ALEKO PISHUTOV (1918-1947) - Part 01

ALEKO PISHUTOV (1918-1947)

Aleko Pishutov was a prominent fighter from the city Gumendzhe. He dedicated his entire life to the struggle for the Macedonian people’s liberation and social rights. Aleko was born in 1918 to an agricultural working family and spent his childhood and early years in his hometown Gumendzhe.

After fascist Italy attacked Greece and Aegean Macedonia, Aleko and other Macedonians from his hometown were mobilized into the Greek army and immediately sent to the front to fight the Italian aggressor. 487

In late spring of 1941, from the first days the Germans, Italians and Bulgarians occupied his hometown, Aleko was among the first in Gumendzhe to join the struggle against the foreign occupiers. Thanks to his effort and determination to fight against the foreign fascists, in 1943 he was accepted as a member of the Communist Party of Greece. 488

In March 1944, Aleko and his hometown comrades Ivan Kovachev-Orfeas, Aleko Zelenkov, Tomo Sadrazanov, Vangel Kara-Giorgiev, Ivan Muianchev, Ivan Shlipkov and others voluntarily joined the ranks of ELAS XXX regiment which operated on Mounts Paiak and Kaimakchalan. While serving in the ranks of this regiment Aleko quickly rose to platoon commander and fought in the battles for the capture of the cities Gumendzhe, Enidzhe-Vardar, Kukush, the Boimitsa mine and the villages Sandelchevo, Postol (Pela), Plasnichevo, etc. 489

In December 1944, Aleko and other ELAS fighters from the XXX Brigade went to Athens to assist the ELAS fighters in the city to

487 According to the recollections Aleko Pulkov from the city Gumendzhe. Aleko was a prominent fighter in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 488 Ibid. 489 Tanasis Mitsopoulos (Captain Stavros), History of the ELAS XXX Brigade (Memories and Events), Part I... Translated from Greek to Macedonian by Todor Simovski, pp. 240-244 and Part II, pp. 208-212. Document kept in INI. fight against British interventionists and Greek nationalist government units. 490

After the armistice between the reactionary government and ELAS was concluded in January 1945, Aleko and the ELAS fighters of the XXX Brigade, after a long and arduous journey, returned to their base in Enidzhe-Vardar. When they arrived the Varkiza Agreement had already been signed and they had to surrender their weapons. After they were disbanded everyone went home.

In March 1945, after ELAS capitulated, Aleko and other Macedonian fighters and former members of the resistance were forced to go underground to avoid being arrested by the Greek police. At this point Aleko crossed over the border and, with his compatriots, fled to Bulkesh in Voivodina 491 where he became involved in the political affairs of the refugees from his homeland.

In March 1946, Aleko voluntarily returned to Gumendzhe to help his compatriots in the struggle against the Greek reactionaries terrorizing Aegean Macedonia. 492 With help from his hometown comrades Aleko Zelenkov, Vangel Karadzhordzhev, Aleko Pulkov, Tomo Sadrazanov, Risto Valkanov and others, Aleko created the first NOF armed formations to protect the Macedonian population and NOF’s membership from Greek nationalists. 493 Kocho Kirov from the village Tsrna Reka was appointed commander of the NOF armed groups for Gumendzhe District. Vancho Venov from the city Enidzhe-Vardar was appointed political commissar and Aleko Pulkov was appointed platoon commander. Aleko participated in almost all actions that took place on Mount Paiak and in the Gumendzhe District.

490 Ibid: pp. 461-472. 491 According to the recollections of Aleko Pulkov... 492 Ibid. 493 According to the recollections of Vancho Venov from the city Gumendzhe. Vancho was a prominent fighter in the National Liberation War and in DAG. He was also a political commissar of a NOF armed unit operating on Mount Paiak. Also according to the recollections of Risto Valkanov from the city Gumendzhe. Valkanov was a prominent fighter in the National Liberation War and in DAG as well as NOF Secretary for the city Gumendzhe. At the end of November 1946, with the formation of the joint (NOF-CPG) DAG Headquarters at Paiak and Kaimakchalan, Aleko and a number of other Macedonian fighters were transferred from the NOF groups to the DAG units. And like before, Aleko fought heroically in all the battles led by the DAG 24th Brigade against the enemy at Mounts Paiak and Kaimakchalan.

In April 1947, by order of DAG Headquarters to the 24th Brigade, Aleko and his comrades Aleko Pulkov and Kocho Kirov were put in charge of intelligence services for Gumendzhe District.

During the winter of 1947, the Greek air force sudden attacked the Gardini locality on Mount Paiak and severely wounded Aleko who two days later succumbed to his wounds. 494 Aleko Pishutov was an honest and sincere fighter. He gave his life for the Macedonian people’s freedom and social rights.

