Village before
WWII
LJEŠEV
STUP
belongs to
group
of
small villages
like
the most
in the district Katunska.
There
was maximum
of
23
households,
in 1910.
In
the
name list of the population
Kapetanija
Bjelice
from 1879.
was
filed on 8 Popivoda households with
51 members
(24 male and 27 female).
At that
time, households were divided late, and several brothers lived with
their parents.
Similarly, in the household, with grandparents and uncles,
lived children whose fathers were killed or died, so the two
households developed
one.
The
village is usually consisted of 10-15 households, sometimes more,
sometimes less, but never developed into a large village.
Today
there only live three families: Vuko
Lukin
with 3 members, Mitar Markov
-2 members
and Risto
Jošov
-2
members.
Un
the village of ancient times lived only two clans
-
Popivoda
and Kuzman, who formerly had other names, but they are
related to each other as one family.
Kuzman
started
migrating
much earlier,
so
they
all
migrated
after the Second World War.
The
settlement did not have conditions to develop into a larger village.
There
are numerous reasons for this, among them were limited economic
conditions, high mortality and
recently,
migration.
Living
conditions in the village have always been very
hard:
arable land was
not enough,
pasture and fodder also,
poor
hygiene
and no health care, due to which the mortality was high, and in such
circumstances
could
hardly ten
households managed to
survive.
There was lack
of
the basic necessities of life, especially cereals.
To
obtain more
cereals
they been forced to make Lazine
which
are sown rye, and so
they got
rye and thatch
to cover the house.
In
addition to everything else,
climatic conditions are quite adverse. The nearby mountain Lisac
(1154m) creates shade and brings heavy
snowfall
which is
long
retained.
Lješev
Stup
is located
in
the
region which has a very large water-sediment the highest in Europe.
All this
reflected adversely on agricultural work and animal husbandry, as
well as all other living conditions.
The
economic power of the population rather improved after introduction
of potato growing, which brought from Russia
by
Petar
I
Petrovic
after
1780.
This
amplified
trade links with the seaside
towns.
American
wheat (FRUMENTA gigante), which corresponds to the maturation of the
climatic conditions of this region,
was
acquired
by
Njegoš
sixty years
later, in 1841.
Robberies
and spoil (loot)
were long an important source of income.
Usually they snatched
from the Turks, but sometimes from distant tribes
too,
especially the alien subjects, which often sparked
bloody clashes, even
international
conflicts.
In
the late
19th
and
early 20th
century
migrations
began, mainly on the basis of colonization, and those who remained
in old land
get more economic space, and they could live much better.
The
village had its "mountain", quite
accessible
pastures, hayfields
and summer
huts
on the eastern
slope
of
Lisac
and in
Kosača, which are up to an hour and a half walk to the mountain
Stavor
(1240m).
True,
Kosača was once owned Prediš, but the last hundred years it belongs
only to
Lješev
Stup
and Malošin
Do
(Vujošević).
But even
these pastures and hayfields
were not enough, because
they had to
hay and mow the grass
to keep it for
winter,
and, after the liberation of Montenegro
from
the Turks
in
1878.
they
cast out the sheep to Durmitor, Drobnjak and Sinjajevina.
There
they were given to the summer grazing, and
for
milk
they
received certain
amount of cream (cream) in blackjack.
Such
practices remained even after World War II, until
there
was cattle.
Life was
oriented towards
Cetinje, as well as the
administrative centre, but the
trade took place more
with
Kotor where
they sold:
livestock, dry meat (kastradina), cheese and cream, potato (lean),
charcoal, wool, wax, etc., and
bought:
the grain, salt, oil, sugar, textiles, kitchenware, tools, weapons
and more.
In 20th
century, trade developed with Danilovgrad
too,
where they
pursued: wheat, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and more.
The
entire area has been dry and pathless.
Mountain
trails were barely passable for pedestrians and livestock.
Something better way (krčanik) were made in 1835.
and
it
linked Njeguši,
Ćeklići,
Bjelice,
Čevo, Pješivci
and Niksic. On it,
although
with difficulty, could move laden horse.
The
first
carriageway
Čekanje—Lješev
Stup—Čevo
was
built with
kuluk,
1902.
