IV. STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE MACEDONIAN PARTY ORGANIZATION DURING 1940-1941 - Part 04

In March 1943 the District Committee decided to celebrate May Day and organize resistance to protect Jews from persecution. The local Party Organization appointed Metodija Shatorov and another member of the Committee to write the Proclamation. According to V. Goranova, then Regional Committee Organizational Secretary, the Proclamation was drafted in an illegal apartment. This is what was written in the book "Revolutionary Sofia", p. 596: "The May Day proclamation was supposed to be written by Metodija Shatorov and another person. For this purpose we decided to have him come to the District Committee's illegal apartment located on 'Dorostol' street no. 48, in Petrana Natseva's apartment. There was a secure place inside this apartment. I went into the apartment in the evening, and Shatorov was supposed to arrive at six o'clock the next day. The doorbell rang at exactly six o'clock in the morning. We figured it was Shatorov so Petrana went to open the door and as she turned the key once she heard unusual voices outside. She then called out 'who is it?' She said that to warn us. At that moment Vasilev, our host, knew that something wasn't right so he warned us that it could be the 'police'! Before Petranka opened the door she said, 'Wait a minute I need to get dressed.' When I heard that I went into the secure place. After the policemen came in they searched the entire place carefully... While they were searching Shatorov arrived. He climbed up the stairs and quickly figured out what was happening but he didn't run. Instead he continued walking past the guards and rang the doorbell of our apartment. The agents inside opened the door for him and he coolly handed them a bottle of milk and told them it was 'for the teacher' (Petrana was a teacher). The agent holding a gun pointed at Shatorov took the bottle after which Shatorov said 'goodbye' and went back down the stairs unimpeded.

His composure and clean appearance (he was always well dressed)

saved him from being detained." They wrote the proclamation the next evening in another illegal apartment. Eventually both participants were sentenced to death by the Bulgarian authorities, but despite that they didn't give up their activities.

After the January 15, 1943 Sofia demonstrations (and other activities which Shatorov had undertaken), the Bulgarian authorities conducted searches and arrested a large number of activists. They then initiated legal proceedings against them. Included in these searches was Shatorov, then Regional Committee Secretary in Sofia, who once again was sentenced to death in absentia by a firing squad.

In a dialogue with one of his colleagues regarding his death sentences Shatorov said: "You know that I was twice sentenced to death but my duty demands that I remain here even though conditions are difficult. But as I move around from person to person I don't know who is a friend and who is an enemy. But we are here to make the impossible possible..

Shatorov served as secretary of the Sofia District Committee until July 15, 1943, after which he was replaced by G. Changov. After that he was assigned to new duties in the Pazardzhia front line where he led the third operational zone. This is what one of his colleagues said about that: "We and Metodij a Shatorov served something like guards..." According to the testimony given by his close associates, Shatorov always spoke Macedonian in personal conversations, speeches and when giving orders. This is what was said about that: "Partisans from other detachments came to our side of the fire at Chepintsi.

Next to us was Metodija Shatorov with the other members of the staff... he spoke Macedonian during our conversations. He was well spoken and knowledgeable. He was well aware of the situation we were in and his intellectual abilities and qualities were far superior in relation to the others.

Metodija Shatorov joined the partisans in June 1943. After that he led the partisan units and Headquarters in the Pazardzhik operational zone. Among the many combat actions he was involved in he also fought in the difficult "Eledzhik" battle on February 15, 1944 during which he was wounded in the leg. What made it even more difficult was the bad weather with blizzards and frost. Also among the many partisans who were wounded during that battle was Stojan Popov, zone Political Commissar. He was seriously wounded. Shatorov ordered the rescue of the wounded and personally participated in carrying them under the difficult conditions, even though he himself was wounded. He personally took measures in their treatment and saved many lives.

In mid-August 1944, Metodija Shatorov and his Zone Headquarters gathered a number of detachments numbering over 200 partisans and began a military campaign at the top of Mount Mileva Skala.

Shatorov formed four strike groups and ordered them to simultaneously attack in four different locations. The first group, consisting of 117 partisans, was ordered to attack and take over the Varvara railway station which, according to intelligence reports, contained weapons that needed to be acquired. The second group, consisting of about 60 partisans, was ordered to attack the village Varvara. The third group was ordered to invade the village Simeonovets and capture the German warehouse. For this purpose Shatorov used a ruse. He ordered this group of partisan to dress in Bulgarian military uniforms. The fourth group, consisting of 20 to 25 partisans, was ordered to attack the village Semchinovo. Before the military campaign was executed, Headquarters called a meeting in which all the commanders, commissars and partisans were included. The plan of attack was discussed and everyone was given their orders. Metodija Shatorov accompanied Asen Banev's group which was ordered to attack the village Varvara. After carrying out their assignments, the detachments retreated back to Mount Mileva Skala where this part of the territory was freed in early August.

