Les Passants

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. ~Ernest Hemingway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I love the night passionately. I love it as I love my country, or my mistress, with an instinctive, deep, and unshakeable love. I love it with all my senses: I love to see it, I love to breathe it in, I love to open my ears to its silence, I love my whole body to be caressed by its blackness. Skylarks sing in the sunshine, the blue sky, the warm air, in the fresh morning light. The owl flies by night, a dark shadow passing through the darkness; he hoots his sinister, quivering hoot, as though he delights in the intoxicating black immensity of space. ”
~Guy de Maupassant

 Though I often looked for one, I finally had to admit that there could be no cure for Paris.

~From Paris with Love, Filip Popovski 2009, December

Female First Sergeant

Kostadinka Trajkovska, born in Strumica, is 32 years old. She is employed in the Republic of Macedonia’s army as First Sergeant in the Infantry unit .  She is currently stationed in Ohrid and lives in Bitola, which causes her daily commute to be over 120km.  Sergeant Trajkovska is married to Captain Marijan Trajkovski and has two children, Vangel (11 years old) and Martin (10 years old). 

The First Sergeant eagerly explained that she had dreamed of becoming a soldier since she was a child and has worked toward that dream her entire life. 

She knows that her children are happy with their mother’s accomplishments and professional status in the army. I had the opportunity to speak with Vangel, an intelligent young man, who is proud to see his mother in uniform. 

Upon arriving at her home, I realized that I had walked into a state of transition. She explained that her family was moving from one apartment to another. She kindly offered me coffee and cake, and it was evident that not only was she a first class soldier but a first class homemaker as well. I asked her if her employment in the army impeded her home life? She explained that her arrangement in the army is her career and has no effect on her home life as a wife, mother and homemaker.

Sergeant Trajkovska says that at times it is unpleasant when she has to give men orders, however, it is part of the job.  No one has undermined her authority yet, but she understands that some of the male soldiers may feel uneasy about taking orders from a woman. For the record, any refusal to take orders from a higher authority will result in action from the Republic of Macedonia.

Mayor Boro Latkoski says that Kostadinka is a true professional and does her job extremely well. He further explained that it is a pleasure to work with a soldier/officer such as First Sergeant Kostadinka Trajkovska. While traveling from Ohrid to Bitola, I spoke with the chauffeur from the base in Ohrid, Ljupco Iloski. He explained that he has no problem taking orders from a woman, he views Kostadinka not as a woman but as a First Sergeant! 

In the army of the Republic of Macedonia, 10% of the soldiers are women. The highest ranking female soldier is a lieutenant colonel.

Kostadinka’s service in the army is an interesting tale, as her career included a special military mission in Afghanistan. She was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2009 as part of ISAF mission. It was a long flight from Skopje to Kabul, as she traveled from Skopje to London to Kandahar to finally arriving in Kabul. Female soldiers were not allowed to go out on patrols so she worked security at the checkpoint in the military base. Her mission was solely in the confines of the base where she remained for 6 months.

I asked First Sergeant Trajkovska “Can you tell me about an interesting event that occurred to you during your service in Afghanistan?” She kindly smiled and replied, “One of the more interesting events that occurred to me during my mission was that I survived an explosion on the base only 1 month upon arriving in Kabul. A lone suicide bomber wandered into the main port of the base.  It was remarkable, smoke everywhere, panic. All of the soldiers came running, those that were on duty as well as those that were not.  At first, no one knew what had happened. One of the soldiers mentioned that a fellow Macedonian soldier was on guard at the port.  I shuttered at the thought of what had happened. Luckily the Macedonian soldier survived this near death experience, but is now deaf. He was miraculously guarded by a nearby vehicle. The entrance to the base was completely destroyed, a huge cement block blasted 100 meters into the base, the homes where we were living were all destroyed as well! Thankfully there were no casualties and everything quickly returned to normal.”

Along with this horrific event that occurred to Kostadinka, she recalls many favorable events as well. She recalls that for every Macedonian holiday, a special celebration was held on the base that all of the soldiers attended. On August 2 (day of the Macedonian Republic), all of the soldiers on base gathered in celebration. They even made a cake in the shape of the Macedonian flag!

THE DYING REGION

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is part of the great Balkan region of Europe.  The small Balkan country’s glorious history begins with Alexander the Great, spreading its name throughout the ancient world and ends with today’s struggle for the modern world’s recognition.  Macedonia may be small, however, the land and the people that inhabit it offer a richness and beauty that cannot be found elsewhere in the world. This photographic project will focus on a region that has been lost in time and offer a black and white view of a people that refuse to leave their land and let go of their past.

