Travel Destination The Realm of Fern: a Mijak Colony n the central part of the country, just they are the only three Mijak villages above Veles there lies one of the outside the original Mala Reka area in most beautiful and well preserved, the western part of the country. There but at the same time, one of the is evidence that the first family was the most deserted villages in this rather Kuzman who came here in the 1770s. The Ipopulated region. Papradiste is part of the village was a midway home to the masons Azot area famous for subversion and social between their work place in Veles and the unrest from medieval Bogumils to 19th ancestral Mala Reka region. The legend century revolutionaries and 20th century says that the old name of the depopulated partisans. It is situated in the upper village was Zvezdanovo (village under stream of the Babuna river and nested stars) and the current name was given in the Dautica mountain at 980 meters after the new settlers covered their roofs above sea level. The village was founded with fern instead of straw, Papradiste by families originating from the Mijak meaning abundance of fern. The wealth of region - from Galicnik, Gari, Lazaropole, the village was based on sheep breeding, Tresonce and Selce. Together with the masonry and cloth making. The soil there nearby Orese, and Smilevo (Bitola region) is generally not good for agriculture, but 28 March 2016•www.dmwc.org.mk Travel Destination near the village, in the vicinity of the stand as witnesses of his sublime craft. river, there are conditions for growing His churches are masterpieces of sacral potatoes. So the villagers became famous architecture. He developed his own for that product as well. Industry and characteristic style of a three nave church resulting wealth enabled its inhabitants with with half-cylindrical domes. He paid to study and work abroad and to become close attention to the acoustics of the more cultivated. They migrated to other interior and the decoration of the columns. Balkan countries, but also to Kiev and Besides the famous St. Joackim Osogovski Saint Petersburg. They got a sense of the in Krriva Palanka, he built churches in revolutionary struggle and felt the need Veles and Stip, Nis and Smederevo in for a national liberation. Several illustrious Serbia, and in Sarajevo and Mostar in figures of the national history and culture Bosnia and Herzegovina. originate from this village. In Dimitar Andonov Papradiski (1859- Dimitrija Cupovski (1878-1940) is one 1954) we have at once the last zograf of the most important national figures. He (religious artist) and the first secular was a publicist, historian, revolutionary painter who is famous for his historical and politician, mainly living and working paintings and portraits. He was born in a in Saint Petersburg. From there he was family of masons, stone and wood carvers. constantly advocating for Macedonians Already at the age of 20 he joined a zograf as a separate nation and fighting for tajfa (group of religious artists). He was Macedonia as an independent state. He also a revolutionary who was imprisoned established Slavic–Macedonian societies, several times, but in 1919 he settled in edited papers and magazines and wrote Skopje and opened a painting studio. petitions to the League of Nations. He was the first teacher of the founding Other famous Papradiste persons are fathers of Macedonian modern art Nikola connected with the arts. Martinovski and Tome Vladimirski. Andrea Damjanov (1813-1878) was one Gjorgji Zografski (1871-1945) is another of the greatest masons in the Balkans last descendant of a big family of carvers whose churches across the Balkans and church artists. After quitting the family www.dmwc.org.mk • March 2016 29 Travel Destination craft he devoted himself to portraiture. One and mountain tourism. In the village there of his most precious historical paintings is a wonderful renovated mountain hut depicts an attack of a neighboring serving all the mountaineers on their way Albanian gang on a Papradiste family. to the high peaks of Solunska Glava and Armed gang attacks happened frequently Ceples. Mountain routes to the peaks and in these remote difficult to police regions. elsewhere are well marked. The hut is For that reason the Ottomans built a a former school that kept the traditional protective tower where a duty squad was façade; classrooms have been turned into based in warm seasons. Remnants of the hostel type rooms. It is open from April to tower can still be seen in the vicinity of September, while in other months the stay the village. Another landmark is the local must be arrange beforehand. church devoted to Saint Peter and Paul, Unfortunately only a few inhabitants just as the famous Galicnik church. Having live in the village, despite the fact that colonized this village, the Mijaks kept the many of the houses are in a good shape. traditions from their old homes. It meant During traditional reunion days and in that the biggest feast was 12 July, St the summer more than two thousand Peter’s Day, but there were a few other descendants return to their old homes. feast days brought by the other settlers. Yet what can be seen as a spark of hope As they migrated further, much like for the future of the village is that a few Galicnik or other Mijak villages residents, people have returned there escaping from they traditionally gathered in Papradiste the busy and impoverished city life. In the during the summer. Yet, they tried to nature they have found a new meaning of intermarry only among their Mijak kin. existence and a healthier living. The village has a big potential for rural 30 March 2016•www.dmwc.org.mk.