It was February 12, 1905, when Papa Christos Negovani along with his brother, Papa Theodosius, and three other fellow villagers were massacred by Greek andartes. He was an Albanian nationalist figure, religious leader and writer.

He was one of the inspirers of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church, which would become a reality only with Fan Noli. Papa Christos Negovani was born in 1875 in Negovan of Kolonja. He received his primary education in his hometown and continued his high school education in Athens.

With the Albanian books, brought to Negovan, he secretly opened the first Albanian school for his fellow villagers and with his interest the first girls from Negovani were sent to the Albanian girls’ school in Korça.

Papa Christos Negovani, on February 10, 1905, organized a church service in the Albanian language, and 2 days later, he was assessinated.

Negovani transformed his house into a school and taught over one hundred children and adults to read and write Albanian. He preached and introduced the Albanian language for the first time in Orthodox Divine Liturgy earning the displeasure of the Greek Orthodox hierarchy. For his efforts Negovani was murdered (February 12, 1905) by a Greek guerilla band on orders from Bishop Karavangelis of Kastoria. Negovani’s death aroused a nationalist response with the Albanian guerilla band of Bajo Topulli killing the Metropolitan of Korçë, Photios.

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, Bucharest 1889;
The Destruction of Hormova, Sofia 1904;
Little Dhonat Argjendi, Costanza 1904;
Works of the Holy Apostles, Sofia 1906;
History of Plikati, Thessaloniki 1909.

/Klara Ruci/