd’s Journey

On occasion, shepherds had to leave their flocks of sheep in order to attend to other duties. During those times their young apprentices took over and worked the nights alone. They were brave indeed but sometimes their imagination played tricks on them as one old shepherd recalled from his young days. “It was late summer afternoon, after milking, and as the temperature in the air cooled the sheep began to leave the shade to graze on the slopes of Chereshnik. As the sun was setting the sheep rose higher and higher up the slopes approaching the mountain peaks bordering Zhelevo. I followed closely behind and watched my shadow grow longer and longer as the sun dropped lower and lower towards the horizon. As I peered eastward I noticed a glare from the corner of my eye. I looked and there on the upright rocks on the adjacent mountainside I saw a reflection of the sun. A stone was shining like a mirror, reflecting the sun back at me or so I tried to convince myself. As I stared at the light I imagined moving images of people in a bustling community. There were rows of glistening houses painted white. People were sitting in rows conversing and enjoying the warmth of the setting sun. I saw an old woman with a white kerchief on her head cleaning vegetables for her family’s dinner. As I watched, a feeling of loneliness engulfed me. I wished I was there with them, listening to their conversations and stories, enjoying the aroma of supper cooking, and listening to the sounds of the village before it went to sleep. As I continued to watch and enjoy the fruits of my imagination, the images began to lose their beauty and slowly turned murky and distorted. I struggled to recall them but they continued to escape me, melting away, vanishing into dark shadows. I could no longer look. I turned away for a moment and my eyes caught the bright red aura of the setting sun. That’s what happened, the sun had disappeared. It had set and was hidden behind the mountains; gone, the day was over. As I looked harder and harder I could only see large shadows engulfing the mountains, swallowing

the terrain whole with everything on it. The thought of darkness gave me shivers, but not to worry soon I’d be home safe, with my family in our house illuminated by the familiar light of our faithful kerosene lamp. As my imagination drifted further and further away, an eerie feeling came over me pulling me back, reminding me that home was the other way. I was afraid now, my heart was pounding, everything looked dark, unfamiliar, unrecognizable, menacing. I was all alone left to the mercy of the night. Startled by footsteps rustling behind me, I quickly snapped back to reality and turned to see what it was. It was my faithful dog who had come to join me; it must be dinnertime. I had two dogs and they were both there with me. I lowered my bag (torba) off my shoulder and took out my supper. It was bread (lep) and cheese (sirenie), as I recall. I also had food for the dogs, a baked bun of bran (groutki od tritsi) each. I was no longer afraid.”

Oshcimian Pioneers to Canada

Bozhin C. Temov, Kote L. Radev, Vasil N. Tupurkov, Risto Filkov, Georgi N. Argirov, Trpo Stoichev, Vasil S. Argirov, Risto S. Argirov, Giorgi Traikov, Nikola Tashov, Traian Djigerov, Kuzman Novachkov, Vasil Novachkov, Stefo Novachkov, Stoian K. Dimovski, Lambro Stoikov, Nasto Stoikov, Mitre Dostin, Krsto Kotev, Spiro Kotev, Spiro Filkov, Vasil Filkov, Georgi Tupurkov, Vasil Keleshov, Stavre T. Prespakov, Nikola Georgiev, Pando Dimovski, Risto I. Tsarvenkov, Kire N. Djigerov, Tase Kalkov, Risto F. Stefovski, Tanas P. Dinev, Nasto Grozdanov, Endria Grozdanov, Mitre Iovanovski Kote Iovanovski, Iote Golichov, Spiro Golichov, Vasil N. Tsafov, Iovan Radev, Risto Boglev, Kole Boglev, Kote Tashov, Iovan L. Malkov, Lazo T. Argirov, Risto Traikov, Done Ianakev, Nikola Shkembarov, Lazo Novachkov, Georgi Stoichev, Stoiche Keleshov, Tanas Radev, Marko K. Keleshov,

Oshchimians arrested on April 17th, 1947 and sent to concentration camps

Risto Boglev (Father) old man *, Krsto Boglev (son), Mito Boglev (son), Sotir Noachkov, Simo Farmakov, Lazo Dimovski, Vane Dimovski, Vane Traikov (Georgievski) sick *, Ilo Kozarov, Lambro Gigerov (Moushov), Georgi Lalov (Popov), Done Asprov, Naso Keleshov (limp) *, Ilo Argirov (Limp) *, Nikola Filev (Stefovski)

* Old, sick, and invalid given amnesty and released 1947.

Oshchimians involved in the Greek Italian war (October 28th, 1940 to April 6th, 1941)

Petre Moisiov (lost toes on one foot from frostbite), Kole Gigerov (lost toes on both feet from frostbite), Krsto Nanovski (killed in action), Petre Boglev (prisoner of war), Ilo Traikov (prisoner of war), Kosta Asprov (prisoner of war), Ilo Filkov (prisoner of war?), Sotir Noachkov, Kole Farmakov, Simo Farmakov, Risto Dimovski, Lazo Dimovski, Kole Petkov, Mito Boglev, Ilo Boglev, Mito Lalov (Popov), Simo Tsafov, Mihail Ioanovski, Stefo Raikovski, Done Asprov, Ilo Argirov, Todor Argirov, Spiro Argirov, Vasil Nanovski, Mito Toupourkovski, and Vane Georgiev (Traikov).

Drafted, trained but did not see action

Leko Malkovski, Ilo Toupourkov, Naso Karapanchev, Spiro Kozarov, Georgi Shkembarov, Spiro Argirov, Done Dimovski, Kole Mirchev, Lambro Argirov, Pndo Stefov, Vasil Gigerov, Pavle Popovski.

Rules for the draft: Fathers of 4 or more children were excused from the draft. If there were 3 or more brothers in a family, then only 2 were drafted.