494 Ibid. ZHIVKO POPOV (1922-1947)

Zhivko Popov was an active fighter in the Macedonian anti-fascist movement in Lerin Region. 495 Zhivko was born in 1922 in the village Papazhani to a poor agricultural family. After finishing primary school Zhivko helped his parents with the livestock and farm work.

Following the example of his ancestors, Zhivko became involved in the revolutionary movement at an early age. Like many Macedonians from his homeland, Zhivko was treated harshly during Ioannis Metaxas’s dictatorship. According to his relatives and friends, at the end of 1936, Greek authorities in the village caught Zhivko speaking Macedonian and immediately locked him up in the village gendarmerie station where he was tormented for three days in a row and forced to eat salted fish and drink castor oil. He was tortured and abused inhumanely. 496

During the German occupation Zhivko was among the first in his village to join the struggle against the foreign occupiers and domestic traitors. He often gathered young people in the village square to inform them of the new political situation in Greece.

In July 1943, the Macedonian anti-fascists from Neokas Region held a meeting in Zhivko Popov’s house. Among those who attended was Vangel Koichev from the village Banitsa representing the CPG for Neokas Region, Stoian Traichev-Stefo from Nevoliani also a CPG official from Atanas Rusevski’s area representing the village Popadia, responsible for agitation and propaganda in Neokas Region. 497 During the meeting the attendants discussed the military and political situation in the country and the need to form basic CPG Party cells in the Neokas Region villages. At this point Zhivko was

495 For more information on Zhivko Popov, see Tashko Mamurovski, Zhivko Popov’s revolutionary activities (1922-1947). INI Gazette, Skopje, 1980, XXIV, no. 3, pp. 243-254. 496 According to Atanas Rusevski’s manuscript about Zhivko Popov’s revolutionary activities. Manuscript kept in INI. 497 Atanas Rusevski, Memories from events that took place in the period 1941-1945. Atanas Rusevski’s personal recollections of his participation in the National Liberation War. Kept in INI. admitted to the CPG and, as a member, was put in charge of creating a CPG cell in his native village.

Taking into account the activities Zhivko Popov was involved in so far, the Neokas CPG Regional Committee, in May 1944, decided to appoint him a member of the Regional Committee. As a member of the CPG Regional Committee, Zhivko was put in charge of organizational issues in the villages Vrbeni, Petoratsi, Papazhani, Asanovo Selo and Nov Kavkas during which he excelled in his duties. In a very short time he was able to establish basic CPG cells in all of the above-mentioned villages. He organized meetings with other members of the Party and often visited the villages in person, calling on the people to struggle harder against the occupiers. The greatest difficulty Zhivko Popov faced in his daily work was his inability to establish basic EAM cells in the Macedonian villages. The objective reason for that was because the Macedonian people didn’t trust the EAM Greek leadership. 498 The Macedonian people preferred to join SNOF, the Macedonian organization which they joined en masse. SNOF was a Macedonian national organization which protected the rights and wishes of the Macedonian people. Suffice it to say that the people from the villages Papazhani, Vrbeni, Asanovo Selo, Popadia, Setina, Krushoradi, etc., all joined SNOF’s ranks en masse.

But the joy of the Macedonian anti-fascists did not last long. At the end of April 1944, the CPG leadership decided to disband SNOF in both Kostur and Lerin Regions. Of course the fighters and members of SNOF were very upset with the CPG’s decision and their distrust of the Greek resistance leadership worsened.

Immediately after the CPG announced its decision to disband SNOF, a number of Macedonian fighters left and crossed over into the Republic of Macedonia. As a result a number of instructors from the CPG Regional Committee held a meeting in the village Krushoradi to discuss the reasons why the SNOF fighters had left and what further action the CPG was going to take. Everyone present at the meeting was forced to take a critical stance against the Macedonian fighters who left.

498 Ibid. In August 1944, the CPG leadership in Neokas Region decided to mobilize some reservists from that Region in order to strengthen the ELAS regulars. Zhivko Popov, who at that time was a CPG instructor in the Neokas Region villages, was one of the first to get involved in the mobilization. He toured the various villages and, through agitation, convinced the Macedonians that the long-awaited freedom was near.

In addition to his daily organizational work in the region, Zhivko Popov also carried out various propaganda activities. Among other things, he wrote anti-fascist slogans on the walls of houses in the villages.

One day Zhivko persuaded Atanas Rusevski to go with him and write the slogan “Long live the KKM”, which in Greek means the “Communist Party of Macedonia”. Although there was no Macedonian Communist Party in Greece, Zhivko, carried away by his Macedonian national feelings, persuaded his friend to write that slogan anyway. The same day, as soon as he saw the slogan, fellow instructor Vangel Koichev immediately made a sharp remark about it. With fear in his voice Vangel advised Zhivko and Atanas to immediately delete the slogan after they had their meeting. 499

At the same meeting, in August 1944, the issue of opening Macedonian public schools came up. In his speech Zhivko pointed out that there were now many freed villages in the district where classes could be conducted in the Macedonian language. Suffice it to say that the villages in question were located in the upper reaches of Stara Reka River.

