LERIN REGION

In the Lerin region were the following districts - Prespanska, Lerinska and Sorovichko-Kajlarska. The regional leadership of NOF for Lerin comprised three members - secretary Lazar Poplazarov and members Tane Lazar Naumov and Risto Kolentsev.

PRESPA REGION

The main leadership of the Prespa districts was: Kole Panov, secretary, and Done Asprov and Alekso Mirchev as members.

This region was divided into two wards: German and Afrikanski.

The Afrikanski ward comprised seven villages - Nivitsi, Vineni, Orovo, Drobitishta, Grazhdano, Ail, and Trnovo. Alekso Mirchev was elected the organizing secretary.

Petre Asprov from the village Oschima.

The German ward comprised 16 villages: German, Robi, Medovo, Shtrkovo, Rudari, P'pli, Orovnik, L'k, Bukovik, Drenovo, Zhelevo, Oschima, Trnaa, Rulja, Besfina and Breznitsa.

Petre Asprov from the village Oschima was selected as the organizer secretary in charge.

LERIN DISTRICT

The regional administration from Lerin was comprised of: Zhivko Popovski, secretary, Nikola Patkov, Vangel Geshkovski, Kosta Chingovski and Tane Karakachev, members.

The Lerin region was divided into five wards: Turje, Buf, Kotori, Ovchareni and Banitsa.
- The Turjje ward was comprised of six villages: Turje, Trcje, Psoderi, Armensko, Mateshnitsa and Kalugeritsa.
- The Buf ward was comprised of 13 villages: Buf, Rakovo, Sveta Petka, Opsirino, Bitusha, Dolno Kleshtino, Gorno Kleshtino, Klodorobi, Kabasnitsa, Negochani, Klabuchishta, Dolno Kalenik and Gorno Kalenik. Ilija K'atipov was selected as the organizing secretary in charge.
- The Kotori ward was comprised of 16 villages: Gorno Kotori, Dolno Kotori, Elovo, Bel Kamen, Lagen, Nered, Krpeshtina, Maala, Plishevitsa, Leskovets, Nevoljani, Kuchkoeni, Vrtolom, Pesochnitsa, Lazheni and Armenovo. Vangel Geshkovski was selected as the organizing secretary in charge.
- Ovchareni ward was comprised of 11 villages: Ovchareni, Papadija, Krushoradi, Setina, Neokazi, Vrbeni, P'pzhani, Sakulevo, Asanovo, Kavkas and Orta Oba (Sredno Selo). Kosta Chingovski was selected as organizing secretary in charge.
- Banichkiot ward was comprised of six villages: Banitsa, Tserovo, Gornichevo, Zabrdeni, Rosec and Boreshnitsa.

SOROVICHKO - KAJLARSKA DISTRICT

For political organization purposes the Sorovichko-Kajlarska district was divided into four wards and those were: Sorovichki, Ekshi Sulejski, Ajtovski and Mokrenski. The administration of this region was undertaken by: Evdokija Baljova, secretary, Trpe Kostovski, Todor Kochevski and Pande Eksisuvski, members.
- Ekshi Sulejski district was comprised of six villages: Ekshi Su, Spantsi, Guljantsi, Ljubetino, Gorno Novoselsko and Dolno Novoselsko. Todor Kochovski was selected as the organizing secretary in charge.
- Sorovichki ward comprised nine settled places: the little town of Sorovich, Petersko, Patele, Sotir, Novi Grad, Elevish, Chaldzhilari, K'osiler and Kolaritsa. Pande Eksisuvski was selected as organizing secretary in charge.
- The Ajtovski ward was comprised of eight villages: Ajtos, Negovan, Gorentsi, Neveska, Cherkez Kjoj, Insko, Vrapchi and Rudnik. Trpe Kostovski was selected the responsible organizing secretary.
- The Mokreni ward comprised 16 villages: Mokreni, Zelenich, Srebreno, Lehovo, Bobishta, Klisura, Zagorichani, Embore, Debrets, L'ka, Paljor, Kundzhu, Chor, Rakita, Prekopana and Redunishta. Gjorgi Kjantov was selected organizing secretary.

LERIN, THE TOWN

The town of Lerin was divided into three wards: Chiflick, Tsentar and Sveti Nikola. The town committee of NOF was comprised of the following cadres: Andon Pistrovski as secretary, Vangel Gerchanov and Vasil Stojkov in charge of NOMS (People's Liberation Youth Union).
- The ward committee of Chiflik was comprised of Mihail Zhivojchev as secretary, Vangel Gerchanov and Todor Grazhulev as members.
- The ward committee of Tsentar was comprised of Ilija Kazija as secretary, Lazar Varliev and Micho Kantov as members.
- The ward committee of Sveti Nikola was comprised of Trajko Buzhev as secretary and Shime Ichov as member.

With such good organizing cadres in place in the Lerin region, the NOF organization had the ability to manage the existing partisan groups. In their ranks these groups had 80 active fighters - volunteers who were well armed and had undertaken many battle actions against the Greek monarcho-fascist bands.

On 15 June 1945 in Sveti Atanas near the village Banitsa, the partisan forces undertook a successful action against the monarcho-fascist forces. On 19 June 1945 they eliminated two terrorist officers together with the priest in the village Krapeshtina. In the month of July 1945 the partisan groups near Lerin managed to eliminiate nine terrorists. On 13 July 1945 a partisan group in ambush on the road between Lerin and Solun very close to the village Gornishevo attacked a truck and an old Englishman died and four soldiers were wounded. Every day there were similar actions, some smaller, some larger, in the Lerin region until 1 August 1945 when the main leadership of NOF directed the regional leadership to have the partisans under their leadership cease all such actions against the monarcho-fascist forces.

The activists in the organization did not agree with this decision and direction from the main leadership of NOF because with the ceasing of future actions the armed monarcho-fascist bands would again become braver and begin to act again.

After this decision, the morale of the Macedonian people began to fall. The activist activity of the NOF, NOMS and AFZH (Anti Fascist Women's Front) began to stagnate and the people to disagree.

With the previously nominated cohort of NOF cadres for the Lerin region it became apparent that organizing activities were not developing the way that had been planned. Many of the cadres pulled out while over time others merged into the Macedonian population.

As a result of these matters an urgent need became apparent for prompt reorganization of the cadres in NOF.

< Return to Index or Next Chapter >