Lechovo

Lechovo Λέχοβο
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Vehicle registration	ΡΑ

Lechovo (

stadium. Lechovo has stone architecture common to many northern villages, and has an old upper square and church bell tower.

The village of Lehovo became inhabited in the mid-eighteenth century and some of its villagers worked as master builders.^[6] In statistics gathered by Vasil Kanchov in 1900, Lechovo was populated by 750 Christian Albanians and 90 Aromanians.^[7] Lechovo, with its population of hellenised Albanians, participated extensively on the Greek side of the Macedonian Struggle in the late Ottoman period.^[8][9] Following the Young Turk Revolution, the Greek clergy's prominent position in places like Lechovo was contested by Aromanian and Albanian nationalists.^[9] During the population exchange between Greece and Turkey (1923), Lechovo's pro-Greek sentiments resulted in Greek authorities removing it from consideration as a resettlement destination in the Florina region for incoming Greek Anatolian refugees.^[10]

Lechovo had 1,194 inhabitants in 1981.^[11] In fieldwork done by Riki Van Boeschoten in late 1993, Lechovo was populated by Arvanites.^[11] Arvanitika (close to Albanian) was spoken in the village by people over 30 in public and private settings.^[11] Children understood the language, but mostly did not use it.^[11] Aromanian was spoken by people over 60, mainly in private.^[11] In the early 2000s, the Tosk Albanian dialect was often spoken by village elders.^[12]

Lechovo has not been influenced by the nearby predominant Slavic musical tradition of the area, and villagers have no knowledge of songs from their neighbours.^[13] Dances performed in Lechovo are the Berati, Hasapia, Tsamiko, Kalamatiano, along with the Poustseno.^[14]

• 
  Lechovo Church
• 
  Macedonian Struggle Monument honouring Lechovo's participation
• 
  Lechovo Folklore Museum
• 
  Traditional home items
• 
  Icons and other religious items
• 
  Traditional female clothing

See also

• Folklore Museum (Lehovo)

References