The Greek comrades from the Neokas CPG Regional Committee didn’t like Zhivko Popov’s proposal. With irony one person asked Zhivko why was he in such a hurry to open schools when Lerin hadn’t yet been liberated from the occupiers. And what kind of school was he dreaming of? These words were said by Lambros Kombos an EAM instructor in Neokas Region who was from the village Petoratsi. Lambros Kombos was a Turkish Christian colonist

499 Atanas Rusevski, Recollections of events in the period 1941-1945... 200 from Asia Minor deposited in Greek occupied Macedonia by the Greek government in the 1920’s. 500

Around the same time the village boards were preparing for elections. Included among those who were in charge of the preparations and were given instructions on how to conduct elections were Giorgi Banichotov-Perikli, Micho Nedelkov, Atanas Rusevski, Dine Robev, Tanas Ashlakov, Risto Vasev-Dobri and Stavro Kochev-Ianko. Zhivko Popov was in charge of visiting the villages in his area and agitating the population to vote. 501

In the beginning of October 1944, as campaigning for the election intensified things began to deteriorate. One by one ELAS reservists began to flee. Some went home while others crossed over the border into the Republic of Macedonia where they joined the ranks of the Yugoslav partisan units and continued to fight against the occupier. A group of fighters led by Giorgi Turundzhiev moved to the village Bach in Bitola Region. Those Macedonian fighters from ELAS, who didn’t agree with the CPG and ELAS’s negative behaviour towards the Macedonian national question were forced to leave ELAS. They too crossed over to the Republic of Macedonia and joined Giorgi Turundzhiev’s unit.

In November 1944, the CPG Regional Committee for Neokas Region held a meeting to discuss why the Macedonian partisan units had left ELAS. Also among those who attended the meeting was Lambros Kombos, the EAM instructor mentioned earlier. Using vulgar language Kombos denigrated the Macedonian resistance leaders calling them traitors. He told his audience that Ilia Dimovski-Gotse and his “clique” were deserters. 502

There were sharp words exchanged at the meeting and most of those present condemned the CPG and ELAS for being insensitive to the Macedonian national question.

500 According to the recollections of Atanas Rusevski about Zhivko Popov’s revolutionary activities... 501 Ibid. 502 Ibid. 201 When Zhivko Popov found out about this, especially about the unprincipled attitude the CPG and ELAS took towards the Macedonians from this part of Macedonia, he and a group of Macedonian fighters, in protest, also crossed the border into the Republic of Macedonia and immediately joined the ranks of the First Aegean Strike Brigade. Zhivko was appointed political commissar of a company. 503

After the First Aegean Assault Brigade was disbanded Zhivko Popov and a number of Macedonians from the brigade’s military and political staff were sent on a political training course at the suggestion of NOF General Command.

After they completed the course, Zhivko and the others including Kosta Dzhingov from the village Krushoradi, Kole Patkov from the village Asanovo Selo, Tane Karkachov from the village Voshtareni and Alekso Bozharov from the village Setina returned to their homeland illegally and explained to the people why there was a rift between the Macedonian fighters who had crossed into the Republic of Macedonia and the CPG and ELAS leaderships. 504

In August 1945, by decision of NOF District Board for Lerin Region, Zhivko Popov was dispatched to the field in Lerin Region to maintain contact with the people and provide information that would acquaint the District leadership with the situation in the population. 505 In addition to that Zhivko was also responsible for arranging organizational systems in his area. 506

503 Atanas Rusevski, recollections of events in the period 1941-1945... 504 Report written by Dzhodzho Urdov, dated August 25, 1945, addressed to the NOF General Directorate regarding the situation in Lerin Region. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 130, p. 246. Also see Report from NOF District Board for Lerin Region to NOF Main leadership regarding organizational activities and the general situation in the district. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, T. II., doc. 127, p. 242. Also see Lerin Region participants in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 505 Ibid: “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 127, p. 242. 506 Ibid: “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 130, p. 246. 202 From this moment on, Zhivko Popov stepped up his involvement in the struggle against the Greek Monarcho-Fascists and because of that, at the end of October 1945, he was appointed NOF District Board secretary for the Lerin Region. 507 He remained in that position until the end of 1946, i.e. until his tragic death.

