I have decided to write and publish this booklet about the village of my birth, Nevolyani, in the district of Lerin in Aegean Macedonia, (Aegean Macedonia refers to the portion of Macedonia in Greece, ed.). I have been impelled in this undertaking by ma great love for my village and its past, which has been characterized by great sacrifices in the fight for freedom.

               The destiny of the Aegean Macedonians, as is well known, has been extremely cruel throughout the centuries. Against the evils of slavery, oppression, assimilation and non-recognition of the human rights, there was an intense struggle for survival and freedom.

               The village of Nevolyani is 3 km south of the town of Lerin and it is (or rather, it was) one of the larges around that town with 300 houses and with a population of over 2.900 up until 1946. Nevolyani is situated at the foot of the mountains Kula and Lopushnec; towering over the village grove (koriya) is the peak of Kalugeritsa. A river flows through the village and the waters of this stream (also cal Matica by the villagers), used ti drive about 15 water-mills and also watered the kitchen gardens found in the front of every house, as well as most of the fields of Nevolyani