Elpida Karamandi

Elpida Karamandi

Elpida Karamandi was born on the 1 January in the year of 1920, in Florina, Greece. Her mother divorced and moved to her relatives in Bitola, then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, where she remarried. Elpida grew up and was educated in Bitola and later continued her studies in Belgrade, where she became a member of SKOJ in 1939. When the Second World War began, Elpida was among the people, who started the resistance in the city. In June 1941 she joined the Yugoslav Communist Party, but her active work was noticed by the Bulgarian police and she was arrested. When she was released Elpida goes in illegality and even more works in mobilizing and resistance against the occupiers.

In April 1942 she left Bitola and went to the First Bitola Partisan detachment. On 3 May 1942, the detachment is surrounded by the Bulgarian police. Heavily wounded, Elpida Karamandi was captured, and later died in Bulgarian captivity. She was declared a Yugoslav national hero on 11 October 1951.