Pitu Guli

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Pitu Guli (Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian: Питу Гули), also called Dimitrios Gouli and Peto the Vlach (1865, Krushevo (present day Republic of Macedonia)—1903, Krushevo) was an ethnic Aromanian (Vlach) revolutionary in Ottoman Macedonia, a local leader of, what is commonly referred to, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO). ^[1]

Born to an Aromanian family, he demonstrated independent and rebellious nature early in life. Guli's family was poor and he left Macedonia at the age of 17 to seek wealth in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. In 1885 Pitu Guli returned to Macedonia, formed a rebel squad and joined other elements of the revolutionary movement against the Ottoman rulers of the region.

Upon his return from Bulgaria, Pitu was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, seven years of which were spent in the prison of Trabzon. In 1895 he again returned to Krushevo, and became a member of BMARC/SMARO. From this time on, he was fully committed to the cause of revolutionary activities in Macedonia. In 1902 Pitu travelled to Bulgaria again where he met with Toma Davidov. On Guli's return to Macedonia, he was injured at the border and was forced to turn back.

Fully committed to the Macedonian Revolutionary movement in March 1903, commanding a revolutionary squad, he crossed the Bulgarian-Ottoman border heading for Krushevo. From April to August 1903, he trained and prepared his troops for the upcoming Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising.

Guli is remembered in Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia as having fought heroically at Mechkin Kamen (Bear's Rock) near Krushevo during the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising for the defense of the Krushevo Republic. He is also celebrated in songs and poetry throughout Macedonia. Pitu Guli is mentioned in the national anthem of the Republic of Macedonia: Today over Macedonia.

[edit] References

Brown, K. (2003) The Past in Question: Modern Macedonia and the Uncertainties of Nation (Princeton: Princeton University Press) ISBN 0-691-09995-2

[edit] Notes

^ IMRO is the most commonly used name for the organization in which Pitu Guli participated, although it is certain that in his active days, the organization had a different name. What that name was is a matter of considerable dispute between historians from Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. According to Bulgarian historians the name of the organization from 1896 to 1902 was Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees (BMARC), and it was meant only for ethnic Bulgarians, while according to Macedonian historians the name of the organization was Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (SMARO) from 1896 to 1905, and it was meant for all Macedonians. See IMRO for more details.