Although he had little means to do organizational work in the district where Zhivko Popov worked he still, in a very short time, managed to create several basic NOF, NOMS and AFZH cells in all the villages in Banitsa and Vostareni Regions. 508

Thanks to his great effort and responsibility, Zhivko had the opportunity to get acquainted with the difficult situation the Macedonian people were facing in this area. An example of this is given in one of his reports, dated January 18, 1946, sent by Zhivko to NOF General Staff. Among other things, he wrote: “The same situation continues in both Voshtareni and Banitsa Regions, terror is carried out by the Burandars (Monarcho-Fascists) and their local reactionaries. Court summonses have been sent to all the villages and the villagers are being sentenced from 3 to 100 years in prison, being accused of being members of the counter bands, German, Bulgarian and Gotse’s collaborators, etc. They are terrorizing and robbing the democratically-minded people without end...” 509

On January 5, 1947, the CPG District Committee for Lerin Region ordered Zhivko Popov, Ilia Tsrnakov, Gigo Adzhikirov and Trifko Popov to enter the village Patele and find the people who knew where the weapons were hidden so that they could transfer them to Mount Vicho. In other words, these men were tasked with the

507 As reported by Lazo Poplazarov in a report dated November 13, 1945, regarding the terror situation in Lerin Region. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 186, p. 352. Also see report by Hristo Kolentsev, dated December 19, 1945, sent to the NOF General leadership regarding NOF’s organizational activities from 15. XI to 15. XII 1945, and the situation in Lerin Region. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, T. II., doc. 227, p.437. 508 “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. III, doc. 9, p. 26. 509 Report written by Zhivko Popov, on the NOF organizational situation in Voshtareni, Banitsa and Lerin Regions. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, Vol. III, doc. 19, p. 47. 203 responsibility of establishing connections with the CPG and NOF party cells in Patele and assist those who wanted to join DAG. 510 The group was informed in the village Belkamen that Spiro Blagoev from Patele would be waiting for them in Patele. Spiro agreed to provide accommodations for the group in Metodia Dzhogata’s house. 511

The group left Belkamen on the evening of January 6, 1947 and, when it arrived near Patele, even though he knew the police station was located in Dimche Parpulov’s house, in in the upper part of the village next to the railway, Ilia Tsrnakov still decided to cross the railway with the group. Why he did this is unknown to this day.

The partisans were spotted by the Greek police when they arrived at the “Machorvi Dol” locality but decided not to open fire and allowed the group to enter the village. In order to confuse the police officers, Ilia Tsrnakov decided not to enter the village immediately and they headed towards the mountain in the direction of a local church. A short time later the group went back and entered an open tunnel. After they went into the tunnel walking forward, they came back out of the tunnel walking backwards so as to deceive the police into believing they were still inside the tunnel. After doing this they headed for the church Sveta Petka down the valley and entered the village there. They decided to settle in Vancho Olev’s house. Vancho was startled at their sudden appearance and didn’t want them to stay in his house. Under the circumstances the group left and went to an empty house which Vancho Olev used as a barn. 512

At dawn noises were heard coming from the train station. At that moment, the group saw a car full of Greek soldiers and policemen run outside from the tunnel 513 where Spiro Blagoev was waiting for them.

510 Spiridon Blagoev, About the heroic action of a group of DAG fighters: Ilia Tsrnakov, Zhivko Popov, Gigo Adzhikirov and Trifko Popov. Document kept in INI. 511 Ibid. 512 Ibid. 513 “For our Sacred National Freedom.” Characters of the Fallen People’s Fighters. Political and Literary Editions. 1962, p. 223. 204 From there the soldiers and policemen went to search the houses and immediately surrounded Spiro Blagoev and Pavel Popmitrev’s houses, located in the village square where the group of partisans was hiding. After moving to the ground floor the group locked the door and barricaded it with crates. At the back of Dzogata’s house was a doorway leading to Kole Kleanev’s yard. The group decided to also lock that door fearing the Monarcho-Fascists might enter from there but they were too late. The army with machine guns in hand stormed into Kole Kleanev’s yard preparing to break into the house where the partisans were hiding. The partisans had previously decided that if anything like this were to happen, they would break through the encirclement at any cost and meet in the village Liubetino.

The partisans decided, if need be, to attack the soldiers who were preparing to attack them from Kole Kleanev’s yard. A group of soldiers came to the door and started knocking loudly. Mitko Kleanev’s wife, Gena, yelled at the soldiers not to knock on that door because no one would open it, explaining that only a blind man lived in that house. The soldiers then left the yard and went to Dzhogota’s house where the partisans were hiding at the time. When the partisans realized that they were going to be attacked from the yard of the house where they were hiding, they decided to open the door and run into Mitko Kleanev’s yard but were unsuccessful. One of the soldiers probably spotted them and stormed the yard of the house where they were hiding. The partisans ran back to the ground floor and came out into Boris Bagrev’s yard and, after jumping a wall, found themselves in Boris Iarev’s yard. The partisans then agreed to run along the road together single file with Ilia Tsrnakov leading the bunch and Spiro Blagoev leaving last to close the yard gate.

