Kratero
Encyclopedia
Kratero is a village located in the Florina peripheral unit of northwestern Macedonia
, Greece
.
National Park and is on the slopes of the Eastern Varnous
mountain range. The village is at an altitude of 980 meters. Neighbouring villages include Ethniko, Kato Kleines
, Ano Kleines, and Akritas. Kratero is about 20 km North of the town of Florina
. It is close to the Greek border with Albania
, and within one kilometer of the border with the Republic of Macedonia
.
region of Albania
. The village was originally named Rakovo in Slavic. This word comes from Rakoits and means fresh water crayfish
, which were plentiful in the nearby streams. The village was named Krateron in 1928 after the Second Balkan War
of 1913 when the region became part of Greece according to the Treaty of Bucharest (1913).
Many residents migrated from Kratero in the 1950s to start new lives in the United States, Canada and Australia.
.
The village of Kratero was heavily affected by the events of the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 due to the villages remote location in the Monastir Vilayet
of the Ottoman Empire
. The villages of the Monastir Vilayet were subject to intimidation by Bulgarian Bands who attempted by violent means to bring the Greek Patriarchist villages to the Bulgarian Exarchate
. When the Greeks of Kratero cataegorically refused to support the Bulgarians, they were threatened with the burning of the village. The Greek priest, Papa Dimitrios and two notables, K. Traianou and Y. Konstantinou were murdered, and five more members of the community were beaten. Later, a Bulgarian armed band again raided Kratero murdering the Greek Priest Mitanidis, the village President Stavros Maligeorgos, and Vice President Yiorgos Boikovitis . In August 1903 Ottoman troops attacked the village in their attempts to deal with the Ilinden insurrection, burning and destroying 100 out of 120 houses.
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Geography
Kratero is located east of the Lake PrespaLake Prespa
Prespa is the name of two freshwater lakes in southeast Europe, shared by Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Of the total surface area, belongs to Macedonia, to Greece and to Albania...
National Park and is on the slopes of the Eastern Varnous
Varnous
Varnous or Varnountas is a mountain in northern Florina prefecture, Greece, situated between the town of Florina and Lake Prespa, and just south of the border with the Republic of Macedonia. Its highest peak is 2,334 m. It is also called Peristeri...
mountain range. The village is at an altitude of 980 meters. Neighbouring villages include Ethniko, Kato Kleines
Kato Kleines
Kato Kleines is a village and a former municipality in Florina peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Florina, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 7 km north of the city of Florina...
, Ano Kleines, and Akritas. Kratero is about 20 km North of the town of Florina
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
. It is close to the Greek border with Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and within one kilometer of the border with the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
Origins of the village
Local folklore suggests that the village was first settled in the year 1330 by Christian settlers from the Mat RiverMat River
The Mat is a river in northern Albania. Its source is near Martanesh, in the Bulqizë District. It flows west towards the Mat District, which takes it name from the river, and northwest through the towns Klos and Burrel. About downstream from Burrel it flows into a large reservoir...
region of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. The village was originally named Rakovo in Slavic. This word comes from Rakoits and means fresh water crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
, which were plentiful in the nearby streams. The village was named Krateron in 1928 after the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
of 1913 when the region became part of Greece according to the Treaty of Bucharest (1913).
Many residents migrated from Kratero in the 1950s to start new lives in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Kratero at the time of the Ilinden Uprising (1903)
The village has experienced a turbulent history as a result of its location and the strong patriarchist and Greek national identity of the population The village was burnt down three times, once in 1903 by the Ottoman Turkish Army, in 1907 by Bulgarian Bands, and in 1947 during the Greek Civil WarGreek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
.
The village of Kratero was heavily affected by the events of the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 due to the villages remote location in the Monastir Vilayet
Monastir Province, Ottoman Empire
The Vilayet of Monastir was an Ottoman vilayet, created in 1864. The Monastir Vilayet was occupied during the First Balkan War in 1912 and later divided between Principality of Albania, Kingdom of Greece and Kingdom of Serbia.- Demographics :...
of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The villages of the Monastir Vilayet were subject to intimidation by Bulgarian Bands who attempted by violent means to bring the Greek Patriarchist villages to the Bulgarian Exarchate
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953....
. When the Greeks of Kratero cataegorically refused to support the Bulgarians, they were threatened with the burning of the village. The Greek priest, Papa Dimitrios and two notables, K. Traianou and Y. Konstantinou were murdered, and five more members of the community were beaten. Later, a Bulgarian armed band again raided Kratero murdering the Greek Priest Mitanidis, the village President Stavros Maligeorgos, and Vice President Yiorgos Boikovitis . In August 1903 Ottoman troops attacked the village in their attempts to deal with the Ilinden insurrection, burning and destroying 100 out of 120 houses.