MPO History - George Lebamoff Keeps MPO Coffers Full; Reaches Out to Help Macedonia

George Lebamoff is known for his absolute genius in raising funds for the MPO. Nobody has ever done it better.

What may be less known is his absolute burning desire to set things right for Macedonia. It is almost like an obsession his need to continually talk about the way it used to be, the way it should be today.

He travels to Macedonia often to meet old friends and contact new people, and has done the same in Australia. He has reached out to Macedonians everywhere, usually by telephone, but always, always telling the MPO story and listening to what people have to say.

He single-handedly sought out the daughter of Todor Alexandroff and saw to it that she met "Chicho Radko" Ivan Mihailoff (who made sure the Alexandroff family was financially secure after Todor's assassination). He visited Christo Tsavella to talk with him and see his library.

A couple of years ago he researched the gravesite of Vlado Chernozemski, and travelled to Marseilles to see it, touch it, and make plans to place a plaque there.

He also has contacted educated historians throughout Western Europe, and Macedonian nationalists everywhere. When he first met with Macedonia's representative to the United States Ljubica Acevska he talked for hours explaining MPO beliefs and the history of the early emigration.

This type of work isn't new to George. When he was younger, his YMPO friends often called him "Gabby" in fact, Bob Pargoff still does.

"When we were young Luben Dimitroff and my nunko Peter Atzeff always told us stories about Alexandroff, Mihailoff, (Jordan) Tchkatroff, and (Kiril) Drangov, and we could ask questions about them. Later Borislav (Ivanoff) told us more."

He read Christ Anastasoff's The Tragic Peninsula when he was a senior in high school. "It was easy to comprehend because it was written in plain English." Since then he reads as much as he can find. If it isn't written in English, he gets someone to translate for him.

"When I was growing up there was no argument about who we were. We were Macedonian. Then the Greek Civil War happened, Macedonia began leaning toward Serbia and Tito switched the language. Then there was nothing but mass confusion.

"The big issue wasn't the Civil War, but arguments over who we are and what language we speak, even though I distinctly remember getting letters about relatives who had been imprisoned."

Recently, in a Skopie restaurant, a man called out to George, 'hey, Lebamoff, te see Makedonets eli Bulgarin? (hey Lebamoff are you a Macedonian or a Bulgarian?)

George asked what language was spoken in Visheni (his family's village in Aegean Macedonia) at the time of Ilinden, and the man answered, 'Macedonian, of course.' George responded, "if it was Macedonian then, why did Tito change it in 1945?" The man couldn't answer.

"I believe that if people feel they are truly Macedonian, good, but don't make me what I don't want to be."

...continued on Page 2