The partisans managed to get out of Boris Bagrev’s yard at the Iarev house and found themselves on the street near the Smilaikov house. Unfortunately Spiro Blagoev, who left last, lost contact with the others. He didn’t know which direction they took. 514

514 Spiridon Blagoev, On the heroic action of a group of DAG fighters... 205 Zhivko Popov and Ilia Tsrnakov managed to reach Vancho Olev’s house and through his yard entered the same barn where they’d hidden when they entered the village. Gigo Adzhikirov and Trifko Popov ran into soldiers and policemen before reaching Olev’s house and were forced to turn into the street where the Alilomovs lived. There they jumping over a wall and found themselves in Fere Ristev’s house.

Unfortunately the soldiers and policemen spotted Ilia and Zhivko entering the barn and immediately surrounded it and began firing at the barn with their machine guns. Feeling that they would be shot Ilia and Zhivko decided to hide in the attic. The barn unfortunately didn’t have a ceiling, only bare beams. As the younger of the two, Zhivko climbed up the wall and stood on top of a beam. He then lowered his machine gun to help Ilia climb. After Ilia climbed up and hid in a corner Zhivko pulled up his machine gun to retrieve it. On its way up the machine gun trigger got caught on a nail and fired a couple of rounds. Zhivko was hit on the head and fell to the floor.

The soldiers and policeman heard the shots and decided to do something so they ordered Vancho Olev to burn down the barn. But Vancho refused. He didn’t want to be responsible for murdering Ilia Tsrnakov and Zhivko Popov. Because of that the police tortured him severely. In the end they forced him to pour a bin of flammable material on the barn door and set it on fire. 515

Ilia held out for as long as he could but when he could no longer breathe because of the thick smoke he lowered himself near a window. There he saw Giorgi, a Greek policeman he knew, standing in the corner. Ilia decided to jump out of the window and run away to avoid being shot at and threw a hand grenade at the policeman’s feet. The policeman was startled and ran for the other corner. The grenade didn’t explode but while the policeman was waiting for it to go off, Ilia jumped out of the window and rolled into a ditch about 10-15 metres high. He managed to escape and saved himself.

At night, around 11 pm, all Patele residents were summoned with church bells to gather in the village square to see a burnt human

515 Ibid. body. The people didn’t know whose body it was. All the villagers were forced to pass by and look at the body. It was Zhivko Popov’s body. It was a horrible sight to see. Immediately after that the Greek police began to arrest villagers. There were terrible screams everywhere. People were yelling and crying... 516

The only witness to Zhivko Popov’s tragic death was Ilia Tsrnakov who, on the night of January 6 and 7, informed Spiro Blagoev via courier that Zhivko was dead.

This is how Zhivko Popov, one of the first NOF organizers in Lerin Region died. But with his revolutionary devotion he set a rare example of a man who was faithful to his people and remained so to the end of his life.

516 Ibid. PETRE POPOV (1908-1962)

Many prominent NOF activists and leaders fell directly into the hands of the Greek police and gendarmerie. Some were immediately liquidated but many were given long prison sentences where they lost their lives as martyrs or were released before they died. This was the case with Petre Popov. 517

Petre Popov was born in 1908, in the village Dolno Rodivo, Meglen Region, to a poor agricultural family. After finishing primary school in his native village, Petre helped his parents with farming and animal husbandry.

In late October 1940, Petre and a number of other men from his village were mobilized into the Greek army and immediately sent to the Albanian front to fight the Italians.

After the Albanian front fell, Petre came back home and, together with his village comrades Giorgi Iatchev, Petre Peikov, Mitsi Mitsanov, Giorgi Kostov and others, began to create CPG cells in order to organize the people to struggle against the occupiers. 518 Petre’s involvement lasted until the summer of 1942, when the CPG and EAM staff in Voden Region successfully connected with the political activists from Dolno Rodivo and other neighbouring villages in Meglen Region.

The first ELAS partisan units began to appear in the summer of 1943 around Mount Kaimakchalan, in the Bela Voda locality. With help of members of the party from his native village, Petre Popov immediately connected with ELAS headquarters in Kaimakchalan and agreed to supply its units with food and clothes.

In September 1943, larger ELAS partisan units began to operate in Kaimakchalan. At the same time, the Meglen Region villages began to organize various manifestations and protests on their own

517 Even though Petre Popov wasn’t killed in battle, taking into account his revolutionary commitments for which he sacrificed his life, we decided to include him in the constellation of fallen fighters. 518 According to the recollections of Vani Adzhiev from the village Dolno Rodivo, Meglen Region. Vani was a TOMO and NOF activist in Voden Region. initiative, during which they expressed their dissatisfaction with the occupiers and thus began to more actively organize against them. This was primarily due to Petre Popov’s tireless agitation as well as to the involvement of other political organizers.