Agricultural and livestock products
were
carried
by
poorly accessible, and winding walking paths, often on the back and
less frequently on horseback, to Cetinje (about 4 hours walk),
Kotor (about 5 hours walk) and Danilovgrad (about 4 hours walk).
These
are mainly operated by women. The man must go first, and almost
always carried a weapon, and here ruled the cult of men and weapons,
it was a shame that he carries the burden, especially in a
company
with a woman.
Horses
were
rarely kept,
because
of the very poor terrain and due to lack of food supplies.
Thus,
women on
the
"sling"
brought burdens to
Kotor,
by
Kotor
serpentines,
which even
now in a modern car
is a
tedious
tumble.
In
whole
Katunska
district
there
was no
mills
for grinding grain, and a little
quantities of
corn they
owned they
had to
transport
or carry to
the water mills on the
River
Crnojevića
or Danilovgrad, and remained day and night on the road.
Some
houses had a grindstone, which again
was operated
by
women
only, but they could just grind to a one-time need, and it was hard
work and a big waste of time.
There
were cases
too, in Ljesev Stup, that
women with a burden
on her back,
brought a child that
that gave birth on
their way.
However,
although the position of women has been difficult,
she was not a
slave
as
usually is thought.
The woman was a life
companion and
well respected, exempt from the
"blood
revenge" and
all conflicts.
Good
wife called the "man woman" or "banica
ženska".
However,
if she was faithless, the brutal punishment - was rejected by the
family
and by
relatives.
Women, therefore, had enormous credit for the
upbringing of the
family and its survival in such difficult and sparse living
conditions, and saying, "No house stands on
ground,
it stands on the woman,"
here had full meaning.
Thus
difficult living conditions to deteriorate despair is great want of
water.
One can
not say what
was larger problem - whether drinking water or
water for watering livestock.
Since
there was no
cement,
wells
were
built in
watertight,
"gnjila" ground.
So Lješevostupci and Malošdoljci jointly built the
well in the middle of
Lješev Stup, which is called
Primna
(receiving a lot of water).
It now
serves as the only water in the village for watering livestock.
It
was
long used as
a
drinking water because there was no better.
It is
open water - ubao (or
uba) with the hole radius about 12 meters to
the bottom and gradually tapered.
It was built
in a funnel and about 6.5 meters deep, but
it
keeps
water
just
up
to a
half.
Made in
the late 18th
or early
19th century
with
participating population
from both villages (Lješev
Stup
and
Malošin Do).
It was
agreed that anyone who fails to appear at the scheduled time, that
is, until the sun hot stone marked,
has to kill an ox to the
cost for
moba.
To
enforce the discipline, and this is best achieved by personal
example, elder
of the
works
Dajica
Jovov, one morning was
intentionally late. When he came he led the oxen
and
immediately slaughtered
it.
When
asked why
he have done
it, he said that he
was late, and must pay a penalty as
agreed.
Well was
made
ploughing in a circle, because it was the quickest and
easiest way.
Two oxen
pulling the plough at the edge and toward the centre, and
ploughed
earth
was carried on hand, and
used to make field next to the well.
Around
Primna determined by a common area, which means
that it is common good of the village.
This is
called vodopoj, and while a flock
was watered
remaining
flocks were waiting in line
at vodopoj, so there was
no
disorder
or confusion.
Construction
of
Primna and later expansion of the other much
smaller well, which
is called Stankov
uba,
made less
shortage
of the water.
Only
after World War I made a couple of wells (bistijerni) of stone and
concrete, and the lack of water problem
was solved.
Lack of feed, especially hay,
was
compensated
with
viš -
mountain grass that grows in rocky ground, and
cutting, "list" (a
branch of ash, oak and dub), which were dried and
put
in
stack.
These
as well as the other major works, performed
moba in which
contributed
all the villagers, as well as neighbours from surrounding villages.
For
Moba hosts provided the food, and it was not a small cost.
For
these
occasions
was offered the "mrs", it is dry, usually pork
meet,
that family preserved for this need.
