Born: 1872, North Macedonia
Died: 1899
Country most active: North Macedonia
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Born at Skopie, she grew up during a time when the Serbian and Greek propaganda in Macedonia was absorbed by the respective countries and even encouraged by the Turkish authorities. Ekaterina graduated from the senior high school at Salonica in 1890 and devoted herself to teaching, spending the first five years in her native town, the following two years at Adrianople and the last two years of her brief life at Koumanovo; in the meanwhile marrying one of her colleagues, Avskenth Georgieff. The Turkish authorities incited the Greeks and Serbians, to steal the keys of the Bulgarian cathedral. Hearing of these plans, Ekaterina Simidtchieva was stirred to the very depths of her devout and patriotic soul. She hastened to save the cherished church, being a born leader by reason of her intellectual power and physical beauty.
In the supreme moment her magnetism she inspired the women of Koumanovo to rally around and followed her, fully aware that they were marching into the very jaws of death. Undaunted by the refusal of the Turks to grant the just claims of the Bulgarians, Ekaterina turned to the spot where the corner stone of the Serbian church had been laid on the stolen Bulgarian land, now guarded by armed Turkish soldiers. Not even the ring of the soldiers’ bayonets could stop her and ignoring the thrusts of the sharp steel with a courageous, “Hold on, sisters!”, she broke the line. Defenseless women and armed soldiers clashed, but victory followed Ekaterina. The cross was overturned and the stolen lot regained. Mortally wounded, Ekaterina left a few women on guard and hurried to the cathedral to save the keys. Only when the keys were in her hands would she allow herself to be led back home to have her grievous wounds dressed. While awaiting two trusty doctors sent for from Skopie, the local doctor, Tewfik Effendi, came to give her first aid and, instead, administered poison. Sensing the tremendous power Ekaterina Simidtchieva had over the people, the Turkish authorities had secretly given Dr. Twefik this order.
Ekaterina Simidtchieva died at the age of twenty-seven, sacrificing not only herself, but her unborn child as well, for her country and her church, thus placing on the altar of her country’s freedom her youth, her beauty and her motherhood.