From this moment on, Petre became even more actively involved in the struggle against the foreign occupiers and their domestic traitors. Thanks to his effort in the struggle against the German and Bulgarian occupiers, in the summer of 1944, Petre was appointed a member of the CPG Tresino Regional Committee based in the village Tresino, Meglen Region.

Although he wasn’t a direct participant in the ranks of the ELAS Voden Macedonian Battalion, which consisted of Macedonian volunteers from Meglen and Voden Regions, Petre Popov tirelessly agitated the Macedonian population in his area to join the ranks of the Macedonian army. Shortly afterwards, when the Macedonian ELAS partisans split from ELAS because the Greek CPG and ELAS leaderships showed disregard for the Macedonian national question, Petre remained on the ground in his area and continued his anti-fascist activities against the occupier and domestic traitors. 519

At the beginning of 1945, with the formation of TOMO, the Macedonian liberation organization in Voden Region, Petre Popov was appointed member of the TOMO Regional Board for Meglen Region responsible for agitation and propaganda.520

As a political leader in the Macedonian liberation movement in Voden Region, under very difficult conditions, Petre tirelessly agitated the Macedonian population to join TOMO fighting groups based on Mount Kaimakchalan.

Later, in June 1945 at a TOMO District Conference held in the “Tupcheto” area located between the villages Krontselovo and Vlkoianevo, Petre Popov joined the NOF District Board for Voden Region and was responsible for agitation and propaganda. 521

519 Vangel Aianovski-Oche, Aegean storms..., pp. 159-160. 520 Ibid. 521 Ibid: pp. 169-170. In the first half of February 1946, in accordance with directives from the NOF General leadership, the NOF District Board for Voden Region reorganized its staff. Vangel Aianovski-Oche (NOF District Board Secretary) was sent to Meglen District; Mirka Ginova remained in the same district leading AFZH; Iani Iakita-Tempo and Iani Sarakachanov-Nano from the NOMS City leadership were transferred to the NOMS District leadership; Lazo Kamchev and Takis Sotiriou-Samiotis were sent to Negush and Petre Popov and Vangel Shamardanov-Ilindenski were sent to Ostrovo District in order to organize local NOF, NOMS and AFZH cells in this area. 522

The Greek reactionaries at the time were waging terrible terror everywhere. The Greek government, through its police and gendarmerie, was arresting, harassing and killing Macedonians on a daily basis under the pretext that they were autonomists.

On March 23, 1946, a Greek gendarmerie unit treacherously encircled the NOF Regional Board in the village Iavoriani and, in an unequal skirmish, killed Panaiot Bozhinov NOF secretary for that area. Petre Popov was severely wounded and together with Atanas Lachkov, a courier from the village Mesimer, was arrested. The two men were then taken under guard to the Voden prison where the gendarmes brutally tortured them. Giorgi Kostov-Sandanski from the village Dolno Rodivo, an instructor at the NOF District Board, managed to escape through a rain of bullets. 523

Following an investigation in Voden, Petre Popov was sentenced to life in prison and was then sent to Solun to serve his sentence. After serving 16 years in the infamous Greek prisons, Petre contracted tuberculosis and before he died the Greek authorities decided to

522 Minutes of the NOF District Board for Voden Region meeting, dated February 12, 1946, regarding NOF’s organizational structure. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, T. III, doc. 44, pp. 109-110. 523 Report from the NOF District Board for Voden Region to the NOF General leadership, dated March 24, 1946, on the NOF political situation in the district. Also see doc. 86, p. 86, p. 207. And the Proclamation made by the NOF District Board for Voden Region, dated March 24, 1946, to the Macedonians, Greeks, Vlachs and Albanians, calling on them to unite and jointly oppose the Monarcho-Fascist terror waged against the Macedonians. Also see doc. 87, p. 208. This proclamation was probably wrongly published in: “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, T. II, doc. 63, p. 113-114. release him. A few months later, in 1962, he died in his native village. 524

524 Vangel Aianovski-Oche, Aegean storms..., p. 417. Also according to the recollections of Vani Adziev... KOCHO ROBEV-DINE (1915-1947)

Kocho Robev-Dine was a Macedonian national liberation movement leader in Lerin Region. He was born in 1915, in the village Banitsa, to a poor family. Due to the family’s economic hardship his father Trifun was forced to leave his native village and seek employment in America. A short time later Trifun died abroad without ever seeing his family again. 525 Despite the great economic difficulties, Kocho’s mother raised her children to be worthy and honest Macedonians.

