Papa Kristo Negovani, born Kristo Harallambi and also known as Kristo Negovani (1875 – 12 February 1905), was an
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
national figure, priest, poet, teacher, writer and publisher.
[ "The nationalist cause was given impetus in 1905 when the Albanian priest and poet, Popa Kristo Negovani, was killed by Greek chauvinists after he had introduced the Albanian language into Orthodox liturgy."]
Biography
Born as Kristo Harallambi in the village of
Negovani
Flampouro ( el, Φλάμπουρο, before 1928: Νεγοβάνη - ''Negovani''; sq, Negovan; rup, Niguvanlji) is a village in the central part of Florina regional unit, northern Greece, part of the Perasma municipal unit.
History
Negovan ...
,
Manastir Vilayet,
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
(now in
Florina
Florina ( el, Φλώρινα, ''Flórina''; known also by some alternative names) is a town and municipality in the mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'.
The town of Florina is the capital of the F ...
municipality, modern
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
), he became known in his lifetime as Kristo Negovani.
He had a brother who was a priest and tended to be pro-Aromanian.
His father was a merchant based in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and a young Negovani through a Greek scholarship pursued his secondary schooling in the Greek capital.
Negovani's father was killed by bandits in 1891 and he began working as a teacher in Greek schools.
Later Kristo Negovani emigrated to
Brăila
Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila.
According to the 2011 Romanian census there were 180,302 pe ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
in 1894, joining other fellow migrants from Negovani and he worked as a carpenter.
There, he came into contact with the
Albanian National Revival
The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...
movement and attained Albanian national sentiments that developed in tandem with Romanian-Aromanianism.
In 1897, he returned to his native village and worked as a teacher and later also became a parish priest.
Over time, some several thousand people became followers of Negovani.
He preformed mass in the
Albanian language
Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...
and taught children in their mother tongue.
![Vrasja e Papa Kristo Negovanit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Vrasja_e_Papa_Kristo_Negovanit.jpg)
From 1899 onward, Negovani published works in Albanian such as fables and didactic poems, religious instruction texts and articles often composed as sermons in Albanian publications like the almanac Kalendari Kombiar and newspaper Drita.
[ "In the south, the Greek guerillas were active and tried to suppress the Albanian movement by persecuting its supporters. In 1905 they assassinated the Albanian priest Papa Kristo Negovani because he taught Albanian and had published books in Albanian."] Several notable works in Albanian by Negovani were the ''History of the Old Testament'' (1899), a ''History of the Bible'' (1903), and the ''Acts of the Holy Apostles'' (1906).
Negovani opposed Greek propaganda and was against marriages with "foreign elements".
During 1905, Negovani, in the presence of Bishop
Karavangelis conducted the Orthodox
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of C ...
in the
Albanian Tosk dialect.
[ "Not surprisingly, language has been a salient issue in Orthodox church politics. Albanian Orthodox priest Papa Kristo Negovani was killed by Greek fanatics in 1905 when he tried to promote the Albanian language in schools and introduce it into the liturgy."] Karavangelis denounced the usage of Albanian in mass and under his orders had Negovani murdered.
The village of Negovani was attacked (12 February 1905) by Greek guerillas (andartes) and Kristo Negovani along with his brother and three other villagers were killed.
[ "Im Februar 1905 überfielen fanatisch hellenophile Andarte das Dorf Negovani (bei Florina , Mazedonien) und richteten ein Blutbad an, dem unter anderen Papa Kristo (Harallambi) Negovani zum Opfer fiel"] Negovani's death aroused a nationalist response with the Albanian guerilla band of
Bajo Topulli
Bajo Topulli (1868 – 24 July 1930), born Bajram Fehmi Topulli, was an Albanian nationalist figure of the Albanian National Awakening. Bajo was the older brother of Çerçiz Topulli.
Early life
In Monastir while he was a director in the O ...
killing the Metropolitan of
Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...
,
Photios
Photios I ( el, Φώτιος, ''Phōtios''; c. 810/820 – 6 February 893), also spelled PhotiusFr. Justin Taylor, essay "Canon Law in the Age of the Fathers" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materia ...
.
[ "In one case, a guerilla band executed Father Kristo Negovani (1875-1905) on 12 February 1905, two days after he had performed a church service in Albanian. To avenge his death, a guerilla leader named Bajo Topulli (1868-1930) waylaid and murdered Phiotos, the bishop of Görice, in September 1906."][ para. 7, 8, 26.][ "Negovani’s actions caused institutional responses that ultimately intensified the contradictions facing the church and its imperial patron. In the end, Papa Kristo Negovani was murdered for his acts of defiance of the explicit orders of Karavangjelis, the Metropolitan of Kastoria, who condemned the use of Toskërisht during mass."]
Works
Negovani is the author of prose and poetry, including school texts, translations and fables. Among his publications are
*The History of the Old Testament, ( sq, Istori e Dhiatës së Vjetërë), Bucharest 1889;
*The Destruction of Hormova, ( sq, Prishija e Hormovësë), Sofia 1904;
*Little Dhonat Argjendi ( sq, I vogëli Dhonat Argjendi), Costanza 1904;
*Works of the Holy Apostles ( sq, Bëmatë të shëntorëvet dërgimtarë), Sofia 1906;
*History of
Plikati
Plikati ( el, Πληκάτι, al, Plikat, rup, Plikati) is a village in the municipal unit of Mastorochoria, Ioannina regional unit, Greece. It is one of the northernmost villages in Epirus. In 2011 its population was 70. The village is situated ...
( sq, Istorishkronjë e Plikatit), Thessaloniki 1909.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Negovani, Papa Kristo
1875 births
1905 deaths
People from Manastir vilayet
Activists of the Albanian National Awakening
Albanian Christians
Albanian Eastern Orthodox priests
19th-century Albanian writers
People murdered in the Ottoman Empire
Assassinated Albanian people
20th-century Albanian writers
Eastern Orthodox writers
20th-century Eastern Orthodox martyrs
People from Perasma