The number of partisans joining the resistance movement under Shatorov's command kept increasing and by August 27 that number had reached 800. Shatorov had predicted this increase in his territory, not only in the mountainous areas but also in the more densely populated plains near Pazardzhik. With time partisan actions became more frequent and bolder. For example, on September 1, 10 partisans attacked the Drenov Dol railway station. Several groups attacked the flat land villages and reached Lozen. Chapaev's detachment broke through into Gabrovitsa and took the town again.

Unfortunately these actions provoked the Bulgarian army and police to retaliate against them.

On September 4, at 7 o'clock, Headquarters was informed that the free zone where the partisans were concentrated would be attacked by military and police forces. Metodija Shatorov immediately ordered his companies and detachments to prepare for the impact.

He said: "Comrades, the situation now is such that we cannot give up the fight..." he spoke with a harsh tone of voice. "We need and are obliged to accept the enemy's challenge to battle and we need to destroy him, because if we don't the population will lose confidence in us, so take your places as soon as possible... " Unfortunately the military and police forces were well armed and organized and out numbered the partisans. They surrounded the area and began to break down the partisan formations, forcing them to retreat from their geographical vantage points. The partisan units were forced to break through rough terrain during which 12 were killed. Metodija Shatorov also retreated and was killed. 212 This is what Atanas Semerdzhiev writes about this: "After the people's victory, his body was found shot in several places and he ,,213 had been robbed by his killers...

212 The statements made here were part of the material published in the books "The Revolution in Sofia".

- Atanas Semerdzhiev "So that there can be life", Sofia, 1964.

- "For the people's freedom", Collection - Sofia, 1970. 213 Atanas Semerdzhiev "No one fell back" Partisan memoirs, Sofia 1973, p. 245.

VIII. ABBREVIATIONS BCF - Balkan Communist Federation BLS - Balkan Lander Secretariat VMRO - (centralists-old) Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization VMRO - (United) Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization VMRO - (supremacists) Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization VDRO - Internal Dobruja Revolutionary Organization EC of CI— Executive Committee of the Communist International EB BCP - Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Communist Party Cl - Communist International KPY - Communist Party of Yugoslavia CPM - Communist Party of Macedonia CPB - Communist Party of Bulgaria CPG - Communist Party of Greece CP - Communist Party FO - Foreign Office LPS - Law for the Protection of the State LC - Local Committee DC - District Committee PC - Provincial Committee PC of CPM - Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Macedonia P0 - Party Organization ECU - Emigrant Communist Union CC - Central Committee CCY - Central Committee of Yugoslavia CCB - Central Committee of Bulgaria CC of CPY - Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia CC of BCP - Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party Pseudonyms used by Metodija Shatorov during his revolutionary activities

1. Marko,

2. Panaiot,

3. Panteli,

4. Bai Panaiot,

5. Katelini,

6. Atanosov,

7. Katil,

8. Mitre,

9. Charlo,

10. Savo,

11. Dirno.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Riste Bunteski - Bunte was born in the village Golemo Konjari in Prilep. He graduated from the Faculty of Law in Skopje. He is now retired. Bunteski was a researcher and student of Macedonian history. He participated in several symposia organized by the Municipal Board of the Union of Associations of Fighters from NOV - Prilep. This included the topics: Economic and social conditions and colonization in Prilep and Prilep Region between the two world wars; Craftsmanship in Prilep from 1912 to the end of 1939; Material situation in Prilep and Prilep Region between the two World Wars; Parent meeting in the Prilep high school in 1940. He participated in the Symposium organized by the Society for Science and Art in Prilep on the following topics: Metodija Andonov -Chento's political views on solving the Macedonian national question; Economic and social conditions in Prilep and Prilep Region from 1886 to 1920. He also participated in the Symposium organized by the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts on the topic: Economic and social consequences of the wars from 1912 to 1918 in Prilep and Prilep Region.

Riste Bunteski - Bunte authored Kuzman Josifovski - Pitu's monograph published by the Society for Science and Art in Prilep.

He reviewed the books "Yugoslav Socialist-Communists and the Macedonian Question (1918-1945)" by Dr. Slavko Milosavlevski and "The socio-economic development of the Republic of Macedonia", by Dr. Lazar Lazarov, as well as two publications printed in the newspaper Nova Macedonia on the topics: "Basic program goals of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Macedonia in 1940 and 1941" and "Days of the Trials": Panko Brashnarov.