5.2. “I KAMENOT E ZEMIA” (A STONE TOO IS SOIL)

5.2. “I KAMENOT E ZEMIA” (A STONE TOO IS SOIL)

“Kire, my dear boy, wherever you go you must remember two things… Your language and the road you took! Only that way you will return, you will find your way home. If you forget your language then you will forget who you are. And if you forget who you are you would have forgotten the way that would lead you home. And if you forgot your way home then you will wander the world forever... Your language, my dear boy, is what makes you who you are. If you forget your language then you will forget yourself. If you forget the road back home, you will wander forever… So protect your language and it will protect you. If you don’t forget your language then you will not forget your way home... And then you will come home...” 62

More of the Macedonian people’s (from Aegean Macedonia) tragedy is presented in Petre Nakovski’s second novel entitled “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil). This novel was published in 1988. Here the author talks about the condition of the population that lived within the war territory and was facing the whirlwind of a huge disaster brought on by the war.

A series of personality destinies flow along in a time frame within the core content of the novel “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil). The novel is a chronotope. 63 Described in the pages of this book is the time placed within the time limits in which the depicted events took place. According to Roland Barthes, the novel “inhabits a ‘new code’, the code of space and time.” 64

62 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 139 63 In his works “Za romanot” (About the novel), Mihail Bakhtin set the initial theoretical postulates for the novel as a whole, but in his theoretical research he also refers to the importance of time and space in the novel. Chronotope literally means “time-space” that is, an essential connection between the temporal and spatial links that are artistically expressed in the literature. 64 Venko Andonovski: Struktura na makedonskiot realistichen roman. - Skopje: Detska radost, 1997, p. 123

The facts offered in the given time period are arranged with a chronological composition of the course of events which provide gradual acquaintance with the points in time and with the population. In that the author builds on events that took place earlier, but are the beginning of the described time period expressed in the stated part of the novel:

“... But before the Solun front broke, it was cut in half by Serbian, French and English soldiers. And then before the Italian hit, the Greeks forced everyone to work for free and cut trees. On these hills they dug trenches, built bunkers in which the soldiers of all the armies shed blood, but none was loved.” 65

This kind of composition confirms the author’s creative mastery to use chronological and retrospective storytelling about his characters.

The time frame the story in the novel “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil) takes place in is covered by the period from May-June 1947 to May 4, 1948.

The novel is based on the following true events:

Figure 5. Cover page of the novel “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil)

• Greek state instigates white terror • DAG mobilizes young people in its ranks • Villages are bombed • Children are collected and evacuated

Mobilization of young people into DAG’s ranks, as presented by Nakovski, was an event through which there was forced mobilization. These young men and women from the village were forcibly mobilized (by order of the General Staff, not by law - there was no government at that time. The Provisional Government was formed on December 23, 1947 in Asamati, a village in Prespa.) The only people who were not mobilized in these villages were “widows, old women, nursing mothers, the elderly and children.” During the execution of this action, a conversation between father and son is captured. The following highlights the differences in understanding of what it means to participate in the war:

65 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 10

“… ‘Father, I am leaving and going to fight at the front, to avenge my brother.’ That’s when Giorgi grabbed him by the collar, looked into his eyes and said: ‘I did not bring you up to be a revenge seeker. Revenge is best left to the savages. We are not like that… think about it. Are you sure this is what you want to do in these desperate times?’ But before Done had a chance to respond, Giorgi continued: ‘This is not a place for strangers. This is our place and every time we aspire to do something we end up with pools of blood. Think about it son, nothing can be done with a single step or with a single drop of blood. It is easy to say: ‘I am going!’ But why are you going, have you really thought about it? You know that this kind of storm took both your maternal and paternal grandfathers? And all that’s left of my father is his name engraved on the trunk of a thick beech tree. Remember? Like your grandfather Kiro said, Naum my son, your brother, lucky for us, was not left in the Albanian mountains. Fate wanted him to be returned to us so that we can lay him to rest under our skies. Our kind, my son, never wanted anyone with bad intentions to enter our yard. The gun that hangs on the wall there from the time of our great-great grandfathers, hangs there to prevent strangers with bad intentions from entering our yard. It was used the most when the Andarts came to our village. My grandfather Naum used it to drive them out. Any stranger that dared enter was met with a shot in the head… I don’t want to hear any more about any revenge… I will tell you again… nothing is solved with a single step, a single drop of blood or a single sigh. Never forger that…” 66

This confirms the morality and ethics between two generations.

