POLAND ACCEPTED THE REFUGEES WITH HEART AND SOUL

POLAND ACCEPTED THE REFUGEES WITH HEART AND SOUL

Following the Greek Civil War, around 12,000 refugees from Aegean Macedonia arrived in Poland

The following in part, is what Dr. Vladislav Barcikovski wrote in his book “The Greek Hospital on the Island Volin” describing the injured Partisans who arrived in Poland by ship after their defeat in the Greek Civil War:

“The newcomers looked strange. From their dress half were civilians and the other half were soldiers. The soldiers wore American looking hats. They were dirty, had long hair and looked neglected and sad. They mostly kept quiet and to themselves. They left the impression that they were in shock and insecure. The children kept looking at them with eagerness. One child kept touching their military emblems. The soldiers who were seriously wounded wore bloody and dirty makeshift bandages made of cloth. Under them were visible festering wounds. It would appear they were not taken care of on the ship during their voyage here. Their dressings didn’t appear to have been changed. They either didn’t know how to or had no dressings available to change them. Some soldiers had terribly deformed arms and legs and tried to hide them from us. Since we didn’t speak their language our staff could only gesture their sympathy for the newcomers. The badly injured soldiers and those with amputated legs were carried by hand to the vehicles that waited for them. One of those soldiers was weeping but not from the pain, but from the excitement of being looked after with motherly care. In order to show their appreciation some soldiers caressed the eagle emblems on the hats of the Polish soldiers. We not only wanted to help them but also to do it with our hearts and souls. It seems they very much needed that from us. It was visibly obvious that generally these poor people had lived through terror. They arrived tired, weak and sick, mostly from their long-lasting ordeal and suffering. Their badly set broken arms and legs continuously caused them pain. Most of them had high temperatures. Some of those that were very sick were unable to enjoy the happiness from arriving to this desired destination. But, generally taken, they were trying not to show their pain. Only a few were showing distrust and avoiding being touched by us who seemed to be strangers to them.

Some of the soldiers refused to surrender their weapons, even after it was explained to them that we were going to secure them in a safe place. Only a few of the soldiers refused to eat. Most stuck out their hands when we offered them a sandwich, and there were plenty of sandwiches. They pointed to the bread and gestured if they could have more. Later they said they were surprised by the large amount of fresh bread they were given. Many said that during the fighting they often dreamed of having bread. Here they had an unlimited supply of it. Our crew on the ship was more than happy to fulfill their wishes. They remembered that for their entire lives. Those who were starving before the voyage ate as much as they could but not without consequences. In addition to the sea-sickness they experienced they had bouts of diarrhea. That exhausted them even more. The 500 or so soldiers that arrived on the ship were loaded on a train and sent to Scecin. Many were exhausted.

The Macedonians in the group seemed to be more open and understanding than the Greeks. They told us they live in Greece and their language is Slavic. They complained about the Greek nationalists who in Greece disrespect their Macedonian national identity. There are hostilities between the Greek and Macedonian Partisans. The Macedonians are very patriotic and ethnically unique…

The Macedonians in Greece are not happy with being among the Greeks… The Macedonians have their own national ambitions. In confidence they told us that they want all Macedonians to reunite including those in Greece, as well as those in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, where they have a relatively large autonomy. In our conversations with the Greeks many times we noticed that they have ill feelings towards the Macedonians, which should be solved…

The newcomers were given a brief medical examination on the first day of their arrival. On the second day, after they were accommodated in their new quarters, the doctors started examining them in more detail. They had no serious illnesses outside of rashes and diarrhea. There were newborns and hundred year old men and women among them. Everyone without exception was dressed in tattered clothes and, instead of wearing shoes they were either barefoot, wore torn sandals or wore old rubber boots tied up with rope. The women covered their heads and half of their faces with black head kerchiefs so it was impossible to see if they were young or old. Many had their bodies tied with ropes and it was very hard to free them out of those. Generally speaking they were all pleased to take off the tattered clothing and to have a bath. But there were also those, mainly women, that didn’t want to be naked, arguing that they had never bathed uncovered before. They looked different after they had a bath. After that we could see who was young, middle aged and old. However they all looked much older than they were…

All of the newcomers held themselves in dignity and did not complain. They tried to smile back at their hosts when they noticed excitement on their faces. They trusted the doctors and nurses and were grateful for their help and did what they asked them to do. They were happy that they had arrived in a Slavic speaking country and emphasized that as Macedonians they were also Slavic speakers and in close kinship with the Polish people. They were happy to stay among their Slav brothers and sisters until the Democratic Army of Greece won the war and turned Greece into a free country so that they could then return to their homes.

They hung on to the keys of their houses in Greece when they undressed being careful not to lose them…”

The first group consisting of 750 injured people came in July 1949. They traveled by ship from Drach through Gibraltar to Poland. Later another group, consisting of 1,250 injured soldiers and around 9,000 civilians also arrived by ship. They were a mixed group of Macedonians and Greeks.

The Polish people accepted them with open arms. Boleslav Bjerut, First secretary of CK and PORP, instructed his people hosting the

newcomers to not only help them professionally with everything they need but to do it with kindness and heart. The approach that the Polish authorities took helped the refugees heal their wounds faster and overcome their psychological trauma easier.

The Macedonian people are very grateful to the Polish people for their help and for never questioning their Macedonian national integrity.

In his introductory comments in his documents about the Macedonian refugees in Poland, Professor Vladislav Stempnjak, PhD, highly praised the Polish teachers and analysts for their high professionalism. They promoted the Macedonian language and did everything in their power to make sure the Macedonian and Greek children did not lose their national identity.

“The Macedonians are a people and Macedonia is a country in every respect. It has been this way before and it is still this way now. Unfortunately the Macedonian national identity, language and even the right to use the name Macedonia is being disputed by some. However, that is not the case with Poland. Not in the past and not even now has there been any indication of doubt regarding Poland’s recognition of the existence of the Macedonian people and their language. Poland as a country, and its people who work on Balkan issues, have always recognized the Macedonian national identity. The research conducted by Polish linguists has always referred to the Macedonian language as a distinct language…” wrote Professor Vladislav Stempnjak.