Yane Sandanski
Jane Sandanski or Jane Ivanov Sandanski (May 18, [[1872]) - April 22, 1915 near Melnik, Pirin Macedonia) was a Macedonian revolutionary from Macedonia (present day Pirin Macedonia), one of the leaders of the Macedonian revolutionary Organizations since 1895 (SMARO from 1902 and IMRO from 1906). He is considered an ethnic Macedonian.
Yane Sandanski was born in the village of Vlahi, (present-day Pirin Macedonia) on May 28 1872. His father Ivan participated as a flag carrier in the well known Kresna Uprising. After the crush of the uprising, in 1879 his family moved to Dupnitsa, where Sandanski received his elementary education. Until 1895 Sandanski was a state employee.
Yane Sandanski was a prominent revolutionary, and one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Movement in Macedonia and Thrace. Since the start of his revolutionary activity, he became well known because he protected the villagers from the tyranny of the Ottomans. He organised courts and taught self-defence. Sandanski lived and fought in the Pirin region, and that is why the people gave him the name "Pirin Tsar" (Pirinski Tsar). He was also active in the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising, and in 1908 when he supported the movement of Young Turks. He was one of the leaders of the one of the political parties in Macedonia in 1909-1910 - which headquarter was in Solun. His dream was creating a Balkan Federation, and Macedonian State as a part ot that Federation.
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire Macedonia was partitioned between Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. Sandanski supported the Macedonian army in the Balkan wars of 1912-1913.
Sandanski was killed near the Rozhen Monastery on April 22 1915, while travelling from Melnik, Pirin Macedonia to Nevrokop, by local IMARO band from Nevrokop's region.
Yane Sandanski is mentioned in the National Anthem of the Republic of Macedonia as one of the greatest Macedonian heroes whose idea was creating independent Macedonian State. He is paid tribute to every year by the members of UMO Ilinden-Pirin, an ethnic Macedonian political party in Bulgaria, in the Rozhen Monastery.
Famous Quotes
- The Macedonian revolutionaries, which after long and cruel fight with the Turkish tyrants lived to see their dream - freedom of their Fatherland, cannot allow her to fall under Serb, Bulgarian and Greek rule again: they will not be afraid to resort to even the most fearsome terrorist means to realize their sacred dream - liberated Macedonia. (interview for Italian newspaper Sekulo, Tirana, 1912)