RULJA

The village of Rulja was forcibly made to change its name by the Greek government to Kotas (Katohori). It is a part of the Lerin region about 30 kilometres southwest of the town. It is between the Vrba and Tsrna Gora Mountains in the Koreshtanska Gorge on the road Lerin-Kostur at 21 degrees 10 minutes longitude and 40 degrees 41 minutes latitude and 880 metres above sea level. Its area is about 17 square kilometres.

The village borders to the northwest with the former settlement Besfina, to the northeast with the village Trnovo, to the south with the village Breznitsa, to the east with Tsrna Gora Mountain, to the west with the Vrba Mountain. The Zhelevska River runs through the village and divides it in two.

Before the start of the Greek Civil War there were about 590 Macedonians residents in the village. They were employed in agriculture and raising livestock.

During the Greek Civil War, the residents actively took part in the organization of NOF and the armed forces of DAG with more than 125 active fighters. 34 gave their lives.

They were

1. Atanasova Sevda
2. Atanasovski Gjorgi
3. Bitskov Risto
4. Bitskov Krsto
5. Bitskov Done
6. Bitskov Haso
7. Bitskova Mara
8. Gapovski Ilija
9. Dimitrovski Done
10. Dineva Lefterija
11. Dinevski Jane
12. Gjanakievski Nakje
13. Karagjakovski Veljo
14. Karafilovski Vasil
15. Kostovski Dimitar
16. Kostovski Trajan
17. Mishovski Lazo
18. Nichov Trajko
19. Petrovski Gjorgi
20. Popkarafilovski Vasil
21. Prespakovski Spiro
22. Ramovski Vane
23. Ristevski L Vane
24. Ristevski V Stavro
25. Ristevski (Mishevski) Risto
26. Sarafovski Naso
27. Sarafovski Pando
28. Taseva Fana
29. Trajanovska Trendafila
30. Trendafilovski Naso
31. Trendafilovski Micho
32. Trokovska Velika
33. Dzhavelovski Pane
34. Dzhavelovski Stojan

Of the fallen fighters there were 28 men and 6 women.

After the Greek Civil War and emigration from and forced migration to the village, the number of residents fell significantly. In the official census in Greece in 1991 there were 49 residents in the village.

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