Great
expense were made for the patron saint (Sv.Jovan -
Jovandan, 20
January), prislužbicu
(St. Petka -
Petkovdan, 27 October), Christmas
was celebrated for three days,
then for weddings, baptisms and dirges.
Since
these religious holidays, but often
the weddings
too,
were
winter
celebrations, it was difficult to preserve scarce supplies of
mrs for
the spring and summer, when
they
organized
moba.
How
these costs depleted
already poor population
testifies
act that
in 1891.
the
Ministry of Interior of Montenegro prescribed high fines for
those who would invite guests to prislužbica.
Another
similar statement, issued on 12 October 1896.
banned the making "postmortal
food" because it "worsen
already bad situation"
and does not match the "sincere sympathy in sorrow,"
which
today can be very instructive
as well.
Saving
is carried out and
by
fasting, which
sometimes lasted seven weeks
(Lent), and
in
this time
there was
not
allowed to eat meat
or
fat.
Livestock was the main capital and wealth of the villagers.
Every
household had the heads of several dozen
of
small
livestock
and
few cattle.
Mostly
they
grown goats as the easiest to
overwinter them, and
wealthier households had one or two oxen
that are used for ploughing.
Most of
their needs
was sorted from the proceeds of livestock, while
agriculture was a secondary concern.
They
lived in
the cooperative
households, consistently
with old local customs, and most of their
needs (furniture, clothing, footwear)
was made
by themselves.
Houses and
furniture were very
primitive.
Houses
with ground floor
only, were built
with
broken
or rough hewn stone, without mortar - were very cold.
All were
covered with straw,
on "two waters", with a floor of
packed earth or rough stone polished, a few who had finer
flooring.
They
were close, and dark, with one or two windows, or without them. It
consisted of one room, and if the house was rebuilt, "battered"
(usually plot) in the second half was cattle.
First a
better houses,
more spacious and
more quality built (masonry in lime mortar),
have raised Mato and Savo Perov in
(Pistet) and Andrija Ristov - 1904.
Furniture was very poor, and every household it is manufacturing for
its own purposes. A round table on three legs,
stolovač
and
small tripods, one chest in which the bride brought dowry, a cradle,
a one-two beds - it was almost all
furniture.
Beds
were very wide, so usually of all children in the
house
slept in
one, because that
way under
poor cover
they were better protected
from the cold.
The
older
often slept next to
the
fireplace,
by
the
fire, healing arthritis.
From
the
cookware stood out wooden vessel -
vagan, from which they ate
together, using a wooden spoons.
This is
a brief overview of rural houses in the last century,
as
they were in
Ljesev Stup.
Only the 1904.
and especially after World War I,
they
began
to improve and build
better houses.
The returnees from the Americas
begin
using
roof tiles
for the
first
time, between the
two world wars, and this was first done by
Špiro
Vidakov.
Today,
the barns and covered with roof tiles or metal sheet.
About the fact
how
life was once here, there are numerous and detailed records
of domestic and foreign visitors, who very
symbolically
presented
distress
of any kind, backwardness, and separation from the world, and this
situation was particularly pronounced in Katunska district.
There were no
schools
until the
second half of the 19th
century,
and even long after that they were irregular and poorly attended.
Almost
the entire population was illiterate, and among the few that
know something to read and write - they were priests, because the
literacy occurred only in monasteries, and for the church
needs.
Clan Popivoda
never
had a
priest, and the first
Popivoda who
learned to write
in school, the 1885
i 1890
were:
Marko Majov, Miloš Nikolin
and
Savo Perov
The first public school in
Montenegro
founded Njegoš
1834 in
Cetinje, but then the
school was not
mandatory.
Only
in
1878 passed the "Law on General Secondary duties
in Principality
Montenegro", in which the classes became mandatory for all citizens
", if not mentally ill or maimed."
Of
course, the obligation
was in force there
where was the school,
and at that
time
there
weren't many.
School
for literacy, led by
pop Luka Mrvaljevic
from Prediš worked in the same village 1863
but
there went only a small number of children (male) from Prediš,
later
opened schools in Čevo and Resna (Dub), which was attended and
number of children
from
Ljesev Stup.
Schools
operated in private homes, and with interruptions.
