Zorbas and the Cosmopolitan Spirit of Skopje

Culture Zorbas and the Cosmopolitan Spirit of Skopje kopje has been an important city national state after the Second World War. throughout its history. It was The cosmopolitan spirit of the town important for the Ancient Rome, attracted an ambitious entrepreneur for the Byzantine Empire, for the and great hedonist of Greek origin. His rebellious Tsar Samuel, as well as amusing way of life, incredible mixture Sfor the medieval Serbian state which made of Mediterranean warmth and Balkan Skopje its capital in the zenith of its power. joyfulness, make him an icon for the big Afterwards it was also an important city Greek artists who made him the emanation for both the expanding and the declining of the Greek identity, which became well- Ottoman state. After the Kingdom of known globally. Yugoslavia was formed in the first half The personal story of Jorgos Zorbas of the twentieth century, Skopje was the begins in the spring of 1922 when he southern capital of the compound state arrives at the Skopje railway station from attracting residents belonging to different Thessaloniki (line in function since the Balkans nations. On the track record of 1870s). He was carrying his youngest that history, Skopje became the capital daughter, the ten year old Ekaterina with of the newly established Macedonian him as the only companion. He asked 34 December 2015•www.dmwc.org.mk Culture follow him inside the room and then leave without turning their backs to him, as if they were leaving a church. Zorbas was a person with a tragic family life, as his big love Elena died at the age of 35. They were deeply in love and had twelve children out of whom seven reached very old age. Jorgos was a son of the owner of a big herd of sheep from Northern Greece. They had a prosperous estate but the young Jorgos did not see himself as a shepherd and sheep breeder. He met Elena while working in the mines of her father. The boss of the mine was not happy to see one of his employees seduce his daughter. But Zorbas was decisive. He, in a way, kidnapped the bride and they married in secret. Zorbas arrived in Skopje only with Ekaterina, but never remarried again. He found another great love in Skopje but never brought the lady to the altar. She was the beautiful widow Ljuba, attracting Skopje bachelors and bohemians. Jorgos Zorbas’s life wouldn’t have become famous had he not met another for the Lovec Hotel (on the present day great Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis, at the Macedonia Street). He stayed in the hotel Piraeus port in 1915, during the First for the rest of his life. In the following World War. They both wanted to try their years the unusually big man with a luck at Mount Athos, but after a year each characteristic moustache started his followed his own path. They promised business adventure. He discovered a mine each other to stay in touch. Four years of decorative stone and arranged the rent, later, Kazantzakis who in the meantime the exploitation and the sales. He started got employed at the Ministry of Social making profit, and at the same time he Affairs invited Zorbas to help him with began to earn his reputation of the biggest the aid delivery to the Greeks living in the spender and hedonist in town. He became Caucasus. Thus Zorbas became the Consul notorious for his Saturday parties in the of Greece in Odessa. Zorbas confessed to local restaurants, especially in Marger and Kazantzakis that he had lost his wife and Kermes, the most famous in Skopje in that considered it was time to fulfil his life-long time. He would book the whole restaurant dream to open his own mine. And so he just for him and his friends. He generously did. In the vicinity of Skopje he opened paid the whole bill. And when the party the mine, he made an access road, echoed notoriously in the neighbourhood, brought water, built a house and started he invited curious passers-by to join his to work. He kept informing his friend of company and treated them. When the all his actions. They had a voluminous party was finally over, he would climb up correspondence, which gave Kazantzakis the stairs to his room with the playing sufficient material for his later novel. musicians accompanying him. They would Zorbas died a sudden death of a www.dmwc.org.mk • December 2015 35 Culture heart attack just a few months after he boisterous and mysterious Alexis Zorba. arranged the marriage of his daughter The novel was adapted into an even more into the Yada family of rich Jewish traders. successful film in 1964 by a Cypriot author It was in 1941, few months after Bulgaria Michael Cacoyannis. The film featuring occupied the Macedonian territory in the international stars won several Oscars. Second World War. Nothing else was For this film the Greek composer Mikis known about the big bohemian until Theodorakis created a special dance based the film made Zorba a world hero. His on the Greek melodies, which he called original grave was transferred to Butel sirtaki. The music and the choreography from Crnice after the Crnice cemetery of the dance soon became the most was closed. His gravestone is still shining recognisable global cultural product of today in one of the corners of the Butel modern Greece. In 1968 Zorba musical Cemetery decorated with the only known was first performed on Broadway, and photograph of Zorbas preserved by his in 1988 a ballet of the same name was nephew Vangel. It bears witnes to his premiered in Verona, Italy. extraordinary appearance and lifestyle. In the mid nineties the legendary The international fame came to Jorgos Theodorakis staged and conducted the Zorbas soon after his death. In 1946 his musical at the Macedonian National friend, the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis Theatre, to celebrate the improvement published the novel which he called of the political relations between the two Zorba the Greek: Life and Times of countries. One of the most important Alexis Zorba. To avoid disputes with the statements in the novel captures the Zorbas family he changed the name of essence of Zorba’s cosmopolitan’s views: the main character and moved the action “First I was distinguishing people as Greeks, from Skopje to Crete, a place he knew Turks, Bulgarians, and Macedonians. Later much better than Skopje. It is the tale of a I only considered them bad or good. Time young Greek intellectual who ventures to is coming when I will not make even such escape his bookish life with the aid of the distinction.” 36 December 2015•www.dmwc.org.mk.

Load more