From a very young age Kocho and his older brother had to seek work outside of their own farm. As a result they found employment as servants working for the richer families in their village. When Kocho turned 15 he went to work in the Banitsa mine 526 where he personally experienced the cruel exploitation of the miners by their employers. Working in the Banitsa and other neighbouring mines during these very difficult conditions, pushed Kocho to think about the revolutionary ideas being discussed by the workers. Eventually he adopted the ideas and later distinguished himself as an active organizer in the miners’ union. His work made him popular not only in the Banitsa mine but also in the other mines, such as the Novograd and Krushorad mines. 527 While working in these mines Kocho, along with some like-minded workers, fought for an eight-hour shift for the miners. Kocho also often took an active part in organizing strikes to improve the working conditions and raise the workers’ wages.

525 According to the recollections of Kosta Hrisafov from the village Banitsa, Lerin Region. Kosta was a participant in the National Liberation War and later, during the Greek Civil War, he served as a political commissar in a DAG sabotage unit. 526 Ibid. 527 According to the recollections of Kosta Dzhingov from the village Krushoradi, Lerin Region. Kosta created the CPG cell in the village Krushoradi and served as a member of the CPG Regional Committee for Neokazi. He later served in the NOF District Board for Lerin Region. Also according to the recollections of Tane Ashlakov from the village Voshtareni, Lerin Region. Tane was a member of the CPG Regional Committee for Neokazi and later the NOF Regional Committee for Neokazi. In 1932, Kocho Robev joined the “Workers’ Aid” organization and, in the next two years, worked hard to establish the “Association of Miners”. 528

In 1936, Kocho was inducted into the Greek military to serve his term in the city Lerin where he was promoted to the rank of sergeant. His service in the Greek army gave him the opportunity to show his fellow villagers that he really was a great patriot and a true protector of his people. Namely, on Easter in 1936, Kocho was permitted to go home to his native village. The people of Banitsa had a custom where during the holidays they were required, from the oldest to the youngest, to go to the village square in the afternoon to a place called “Petkov’s Chinar”. The older villagers were required to bring tables and chairs and the younger ones had to dance. The Banitsa folk dance was characterized by the fact that men, when they danced, had no right to interrupt the dance of the one who was conducting it. The same was true for women. And the one who conducted the women’s dance was the fiancée of the leader of the male dance. 529

That day Kocho led the dance called “Bairacheto”. This was Kocho’s favourite Macedonian dance. But, unexpectedly, the Greek police arrived during the festivities to disperse them. Kocho, who at the time was wearing his Greek military uniform, revolted and, in a very short time, fights broke out between the police and the people. The crowd attacked the policemen and beat them. They broke their clubs and smashed their rifles. The police then asked for help from the border guards. When the soldiers arrived their major, seeing that Kocho was wearing a Greek military uniform, asked him to speak against his fellow villagers. But Kocho not only categorically refused but fought the police and soldiers most vigorously. For doing so he was severely punished. Following the incident, he was arrested by the soldiers and sent into exile on the prison island Aistratis, along with four others who actively participated in the

528 Robev Kocho. “For the Holy National Freedom”..., p. 235. 529 According to the recollections of Lefter Olevski from the village Banitsa, Lerin Region. Lefter was an active participant in the National Liberation War, and later served as a political commissar in a DAG company. fight. 530 Kocho remained exiled in prison until the end of October 1940 when fascist Italy attacked Greece.

On October 29, 1940, a day after Italy declare war on Greece, Kocho and about 20 of his villagers who were exiled in Aistratis were transferred to the island Chios. 531

At the same time hundreds of Macedonians from Lerin, Kostur, Kailari, Voden and other Regions were sent into exile on the Aegean Islands and in the Peloponnesus. Dictator Metaxas was afraid of them and therefore kept them away from the Greek-Italian front.

In May 1941, Kocho Robev and a number of other prisoners escaped from Chios and went home. Kocho returned to Banitsa and immediately began organizing CPG party cells in the surrounding villages and collecting weapons that had been left behind by the Greek troops after their withdrawal from the Albanian front. Being affiliated with the Party, Kocho and several other CPG activists and sympathizers in Lerin Region managed to come into contact with the famous Macedonian revolutionary Lazo Trpovski-Tsrniot from the village D’mbeni. 532

Kocho Robev was one of the most active Macedonian fighters who consistently fought against the Bulgarian fascist propaganda in Lerin Region. Later in the second half of 1943, thanks to his tireless anti-occupier activities, he was appointed a member of the CPG Banitsa District Committee. 533

On January 18, 1944, Kocho and activist Lazo Kochev were captured by the German occupiers, charged with treason and jailed in the Pavlos Melas concentration camp in Solun. At about the same time hundreds of Macedonians were also arrested from the villages Chegan, Popadia, Krushoradi, Setina, Vosthareni, etc. and jailed in the Pavlos Melas, Dimokos and other concentration camps. 534

530 Robev Kocho. “For the Holy People’s Freedom”..., p. 236. 531 Ibid. 532 According to the recollections of Kosta Hrisafov... 533 Ibid. 534 Robev Kocho. “For the Holy National Freedom”..., p. 237. 214 A few months later, Kocho and other Macedonian patriots who were jailed in the Pavlos Melas prison were released. Upon his return to his native village, Kocho immediately became involved in the struggle against the occupiers.