The
first
teachers
in Bjelice
were
Andrija Jovićević,
from Rijeka
Crnojevića, Đuro Špadijer,
from Cetinje,
and Nešo Vuksanović,
from Kuči.
Only
1910
opened
the
newly school
on
Ruđino Počivalo as
centre of Upper
Bjelice, for
all seven villages, which belong to them.
Today
this school is named
Miloš Matov Popivoda
and
is
attend fewer than ten children in all four grades.
Otherwise, the education of children was irregular and often
interrupted before completed four grades.
Children
were required for
looking after livestock in order to
free older to
be able
to work over other activities, so their parents
were
reluctant to send to school especially girls.
Between
the two world wars the girls
too
began in greater numbers to
attend the
school.
Cetinje,
as is
well
known, had a print shop
in 1493, only 28 years after
the invention of the press Guttenberg (1455.).
and was
known as
The
Đurađ Crnojević
press,
and
it
worked a few years since the war ended this
noble attempt.
The next
printing
was
obtained
by Njegoš 1833.
Thus,
the irony of fate
is
that after four hundred years from
the first printing in Cetinje, almost all the population was
illiterate,
as if
this nation was destined to live permanently in the war and for war,
and war becomes his main occupation, and martial skills, basic
education.
Health
service in this region also did not exist. Treated
only by native
medications,
vidar
and
sibyls
were the main "health workers".
Until
the sixties of 19th
century
in
Montenegro were
not trained doctors, but doctors sometimes come from Kotor.
National
medications, herbs, balm and various methodes
which are often
recommended
by this
"doctors" were without effect, and sometimes very
harmful, even deadly.
They
were dying
from diseases that are now easily treated: pneumonia, or
tonsillitis, inflammation of the appendix, the stomach infection,
then the
diphtheria, various children's diseases, snake
bites and other. Arose and the epidemic and čumne diseases "plague,
cholera, typhoid fever, scabs, itch, and others.
Wounds
were treated with various balms, often contaminated and harmful. A
French doctor, who spent some time in Montenegro, at the time of
Prince Danilo (1852 - 1860) wrote "In Montenegro, the primitive
state of medicine as well as other and therefore the country does
not have one doctor ... National Native health, therefore, lies in
the hands of the charlatan, ignorant ... who are illiterate and
therefore without any medical knowledge.
Particularly children were harmed, especially infants, and often the
victims were
women in labour.
For
example, in the registers of deaths from the 1867
to
1871
in Bjelice
of
the 79 deceased persons registered, of which 33 children under 3
years of age, and 18 in the first and 12 in the second
year of life.
Number
of deaths of children under 3 years of age makes 43% of all deaths.
Startling information contained in this book, that
from
12
July
1868
until
30
May
1869,
which means for 10 and a half months,
inscribed in a 12
deaths of children in the first and second year of life, which was a
real plague.
We
should bear in mind that the children who died shortly
after birth
were not
baptised, and therefore not inscribed in the
book, which means that the number of deaths of children was even
greater.
Because of this, as well as the
often deaths in wars, the birth rate
was low.
About the
low population growth rate tells illustrative example in which the
Lješev Stup for 460 years, when mentioned in written sources
(1521),
never
had more than 23 households.
It
was only in a relatively short period of time
before the Balkan
wars, and that number
was
never reached
again.
Lješevostupci have always been buried in
Prediš, in the cemetery at
the church
St.
Đorđije,
which is common for Prediš, Pejovići, Malošin
Do
and Ljesev
Stup.
As
until recently
there was no road
to Prediš (about 3km), the distance and poor
footpath increased a problem during the burial, especially in
winter.
That was
the reason that Lješevostupci who 17-18 years ago lived in the
village, agreed to establish a cemetery in Ljesev Stup
on the
Bočina
hill That idea came before the last war, but
it was only
in
1967
when
Novak Bojičin (Raslapčević) first made the
grave in which he buried relics
of his dead, which
he transferred
from Metohija.
After
that they started building tombs, and soon there were built
five.
Later
agreement
was not consistently respected, and the cemetery
did not
spread, so now burials
are
made
on the two sides on the
old cemetery in Prediš and new - in the village.
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