OB RAPALSKI MEJI

Report and photos by A.J.P.
Porocilo in slike: A.J.P.

This page is part of the SiteO web site. On September 25th the Tourist Association of Ziri, headed by Andrej Poljansek, has organised the traditional walk along the trail of the Rapallo Border. In 1920 the territory west of this line was granted to Italy by the Allies as a reward for it's participation in the "Great War", separating roughly one third of Slovenians from their main national body. Italian presence lasted until 1943. The border represented a great change in people's life. Friends and families were separated while smuggling became one of important activities. Fortunes were made or lost on the border, but often liberty or even life was lost as well. Beside the memories the border also left behind some very concrete reminders: border stones and further inland important fortifications: Rupnik line and Vallo Alpino 25. septembra 2005 je Turisticno drustvo Ziri, ki ga vodi Andrej Poljansek, izvedlo zdaj ze tradicionalni pohod ob nekdanji Rapalski meji. Leta 1920 so zavezniki ozemlje zahodno od te meje podarili Italiji kot nagrado za njeno udelezbo v prvi svetovni vojni, s tem pa priblizno tretjino slovenskega zivlja locili od njegovega naroda. Italijani so tod ostali do leta 1943. Meja je v zivljenje krajev ob njej prinesla velike spremembe. Locila je druzine in prijatelje, tihotapstvo pa je postalo pomembna gospodarska dejavnost. Na meji so bila pridobljena ali izgubljena premozenja, izgubljeno pa je bilo tudi prenekatero zivljenje. Poleg spominov je meja za sabo pustila tudi stvarne sledi: mejnike in nekoliko bolj v ozadju dva mogocna spomenika: utrdbena sistema Rupnikova linija in Alpski zid. History of the border and the life along it was presented by historian Vlasta Pecelin, the chief contributor in efforts of Tourist Association of Ziri to make this heritage also a splendid value-added tourism product. By the former border stone three hundred hikers were also entertained by Bogdan Zontar who impersonated Yugoslav royal border guard. At the beginning of the trail hikers learnt about the legend of the water dragon Lintvern and were shown his alleged home under the Zirk hill. At the conclusion of the trail in the village of Breznica children from Sovodenj re-enacted the story of now also legendary smuggler "Mica la Bionda", as is described in the book "Ob stari meji" by prof. Tomaz Pavsic. O zgodovini meje in zivljenja ob njej je spregovorila zgodovinarka Vlasta Pecelin, ki je odlocilno prispevala k temu, da je Turisticno drustvo Ziri to zgodovinsko dediscino predstavilo kot prvovrstno turisticno ponudbo. Za razvedrilo je poskrbel Bogdan Zontar, ki je na nekdanji meji tristo pohodnikov pricakal oblecen v starojugoslovanskega granicarja. Pohodniki so se na zacetku pohoda seznanili z legendo o vodnem zmaju Lintvernu in njegovem domovanju pod Zirkom. Ob zakljucku poti, v vasi Breznica, pa so otroci iz Sovodnja zaigrali prizor iz zivljenja zdaj tudi ze legendarne kontrabantarice "Mice la Bionde", kot ga je v knjigi "Ob stari meji" popisal prof. Tomaz Pavsic. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Home Day Counter We've had hits today!