With support from the Greek National Army the terror was carried out by armed paramilitary and military groups, primarily made up of Greek nationalists, the majority of whom collaborated with the occupiers: Italians, Bulgarians and Germans during World War II. The forms of terror (white terror) 67 consisted of: banning the Macedonian identity, various forms of punishing the left-leaning population or individual people, and looting houses and properties. 68

Due to the escalation of fighting, pressure from the community prompted organizers of the “save the children” program to expedite the evacuation process to take the children abroad… 69 A broader explanation of this event can be found in the foreword to the political science study Makedonski detsa vo Polska (1946-1968) (Macedonian Children in Poland (1946-1968)) by Dr. Petre Nakovski:

“The reason was the frequency of bombing Macedonian villages by government military units, especially those in which Macedonian schools were opened. On the other hand, as DAG’s food supplies and human needs kept growing, there was a need to provide safety for the tens of thousands of children whose lives had been in danger.

66 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 28 67 See: Stojan Kiselinovski: Egejskiot del na Makedonija 1913-1989. - Skopje, Kultura, 1990 p. 137 68 See: Ετσι αρηισε ο εφυλιος, Ατινα, 1987 69 See: Petre Nakovski: Makedonski detsa vo Polska (1946-1968): (political science study). - Skopje, Mlad Borec, 1987, p. 18

Therefore, in 1947, the Provisional Democratic Government of Greece petitioned Eastern European governments to temporarily accept children from the liberated and semi-liberated territories of Northern Greece. A positive response activated the district and village people’s boards to organize the necessary action to send the children abroad. The children were escorted by women called ‘mothers’, each of whom was responsible for groups of 20-25 children aged 2 to 14.” 70

Figure 6. Mothers carrying wounded

In the novel “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil) we find a vivid and emotional description of the departure of children and their separation from their parents:

“They began their departure… children, women, old men… all mixed together. First in one big bunch and then, slowly, in a column. They walked in two’s, in fours, seven and even ten together... Families stuck together… Mothers intervened; whispering, comforting, teaching, holding hands tightly and keeping the children warm before they were separated… Step by step, they walked holding hands, holding their mothers’ dresses...

‘Mothers and all others who escorted the children here please stand on this side. Say goodbye to them now.’....” 71

70 Ibid., p. 21 71 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje, Ogledalo, 1988, p. 151

“The children moved on... frightened, crying, praying, looking back and yelling, hurting… they moved on... Their mothers stood there on the hill motionless and in silence… with tears running down their cheeks… which they did not wipe… 72

After the children were evacuated their parents were relieved of their responsibilities of taking care of them, so the armed struggle gained a new influx of people, who were assigned to carry out background tasks, such as transporting wounded and ammunition, digging trenches, building bunkers, etc. The evacuation of the children and the mobilization of their parents for the needs of the war front led to the disintegration of the Macedonian family. This was the start of the eradication of the Macedonian people from the Aegean part of Macedonia (Northern Greece).

It is a fact that the people in their daily life constantly strived to preserve their individuality, freedom, dignity and faith in God. They expressed their belief, but with skepticism, in slogans repeated daily. They were convinced that the war waged by the left was just. These are facts that the author strived to preserve and he did that with his characteristically positive attitude especially towards the disadvantaged of both the individual and the collective.

And exactly in this we reveal the manner in which the author, as well as the people participating in the events, have expressed their moral judgment, resentment, deep humanism, as well as their solidarity with the oppressed. Hence, they are not indifferent but engaged observers and thus draw attention to the human destiny and its meaning. They made a connection with those who, living in an unjust political or state order, have nevertheless preserved their human dignity, value and consciousness worth fighting for and sacrificing their lives.

This is typical of the novel “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil) which is the subject of this analysis in which facts provide broader knowledge of events, time, people and their views.

The first element that confirms that the work has elements of “literature of fact” is the authenticity of space, names of settlements, toponyms.

