Because of the marvelous landscape of this small town, it’s very common for Ohrid to be chosen as a wedding destination. When you check wedding photographs made here, you will understand why. On the other hand, reaching spring, got me into love mood, and here is one famous Ohrid love story.
Once upon a time, here in Ohrid, lived Ruse and Djodje. Ruse and Djodje were in love, but according to the surroundings, they didn't belong together. Ruse, the girl, had origin from a wealthy family, and her parents arranged her marriage in another family with a similar background to theirs. The third person, the second guy that appears in the story is Nome. Nome is supposed to be the future husband of Ruse, the arranged one.
Djodje Filev was a beautiful good-hearted boy, no wonder why Ruse felt in love with him! People say it was love at first sight. After they first met, he was making every effort possible to meet her, just to see her and assure that she existed.
Ruse, equally beautiful as Djodje, had insomnia after first seeing Djodje. She got captivated by his sky blue eyes and that was her only thoughts for months. Her knees got shaky every time she äccidently met this boy, and she knew that strong love is felt first in the knees. When her mother, Angelina, told her that she has to marry Nome and not Djodje, she got sad and in a quiet state of infinite stare into the big blue lake.
There is a traditional song about this story, and the song says that Djodje got near to Ruse with his small boat, offering to her to take her to St. Naum to get married. In a sake of happy endings, we will believe that they got away together.
In the name of their love, there is a pedestrian road built over the lake, as a shortcut to reach the St. Jovan Kaneo church. The Bridge of wishes, as it’s called, was questioned if it should exist or not, just like the love between Ruse and Djodje. For every light storm, the bridge is slightly destroyed and renovated every time. We can say it’s like love itself- requires a lot of patience and work to ‘’make it’’, but the walks you can take here will capture you for a lifetime, that’s a promise.
This bridge was built as a need to shorten the road to the Church of Sts. John Kaneo from the very center and instead of the 1.5km journey that needs to pass through the old part of the city to reach the church. Now, this bridge needs only 140 meters as long. Being a love symbol is a better presentation for it. There are plates with the 12 horoscope signs in the middle of the path. The pedestrians can stop near the plate with their horoscope sign written on it to look at the lake towards the Monastery of St. Naum and make a wish. Some things are written in the stars and the lake and the stars are best friends: They can make it happen for all of us like they did for Djodje and Ruse.
The author
Zlata Golaboska
Are you ready to experience this story yourself?
