Sterjovska Niki and Stoja

Summer 1947. Prespa is liberated. Young boys and girls join DAG with songs and oro dances. One day on the headquarters of Vich an old man appeared - Bogoja Sterjovski. Thin, hunched, if you blew hard on him, he would fall over. He stood quietly for a little and then he spoke to the chief of the headquarters.

"Comrade chief, I am an old man and I am not well enough to take up a gun. My sons are not yet old enough to take up guns; they are little. Permit my two daughters to join DAG. Here they are - Niki is 18 years old and the other is Stoja, 19.

Impressed, the chief shook his hand and commanded the assistant to sign up the two girls in the headquarters' register. Saying good bye to his two daughters the old man told his daughters "Make sure you do not embarrass me." And then, satisfied, he set off for his village, Medovo.

Niki Sterjovski served a long time as a hospital worker in the hospital in the headquarters. She took care of the wounded and sick fighters with readiness and real brotherly love. She was praised many times for her exemplary services. But she was not pleased with the work she was doing. She rated the work of a hospital worker lowly and wanted to join the front line, to fight with a gun in her hands. And then her wish was fulfilled. She went to the front line and took part in many battles. In the battle of Lerin on 12 February 1949, Niki died.

In the announcement of PDV of 23 March 1949 it says: "Niki Sterjovski showed courage and self sacrifice in battle." With the same announcement she was awarded the decoration "Elektra".

The work by the other daughter of Bogoja - Stoja - was different from that of Niki. From the start Stoja asked to work in the areas occupied by the enemy. She undermined the enemy for a long time in Lerin, and as far as Surivichko plain. She collected information and worked with the population who lived on the plain. Stoja's work was dangerous but despite the great efforts involved in her illegal operations, she completed the tasks allocated to her. As a result she was sent to the officer school at the headquarters. As soon as she finished officer school, she continued the same work with a group of free shooters. Her health suffered from the hardships and deprivations and Stoja died from an infection in 1951.

From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters

© 2009

Return to Index