After the fascist occupiers were forced out of Greece, right-wing elements took power in the country. They carried out an unprecedented terror campaign against all the fighters who, during the fascist occupation, fought against the foreign occupiers. So, to avoid being arrested, Kocho and others who struggled in the anti-fascist movement went underground. Kocho fled the country and went to Bulkesh, Voivodina, where he spent some time. There he was among the first to become involved in the political life of the refugees from his homeland. 535

In September 1946, directed by the resistance leadership, Kocho returned to Lerin Region and, as a Party leader, joined the struggle against the new fascist authorities in Greece. He was a very brave and courageous fighter and because of that the local population respected him. Kocho took part in organizing the Macedonian people in almost every village in Lerin Region from Prekopana to Popadia, from Prespa to Patele, in the struggle against the Greek reactionaries.

At that time, the Greek reactionary authorities made every effort to arm the Lerin Region villages to fight against the democratic movement. This was the case with the village Papazhani, Lerin Region.

Sometime in January 1947, activists from Papazhani informed Kocho that the village municipal government was making efforts to arm the villagers in Papazhani to fight against DAG. So Kocho and his comrades Kosta Dzhingov and Tane Ashlakov immediately left for Papazhani to convince the local municipal government not to do that. 536

535 According to the recollections of Dimitar Adzhievski from the village German, Lerin Region. Dimitar was a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 536 According to the recollections of Kosta Dzhingov and Tane Ashlakov... 215 The three arrived in Papazhani in the dark of night and immediately went to the house where the people of the municipality had gathered. There they found several villagers including Boris Moschakov, the village mayor who was well-known for committing atrocities against the Macedonian people. Kosta Dzhingov and Tanas Ashlakov covered the windows as Kocho Robev entered through the door. The moment Kocho made himself know he yelled “hands up”. But someone fired a rifle and hit the lamp that was illuminating the room. Kocho fired several rounds with his machine gun. At the same time the Mayor Boris Moschakov fired back and killed Kocho. 537

Kosta Dzhingov and Tane Ashlakov managed to escape but didn’t know what had happened to Kocho. The two arrived in Krushoradi the morning after where they were informed that Kocho had been killed.

The Greek soldiers who came to retrieve Kocho’s dead body mistreated him even in death. They tied him to a military truck and dragged him from Papazhani to Lerin and then they dragged him through the main city streets to frighten the people. 538

537 Monograph - A burning Krushoradi. Skopje, 1980, p. 44. The materials for this monograph were collected and organized by Ziso Karaliev from the village Krushoradi. 538 According to the recollections of Filip Bozhinov from the village Krushoradi. Filip was a participant in the National Liberation War and later served as a NOF political leader in Krushoradi. After Kocho Robev was killed and the Monarcho-Fascists found out who he was, they arrested 20 people and sent them to prison. Also, according to the recollections of Ziso Karaliev, a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 216 PETSO ROMEV (1919-1949)

Shortly before DAG was defeated, in the second half of August 1949, the enemy air force was very active. At that time the 426th Battalion Headquarters, led by Petso Romev, was located in a bunker at elevation 2,322 metres, in “Kiafa” locality on Mount Gramos. An airplane dropped a bomb, hit the bunker and killed all nine leaders. Petso Romev was among those killed.

Petso was born in 1919, in the village Gornichevo, Lerin Region, to a poor agricultural family. Since he was a child, Petso lived a hard, poverty-stricken life. He grew up in such misery and poverty that he barely finished primary school. But later, thanks to his Macedonian upbringing, he grew up to become a worthy Macedonian patriot and revolutionary.

During the fascist occupation Petso, with a rifle in his hand, was one of the first people from Gornichevo to join the People’s Liberation Movement to fight against the occupiers. In August 1943, as an organizer in the Macedonian anti-fascist movement in his native village, Petso joined ELAS where he demonstrated his exceptional courage. 539

In protest against the negative attitude of the CPG and ELAS towards the Macedonian national question, towards the end of the first half of October 1944, Petso and a group of fighters from his homeland crossed over the border into the Republic of Macedonia.

In November 1944, while still in the Republic of Macedonia, Petso joined the partisans of the First Aegean Strike Brigade consisting exclusively of Macedonians from Greek occupied Macedonia 540 and continued to fight against the fascist occupiers and the Balisti gangs led by Dzhemo and Mefail, which acted around the cities Debar, Kichevo, Gostivar, Tetovo and Mount Shar Planina.