Namely, the action takes place in Aegean Macedonia (Northern Greece), in Kostur Region. The village in which the main event takes place is Krchishta, birthplace of the author. In his book “I kamenot e zemja” (A stone too is soil), the author uses centuries old Macedonian names with an unusually accurate topography of the villages, cities, mountains, rivers, which the Greeks have Hellenized by law, i.e. have renamed with Greek names. But by analyzing the novel we will be able to learn Macedonian geography. 73

72 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje, Ogledalo, 1988, p. 164 73 See: Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje, Ogledalo, 1988, p.172 - description of Macedonia through settlements...

Well, from this it is obvious that there are villages in Aegean Macedonia (Northern Greece) called: Grleni, Chetirok, Nestram, Kosinets, V’mbel, Breznitsa, Maniak, Lobanitsa, Kosinets, Dolno Papratsko, Novoseleni, Shak, Revani, Gorno Papratsko, Ezerets, Krchishta, Dupiak, Lovrade, Snicheni, Osheni, Sveta Nedela, Galishcha, Dobrolishta, Mokreni, Konomladi, Medovo, German, Strkovo, Rudari, Kosinsko, Lobanitsko.

These are toponyms found in the novel which are key to events occurring in that time period: Virovite, Popole, Bei-bunar, Karchitsko pole, Klopotarei, Brezeto, Polenik, Nova Cheshma, Stara Livada, Sinadev Rid, Borovo, Vishomo, Tombite, Siniachka, Kore Коreshtata, Telok, Prespa.

Names of mountains: Gorusha, Odreto, Krusha, Mali Madi, Aliavitsa, Orleto, Nikoler and mountain peaks: Faltsata, Stenite, Vicho, Gramos, Kopanche, name of rivers: Belitsa.

Names of cities: Kozhani, Kostur, Rupishta, Solun.

Names of monasteries: Sveti Vrach, Sveti Ilia, etc.

The second element that confirms that the work has elements of “literature of fact” is the time frame and the real events that took place in that time period.

Through his narration, the author lists all the events that took place and left a lasting mark on the Macedonian people in chronological order. He sticks to real facts when he presents events from the lives of certain individuals and social groups.

The Greek Civil War began on March 30, 1946, with the Greek partisans attacking the police station at Lithohori.

Dates: September and October 1947 - the population hid in the woods to escape Greek government troops attacking and bombing it. February 1948 – preparations are made to organize the collection of children. March 25, 1948 - 54 children accompanied by three women are evacuated from the village Krchishta. May 4 1948 - fourteen and fifteen-year-old children are returned from being mobilized who later, along with the youngest children, were sent to Prespa and from there to Yugoslavia.

A particularly important and historical event described in Nakovski’s novel is the opening of a school 74 in the village where a Macedonian teacher was teaching the children to learn in the Macedonian language. The following was presented through

74 See: Σολων Ν. Γριγοριαδης: Ο εµφυλιος 1946-1949, τοµος 2, σελ. 200 - 201 (Solon N. Grigoriadis: The Civil War. Volume two, pp. 200 - 201) “Schools were opened in the free territories by DAG General Staff for public education DECISION Article 5 of August 10, 1947”. Article 5 stipulates: “The people's councils should open separate schools for children belonging to national minorities. Teaching in the language of the minority ”

Kole’s character, a DAG fighter who assumed the role of a Macedonian teacher when the school opened:

“Know this and remember it that this day is also the day of your fathers, older sisters and brothers who are now fighting in the battlefields with weapons in hand, you should have your own, our, Macedonian school... in which you will you learn the language of your grandparents, your mothers and fathers and no one will scold and beat you, embarrass you and belittle you because you will speak that language... And now I will give you one primer for every three children.” 75

Unfortunately the Monarcho-Fascists (Greek government) did not like the children learning in their Macedonian mother tongue. They saw danger in Macedonians gaining national rights through the Interim Government, which was allegedly attempting to recognize the existence of the Macedonian national minority in Greece. As a result, the village was bombed, killing seven children. This horrible event caused resentment as well as deliberation and assessments among the population. One of those assessments was made by Reverend Vasil, who said:

“... They attacked our children... The next time they may attack the children more severely, but let them attack them... This time they attacked us because of our written and spoken language...” 76

The novel also mentions newspaper headlines, names of camps, as well as historical figures and military and political organizations, which confirms the “literature of fact” thesis.

Newspapers: Eleftheria (Freedom).

Camps: Ai Strati, Gura, Macronissos, Trikeri, Aegina.

