If someone told you about a month ago that Galena Kutreska from Galichnik passed away, to many of you that information wouldn't have meant anything. But when the media passed the information that it is about Gaca, the public in Galichnik, Macedonia and elsewhere, was very aware what that meant.

 

 

Although from 25.06.2009 almost a month had passed since Gaca left this world, we did not hurry to publish this information because the news about  her death was well covered by the media, especially from ALFA TV which had a very detailed  report in live from Galichnik. In addition of that report we present you the famous photo of Gaca, which was mentioned by Pavle Lukanoski, who with his wife Borka made Gaca a company in the last two decades as the only real inhabitants of Galichnik.

 

 

From the meeting with Edvard Kardelj in 1951 (Gaca is on the left side of Kardelj)

 

 

From the meeting with Edvard Kardelj in 1951 (Gaca is in the middle)

 

 

At one of the meetings of the cooperative in Galichnik (1950s) 

 

But if Pavle and Borka were "armed" with supplies and other kind of logistics for surviving the long winter, Gaca did not have that kind of support. But somehow she managed to get over the cold winter days together with her sheep whose number stagnated through the years because she did not want to keep dogs. Often, the people from Galichnik and the visitors, watched her how with easiness carries hay twice bigger than her, to feed the sheep, through the steep paths. And the stable above Torteska Krasta rock, at the end of the village where she kept the sheep, a place where until half of century existed many houses, become circled with wild predators with which Gaca had to fight them unarmed in order to defend their faithful friends - sadly, many times without success.

 

 

And so the legend went among the legends. The phenomenon of the survival in the winter conditions in Galichnik, did not allow her birth place to be put on the list of completely uninhabited settlements - a destiny for some of the near mijak vilages. From over 40 years ago she remained alone in Galichnik, which she did not abandon even after her death. She will rest in peace forever in her birth region, but now from the oposite side, on the other side of Gjenevica river from where she will still see Galichnik in a gleam for which let us hope that the people from Galichnik will not allow to fade, following her example.

 

In meantime somebody said that Galichnik will never be the same without Gaca. How mistaken are they. Gaca already is untearable part of Galichnik and its history. Galichnik will always have Gaca.