SERBS ON CORFU 1916 - 1918For
the future and happier generations, the island of Vido will became CORFU
(KERKYRA, KRF) The
island of Corfu, the biggest in the Ionian Sea, was named after the beautiful
nymph Korkyra, the wife of Poseidon according to Greek mythology. The
city of Corfu is administrative and cultural center of this island, which
has 110,000 inhabitants today. Corfu, together with the rest of the islands
in the Ionian archipelagos, became a part of the Greek state on the 21st
of May 1864, an event coommemorated every year in the grand Enosis (Unification) festivities.
At
the end of 1915 and the beginning of 1916, under the pressure of the joint
offensive of the Austro-Hungarian, German and Bulgarian troops, the Serbian
army, Serbian government, National Assembly, as well as a part of the
Serbian civilian population, was forced to withdraw from Serbia through
Montenegro to Albania. On this
long journey, Serbs went through the biggest exodus in their recent history.
In his official report to Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Pasic, General
Bozidar Terzic, Minister of Defense, wrote that on their way through Albania,
243,877 persons was killed or taken as prisoners or died from hunger or
cold weather. The approximate total number of casualties was at least
150,000 including both soldiers and civilians. - (Read "THE ARRIVAL IN CORFU" by Carlo Sforza)
From
18 January to 21 February 1916, 151,828 Serbian soldiers and civilians
were evacuated with Allied ships from the Albanian port of Valona to Corfu.
The first port of disembarkation on Corfu was Gouvia
(Guvino), six km north from the city of Corfu.
The
suffering of solders and civilians did not, however, stop upon their arrival
on the "Island of Salvation", as the Serbs named Corfu. The
Allies had not had enough time to make provisions for adequate care of
such a great number of people. There was lack of food, clothes, tents
and heating. For 8 days after their arrival, the cold rain would not stop.
Without tents, suffering solders began to die en masse.
On 21 January 1916, the army hospital units from
Morava, Pirot and Cacak were
the first to land on the rocky island of Vido. Soon afterwards, a couple
of thousands of young boys - recruits arrived on the island. Most were
seriously ill and on the verge of death. In
the beginning (those first days), up to 300 soldiers were dying every
day. Twelve hundred of them were buried in the island shores, whereas
later (because of lack of burial grounds), the boats from the French hospital
ship "St. Francis of Asisi" would carry the dead bodies and
drop them in the Ionian Sea, a few kilometers away from the island, in
what was called "the Blue Graveyard". It
is estimated that around 10,000 Serbian soldiers and recruits were buried
on the island of Vido and in the "Blue Graveyard". The
Royal Navy of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes erected the
first monument dedicated to the perished soldiers. It is a Stone Cross situated above today's
Mausoleum. The monument was uncovered by King Aleksandar I
Karadjordjevic
in 1922, in the presence of a great number of Yugoslav and Greek
military, government and church officials.
The
Mausoleum (kosturnica) on the island of Vido was the work of architect
Nikola Knjazev and was erected bu the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1936. Within
the marble walls of the Mausoleum, there are 1,232 coffers (cases), containing
the bones of soldiers previously buried in 27 cemeteries of Corfu, the
names of which were known. The bones of those soldiers who remain unknown
were buried under two separate stone plaques outside the Mausoleum.
The
gentle Mediterranean climate, adequate medical care and proper nourishment by the Allies, new uniforms and, above
all, warm and close relationships with the local Greek inhabitants, led to a
miraculous recovery of the Serbian army. By
a kind gesture of the local Greek authorities, the sessions of the Serbian
National Assembly were held in the National theatre of Corfu from 19 January
1916 through to 19 November 1918. The
seat of the Serbian government was established in the hotel "White
Venice" The
churches of St. Archangel, the Holy Trinity and St. Nicholas where given
to the Serbs for temporary religious use. The
cultural life of Serbs in Corfu was very lively, with various theatre
performances, musical concerts etc. organized frequently.
Also,
the municipal authorities of Corfu temporarily gave a printing house to
the Serbs, which was supplied with the most modern printing equipment
offered by the French. This way, they were able to publish the "Serbian
Newspaper" with a circulation of 10,000 copies and many valuable
books, as for example "Diplomatic Correspondence", "Codification",
"Motherland" etc. In addition, school books for children in
Serbian schools were printed there. The
Serbian primary school with 290 pupils and a Serbian highschool with 120
pupils were organized on the island of Corfu. Furthermore,
sport associations were organized and a number of football matches were
played with the allied teams. Finally,
the island was full of Serbian restaurants and grocery stores. The
close ties that Serbs established with the local population during their
stay in Corfu were so strong that they have lasted up to the present time.
Many Serbs decided to stay and live on this island, and also many marriages
were arranged. For
instance, the owner of "White Venice" hotel in which the Serbian
government had settled, Mr. Ioannis Gazis, married all of his three daughters
with Serbs. The eldest one, Djovana, married officer Milovan Colak-Antic,
the second eldest, Avgousta, married the future prime minister of the
Yugoslav government and founder of modern economy Dr. Milan Stojadinovic,
and the youngest one, Zafiro, married the distinguished professor Ljubomir Kazimirovic.
The
wife of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia Aleksandar
Cincar-Markovic was also from Corfu. Regent
Aleksandar Karadjordjevic and Serbian officers also were godfathers of
many Greek children from Corfu. However, the greatest proof of the living
traces of the Serbians' stay in Corfu is the fact that even today, in
the vocabulary of elderly people in Corfu, the following Serbian words
are still in use: "tata" (father), "baba" (grandmother),
"glava" (head), "kuca" (house). Upon
departure from the island, Corfu's men and women were crying and thus
blessing the Serbian soldiers: "Kali ora stratioti Serve, may God
give you good Serbs a long life and help you and your army to return safely
to your homes and families who expect you eagerly. Today and always we
will pray to God together as Christian brothers " (from the "Serbian
Newspaper", Corfu, 16 June 1916 ; Read also the "LETTER TO A SERBIAN SOLDIER" by unknown Greek woman). The
Serbian mansion in Corfu The
Serbian mansion in Corfu is located at the center of the city, in 19,
Moustoxidou street and houses the Museum "Serbs on Corfu 1916-1918"
and the Honorary Consulate of Serbia and Montenegro.
Col.
(ret.) Milorad Prelevic was the curator of the museum's permanent exhibition.
The exhibition is organized in 10 separate topics, which chronologically
illustrate the historical period from 1915 until the end of the First
World War through photos, maps, documents and objects, as follows:
Topic
1: The attack of Austria-Hungary, Germany and Bulgaria and the defense
of Serbia Topic
2: The withdrawal of the Serbian army and people through Albania and
Montenegro Topic
3: The evacuation of the Serbian army from Albania by French boats
to Corfu and Bizerta Topic
4: The stay of Serbian children in Corfu - their recovery and education Topic
5: Vido Topic
6: Serbian military camps in Corfu Topic
7: Re-organization and training of the Serbian army in Corfu Topic
8: The stay of Serbian Government and National Assembly in Corfu and
the adoption of the Corfu Declaration in 1917 Topic
9: The cemeteries and monuments in the country and abroad Topic
10: The departure of the Serbian army with allied ships for the Halkidiki
peninsula in May 1916 |