PRINTING

 

The development of the literary activity and the complete literary fund in general is closely connected with printing work, the beginnings of which can traced as early as prehistoric and antic time. In some Bitola archeological localities (Velusha Tumba, Porodinska Tumba, localities in village Trn, s.Krklino, in Heraclea and other places), the first primitive prints were discovered, mostly made of baked clay, known under different names: those which were made by soil were called  pintaderi, and the ones made by wood, which are more numerous and can still be found in household and people use them, have different names: poskurnik, krsnik, Sharalnik etc. In later centuries stamp on cloth was used, but stamps were made of different materials. They were used for identification of states, towns, rulers, institutions etc. They were manufactured in certain workshops-pecatoreznici. Through those long time periods of stamp uses, we should seek traces of the real printing as craft and artistic activity.

      Parallel with printing books, one very important activity was performed, that was their  binding. In those days the book was very expensive and rare. For that reason, all the necessary preventing measures were taken to save the books from destruction. This activity reached real craft mastery, being on an artistic level. Despite calligraphic and painting solutions, the books were decorated precious materials, metals (gold and silver), exorbitant stones etc. Such an attitude towards books was known among Macedonian literates, middle-age centers and some of them were from Bitola areas.

    More rapid development in printing started in the last two or three centuries when the machines started to be exceedingly used in the working process. Frequent trade, cultural and other types of communication of the prominent people of Bitola with European centers, enabled the town to have modern printing machines. The increasing need of books, newspapers, bookkeeping administration etc. made printing to be a profitable craft activity.

       More complete data of Bitola’s printing beginnings can be found from the end of 16th century. Nektarij Pelagoniski was the first printer in Bitola. Only a sparse information about his life exists. It is only known that he was monk-eremite in Zogravski monastery in Sacred Wood. From his monk name it can be concluded that he was from Bitola or the areas around it. In that time, in some areas, Bitola was also called Pelagonia. He worked as a printer in Russia, Ukraine and Romania.

        In the time of Ottoman rule, in Bitola (Monastery) there were some famous printers: State printing office, which started working in 1875. In fact that is the first Turkish printing office in the town in which the first official municipal newspaper “Rumeli” was published, in the following years it was known under the name “Manastir”. After the proclamation of the Revolution (1908) another printing office was opened “Svetla vistina” where several newspapers and magazines were published: “Shtit”, “Napred”, “Ubavina i Poezija” etc.

       At the end of the last century and the first decades of this one, Bitola’s most famous printing offices were: “Braka Pili” (owners Anastas, Jovan, Petar) “Trgovska Pecatnica” owner Risto Kirjas, “Prosveta” owner Ilija Ivanov, “Pobeda” owners Vasil Stojanovski and Gjurgja Jakshik (“Gutemberg”) owners brothers Vladimir(Mire) and Petar Dimovski. In the last two decades (30’s and 40’syears) several new smaller printing offices were opened: “Union” owner the Jew Todoros Fargi (1924), “Grafika” owners Gjorgji Gligorovski and  Gjorgji Hristovski (1932) etc. Very characteristic for  Bitola’s printing between two world wars is the fact that in the town lots of newspapers, magazines, belletristic writings and other small prints were published. The foreign propaganda was competing who would distribute more printed material among the citizens. For that reason printing offices had different names depending which authority the town was under.

        The hardest years for Bitola’s printing work were during the Second World War (1941-1945). That especially referred to the economic and political conditions, which had negative influence on this activity. During NLM (National Liberation Movement) one part of the existing printing offices and partisan technique were used for preparing:leaflets, announcements, invitations, orders, articles, bulletins etc. For this purpose the regular cadre and technical  potential were used, as well as the printing materials. By the end of war the first newspapers in the town were published “Bilten”, “Naroden glas”, “Nas Pat”, “Kulturna Macedonia”, etc.

           After the liberation drastic changes were made in printing activity, especially in owners relations. From previous printing offices, which were private, the state printing offices were formed. The first Bitola’s printing office of this kind was “Goce Delcev”, which worked under this name from 12.11.1944 till February 1946. After that it was reregistered in a state graphical industrial organization “Kiro Dimitrovski-Dandaro”. The event which happened on 14.11.1944 should also be mentioned, that is, when the second edition of newspaper “Nova Macedonia” was published in the printing office “Goce Delcev”. Soon after that, the books “Pesni” from Venko Markovski and “Beli Mugri” from Koco Racin and some other books were published in Bitola, and this helped Bitola’s printing to recover its fame. “Kiro Dandaro” still remained the leading printing office which together with graphical organization “Socialen Borec” and “Fustelarko Borec” founded the unique graphical institute: Bitola Graphical Institute-BGI(1974-1990).

            The last decade of this century, in this millenium, Bitola has had the most developed printing, from its beginnings until today. Apart from “Kiro Dandaro”, “Fustelarko-Borec” and “Socialen borec” about ten more printing offices function in Bitola: “Mikena”, “Herakli-komerc”, “Shiklo”, “Tipokomerc”, “Gutemberg”, “Ans”, “Grafopres” etc. We have presented one part of the outgrowth of printing in Bitola without the existence of which a developed cultural environment, as our city used to be in the past, could not be imagined. This is because simultaneously with printing of artistic, scientific, children, science-fiction, computer, journalism, monograph editions, and other literary, the need of producing of small-size printed material was also evident: invitations, posters, programs, art catalogs, brochures, philately envelopes, visiting cards, tickets, commercials, etc. Today’s Bitola printing trend is following the newest scientific - technical - technological achievements including computerization, thus keeping pace with printing in high developed  countries in the world.