Historical figures: Georgios - King of Greece, Frederiki - Queen of Greece, Markos - General, DAG Commander-in-Chief, Pando Shiperkov – DAG Major, died in February 1948 at Sveti Vrach, Karavangelis - Greek Bishop in Kostur, Metaksas -introduced a military dictatorship in Greece on August 4, 1936, Chakalarov - Ilinden freedom fighter and band leader who organized the Ilinden uprising in Kostur region.

Military and political organizations: DAG - Democratic Army of Greece, EON - Greek Youth Organization, NOF – People’s Liberation Front, ELAS - National Liberation Army of Greece, UNRA 77

75 By DAG General Staff for public education DECISION Article 5 of August 10, 1947, the Macedonians were recognized as a people with national rights, and thus the right to study in their Macedonian language. See: Stojan Kiselinovski: Egejskiot del na Makedonija 1913- 1989. - Skopje: Kultura, 1990 p. 137 76 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja.- Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 102 77 United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)

The leading characters in the novel are actants 78 Giorgi and Kiro. These two key figures are a typical representation of the Macedonian people from Kostur Region. Here the heroes are ordinary people. The novel also features the characters: Giorgevitsa (Lina), her sons Vasil, Done, Naum and Stavro, and his wife Stavrovitsa, with their children Lenka and Pande. There is also Miter, Mitrovitsa, Lazo, Kuze, Pop (reverend) Vasil, teacher Kire, Stefo, Laki the carpenter, Kirevitsa (Mara), and children Riste, Kosta, Mare, Iane, Sofka, Bisera, Vera, as well as Kostovitsa, Olga, Koliovitsa, grandfather Nake, and Lena Kostova. The novel depicts ordinary people who fight for their humanity and for the salvation of their moral values.

The third element that confirms that the work has elements of “literature of fact” are the real characters such as Lazo, Kuze, Giorgi, his wife and sons. Reverend Vasil’s character is based on my own grandfather Sterio. Other characters are also representative of real people such as Vera, Kolio and Pando Shiperkov. The characters in the novel are heroes and are characterized by the way they themselves view events. They express themselves in their own simple, non-politicized, ordinary language, which does not prevent them from expressing their pain, fears, expectations, hopes, as well as condemnation and judgment in their own way. These characters represent the collective destiny which everyone has experienced:

Figure 7. Reverend Sterio and the author

78 See: Venko Andonovski: Abduksijata na teorijata. - Skopje: Galikul, 2011, p. 31

“What are you going to do Mitre? Are you going to give up your grandchildren? I don’t know. I guess I will do what everyone else does, Kiro. If my son was here we would have thought about it together, now the decision will be mine alone. If I don’t give them I might make a mistake… if I do give them it will probably be a mistake... What to do? I don’t know! My idea is whatever everyone else does, I will do too. But I am telling you… this place here will become mute… that’s for sure, brothers...” 79

Similarly, characters like Kuze and Vera are recognized as negative characters in the novel. The first character, Kuze, who also appears in the novel “Postela za chemernite” (A bed for the wretched) is a profiteer who has benefited from the sufferings of others. He uses betrayal, lies, accusations, intimidation, etc., for his personal interest. Kuze is a negative character who persists in fulfilling orders from the NOF and AFZH leaders. The people call him the lizard. He is cowardly and humiliatingly helpful. Vera is a propagandist who supports the needs of the armed struggle and the communist movement. In one of her many speeches, she said:

“People, you should be happy because our democratic government and the Party, despite the heavy fighting that is taking place, are constantly thinking of the children. So please don’t ignore the Party that has extended its hand to you…” 80

The author here recounts the tragic fate of individuals who lived in Krchishta, through their suffering and pain and condemns the state system and the regime. But when looking at the novel’s pages, there is not a single word of hatred towards the Greeks who caused the suffering and towards the Greek people in general. The author found it emotionally difficult to write down the suffering, pain, anguish and horror from the conversations he had with the living participants of that time. But he did this in order to capture the authenticity of the characters so that he could recount the conditions in such a way that they would be understood by the reader.

In our estimation, the author’s aim was to characterize the powerlessness of individuals in the face of enormous disasters, the kind a war brings, which is led by a handful of fools against a powerful government army aided by the most powerful state in the world.