One of these little known, yet exceptional regions of Macedonia is Mariovo. Mariovo is a region in southern Macedonia. The river Crna flows across the whole area of Mariovo, creating the largest canyon in Macedonia which is around 100 km long. Today, this region inhabits less than 1000 residents. Its tiny villages are strewn through the mountainous terrain. Throughout the 28 villages that encompass the region, the majority of the residents are over 70 years old, with only 6 of them being children. The dynamic of the residents of this region gives it the name “The Dying Region”.

One of the better known villages of the region is Shtavica. The village of Shtavica is known as “Little Hollywood” because the Macedonian film director, Milcho Manchevski, filmed many scenes from his movies there.  Mr. Manchevski chose this region for the appeal of its old world charm. From the horse drawn carriages to the stone built homes, Shtavica is a place where time stands still. At any point during the day, the men gather to reminisce on days gone by as women gather water at the local well. This village has 60 residents, however, in the winter you will find very few of them living there.  The conditions are too difficult and many of the elderly villagers leave for the cities of Prilep and Bitola to stay with their children that have since given up on their birthplace.

After a 45 minute drive over an old treacherous road, I arrived at the village of Chaniste. In front of an abandoned hospital, I found a large group of elderly residents. They welcomed me into their village with open arms and proceeded to invite me into their homes. As we walked through the village I was amazed at the lack of modern amenities the residents faced. There were no roads leading anywhere, simply muddy paths made by the many sheep grazing the village. There wasn’t any distinction between the abandoned or occupied homes, each building was in desperate need of repair. The stench of the village sewage filled the air. None of these things seemed to matter to the elderly people happily showing off where they live. Each villager was excited to tell their story and share why they choose to call the Mariovo region home.

The first home I visited was Vaska Joshevska’s. Grandma Vaska lives alone in her home that was built in 1936. She was eager to show me around the home that she built stone by stone with her husband. Her eyes beamed with pride as she showed me pictures of her wedding day. She was a young bride at a mere 14 years old. However, the love she felt for her now deceased spouse could be felt all around her. Grandma Vaska proceeded to show me pictures of her 6 children who reside all around the world. She looks forward to the day that her youngest granddaughter, who lives in the USA, will marry. She has a special charm made from a precious stone found in the canyon of Mariovo , that she wore on her own wedding day, that she plans to give her. I asked Grandma Vaska if she would like to visit the US one day. She simply responded, “Is it as beautiful as Mariovo?”

I also had the privilege of visiting the home of the eldest resident of the Mariovo region. Her name is Menka Trajkovska and she is over 100 years old. Grandma Menka does not know her actual birth date. A century ago, many people in the region were illiterate, and records were not kept. The people relied on their own memories and the use of word of mouth to spread their history. However, as Grandma Menka ages, her memories are beginning to fade. She loves to tell stories of times past but confuses events decades at a time. The reoccurring theme of her mixed up memories is her love of the land and of the people that are her neighbors, her friends, her family. As many of the elderly residents of the region, Grandma Menka lives off of a monthly pension of 50 euro’s. This alone will not ensure their survival, so the community turns to herding sheep and raising bees. Grandma Menka is grateful that in her old age, her neighbors are there to help provide for her and she hopes that this sense of community continues for many years in the Mariovo Region.

During my entire visit in Chapiste, I could feel eyes following me throughout. Eyes peering over broken wooden fences, eyes gazing from above tall trees, eyes quickly hiding away once they met mine. These deep, piercing eyes did not belong to a 100 year old woman. These eyes belonged to an 8 year old child. I was given the opportunity to meet the boy’s parents and quench the child’s curiosity. However, what I found was a sad state of what the future for this Mariovian village is. This only child in one of 28 villages of this region behaved as if he was feral. He had limited verbal communication, ran wild throughout the village, and was frightened by the click of my camera. Will this child be Mariovo’s future?

I left Mariovo with the promise that I would return to this most interesting and amazing region of Macedonia. I call this place “The Dying Region”, however, I hope that one day the laughter of children will fill the 28 villages of Mariovo.

New Goals For This Project:

During my initial visit to the Mariovo Region, I focused on the elderly. They were eager to share the beauty of the region with me while their fond memories kept them close to the land where they were born.  My new focus will be on the six children of the 28 villages that comprise Mariovo. These children are Mariovo’s future. I will be capturing their current life in hopes that the eyes of the people of Macedonia and beyond  will be opened to the daily struggles of this beautiful region.