A fourth element that confirms that the work has elements of “literature of fact” is the authentic description of home and family, through which the author captures the atmosphere and interior of the Macedonian house, a kind of “common code” 81 in Kostur Region. Unfortunately, in times of war, the home becomes a place of suffering and tragic living because the family as the basic cell of society is destroyed. Instead of being a fortress of the family, of cohesion, the home in the novel is a place of mourning.

79 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 126 80 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 125 81 Venko Andonovski: Struktura na makedonskiot realistichen roman. - Skopje: Detska radost, 1997, p. 190

By analyzing this novel we get a vivid picture of the village streets, gardens, fields, the authenticity of the village house and the fireplace. All this represents the authentic soul of the Macedonian villager who is destroyed on a daily basis by the various war events.

The novel also touches on authentic Macedonian life, customs and true faith in God which are being destroyed day by day. But in every home there is a lamp in front of an icon which burns. Its shine glows in the souls of the people giving them hope that they will survive. There are also curses in the novel presented in an authentic way: “May the sausages you ate with your Comrades two nights ago turn into poison! And the wine you took from the church… may that too turn into poison…” 82 As well as Christian Orthodox customs, such as: lighting a candle, whispering a prayer, family celebrations, giving a blessing, ringing a church bell, preparing a dead body, giving liturgy for the dead in the Old Slavic language (Church Slavonic) such as:

“Gospodi, s skorbi raspostranil mia iesi…” 83

We would say that the author’s desire is to preserve even the smallest detail of truth of the tragedy of the time through the pages of his novel analyzed here.

The style and language depend on the creative individuality of the author (local and literary language). His expressions show that he has the ability to express himself precisely. The author uses the Macedonian literary language in his work, but his writing is also enriched with authentic words from the Kostur Region dialect. In order to capture the authenticity of time and space, the author also uses Greek language words. These are the kind of words that have crept into the population’s speech. These are Greek words that have been introduced in the local Macedonian language referencing Greek administrative, legal and court terminology. Words such as: “sholio” (school), “katashesi” (confiscation), “politiki kathodigisi” (political leadership), “ethniko imno” (national anthem), etc. The language spoken by the village characters is a simple language devoid of the misery of slogans. On the other hand, the language spoken by activists, political and military organizations is often rhetoric incomprehensible to the ordinary Macedonian villager. In the novel we encounter sensible experiences such as emotions and reflections through which, we would say, the author has ideally expressed “literature of fact” in his work.

The symbolism in this novel is common and represents the warmth of a home through the fireplace: “For as long as there was a fire and someone to add fuel to it and stoke it, this household would remain alive… was what was going through Bisera’s mind...” 84 The black head kerchief symbolizes grief and mourning for the lost. The overgrown colourless grass and weeds symbolize abandonment. The stone symbolizes the native land: “And the stone, look over there, to the right, at the end of Stenata, there is a boulder. It is naked, washed by the rain, beaten by the wind and baked by the sun. It has

82 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 129 83 Ibid., p. 92 84 Petre Nakovski: I kamenot e zemja. - Skopje: Ogledalo, 1988, p. 116

been that way since it became a stone. It has been standing there for centuries and you might say; so what it’s only a stone? Yes, it’s a stone but it is part of our soil, the same as our rivers, forests, source of water, fields, and... well... our faith... That’s the way it is… The stones in our yard, on the road, in our foundations, in our walls, on the side of the road, in our fields… those stones too are soil. They are all part of the soil that makes up our country.” 85 The grey and black clouds symbolize the war. The set table symbolizes a full house in which the housewife maintains a ritual of waiting, hoping and memories. The picturesqueness of this fact is vivid in Bisera’s character who maintains permanence in her lonely house without abandoning the usual Macedonian traditions practiced over time: “Two women; Bisera sitting in her husband’s chair at the table seeming as if she was resting in her husband’s strong arms and the Virgin Mary blackened with soot from burning candles with a child in her arms and with wide, sad eyes, looking at her. And between them a table arranged with nine more spaces… and an oil lamp with a flickering flame. They were waiting and each was feeling her own pain… 86 Oak leaves on the table symbolize health. A twig of dogwood symbolizes health for all relatives and friends. A coin, whoever gets it, symbolizes wealth. The icons, the word, the speech existing in the novel are symbols of duration, survival of the nation and, at the same time, rebellion against violence. These are the hallmarks of the Macedonian domestic tradition.