CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

CARE OF THE REFUGEE CHILDREN IN SERBIA AND VOIVODINA

FROM BELGRADE TO BELA TSRKVA

As previously mentioned, the refugee children from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia accepted in the children’s homes in the People’s Republic of Serbia were accommodated in Belgrade and Bogovogja.

The children’s home in Shent Vid in Pristichna, People’s Republic of Slovenia, was scaled down in May 1952. At the time there were 58 girls and boys living there. Some were moved to other homes and other environments. As a result 13 children were sent to Belgrade for repatriation and 12 were sent to boarding schools in Bela Tsrkva. The remainder, 33 Greek girls ages 18 to 21, remained there. There were plans to relocate the Greek girls to a home in Kumanovo but because they could not be repatriated with their parents, the Yugoslav Red Cross continued to look after them in Shent Vid.

But as the years passed and the refugee children living in homes in the People’s Republic of Croatia and in the People’s Republic of Slovenia grew up, their numbers began to diminish and so it was decided that they should be discharged from the homes and sent to seek employment in private. Fortunately they were not left completely on their own. Human compassion again came to the fore and they were allowed to seek employment in the agricultural plants Podlenika and Shent Iuri, in the People’s Republic of Slovenia. However, that only lasted about three months after which they asked for assistance from the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee. The Red Cross, again behaving humanely, accepted the task and, in the beginning of August 1952, moved them to Belgrade and placed them in the first home for economic studies. But after spending some time there they refused to work for just “anything” that was given to them (very low wages) and so the Yugoslav Red Cross stepped in and paid 4,000 dinars a month for each girl, for their support. In addition to that, the Belgrade Red Cross City Board

organized a special tailoring and sewing course and workshop. The course lasted 6 months (from October 1, 1952 to April 1, 1953) from which 30 girls graduated. The other 3, in the meantime, were repatriated with their parents in Greece. At its own expense the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee then sent these girls to Makarska on a 15 day vacation.

In September 1953 9 more girls from the Bela Tsrkva boarding schools were sent to work in the agricultural plant “Glogonski rid” where they remained until December 21, 1953. They later left the plant and again returned to Bela Tsrkva where they were again admitted to the children’s homes. The other girls who came from Shent Vid, Podlenika and Shent Iuri in Belgrade, who had completed the tailoring course, remained in the large agricultural plant “Glogonski rid” until the beginning of November 1953. Since there was no more seasonal work they lost their jobs and received material assistance. Being in this situation they again decided to seek assistance from the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee and as a result the Red Cross paid the “Glogonski Rid” plant for the care given to these girls. This was done until January 7, 1954, after which they were told to seek new employment...

The home in the monastery Bogovogja, where refugee children from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia were sheltered and cared for, began to operate on November 14, 1949. The house that was part of the monastery was approximately 30 kilometres away from Valjevo. It housed 136 children, both boys and girls, of whom 56 were girls and 75 boys under the age of 14. Among them was 1 girl over 14 and 4 very young girls. The five girls were brought to Skopje from the children’s home in the People’s Republics of Slovenia and Croatia between September 14 and 21, 1949 before they were transferred to Bogovogja. They were all Greek by nationality.

In fact, before the girls were sent to Skopje they were looked after in Belgrade but because of some problems that needed to be solved in Czechoslovakia they were sent to the home in Bogovogja where they experienced discontent. Some time later the children changed their minds and withdrew their application for leave to Czechoslovakia. They wanted to go to Czechoslovakia because they

were told that all Greeks who had inhabited the Bulkes settlement had gone there.

With the closing of homes in the republics, the number of children in this home kept increasing. Children who had been living in Dutovlje, People’s Republic of Slovenia, were moved to Bogovogja. In December 1949 38 children aged 7 to 14 and 8 women of Greek nationality were moved. Bogovogja kept accepting and accommodating newly arrived refugees until the end of December 1949. By then the number of people cared for jumped to 173 children and 8 women of Greek nationality. Two girls were sent to a shelter in Kumanovo.

However, as the number of refugees grew, the monastery complex in Bogovogja was unable to fully meet all requirements so it was decided to close it down. This decision was made after the complex was visited by prominent Yugoslav Red Cross officials. The children and other residents were then moved to other homes.

The Bogovogja boarding house was closed down in early March 1950 and the refugee children were transferred to a newly opened children’s home in Kovilj, Autonomous Province of Voivodina. According to unofficial estimates, the Yugoslav Red Cross spent 1,877,810 dinars in support of the home in Bogovogja.

The children’s home in Kovelj, located about 20 km from Novi Sad, began to operate in early March 1950. It immediately accepted 171 refugee children and 8 “mothers” previously housed in boarding houses in the People’s Republic of Slovenia. This home operated for only three months. By decision of the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee, this house was closed on June 6, 1950 and the children were transferred and accommodated at the children’s home in Shent Vid in Pristichna, People’s Republic of Slovenia.

By order of the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee, the refugee children who had arrived in Bogovogja were immediately given 107 male winter suits, 62 female winter suits, 107 short pants, etc. These were made by the tailoring and sewing workshop that existed and operated within the central administration of the boarding homes in

Bela Tsrkva. These children were also given other things that were made in similar Red Cross workshops in Belgrade.

Knowing that Greek refugee children were accommodated in the Bogovogja home, the Red Cross sent Greek teachers with a request to immediately begin teaching Greek. But this request was flatly rejected by the Greek refugee children who demanded to be transferred out of Yugoslavia. And so, on May 20 18 children were moved out of this home and to a home in Churug, 3 to the home in Stari Bechej and 7 were sent to Panchevo to learn a craft.

On October 1, 1949 a shelter for refugees from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia was opened in Shid. The shelter was located in a place were living conditions were good. Refugees and those unable to work and did not want to go to Gajovo or Krushevlje were accommodated here.

According to available information the Shid shelter, in October 1949, accommodated 118 refugees, of whom many were children 3 months to 14 years of age, boys, girls, women, old people and former DAG fighters. In the middle of October 1949 the shelter accepted another 20 Greek women who had left Bela Tsrkva and other shelters for refugees. Then in the middle of December 1949, under pressure from Informburo propaganda, the Greeks sent a request to the Yugoslav Red Cross, which they criticized, and demanded to be sent to one of the Eastern European countries. There was talk about 102 recognized refugees signing a petition in front of 5 Greek women, which was then followed by a visit from the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee, at the end of December 1949, composed of Dr. Olga Milosevich, Secretary General and Militsa Dedier head of the Yugoslav Red Cross social department. But in spite of the assurances given to them that they should remain in Yugoslavia where they would be provided better living conditions, the Greeks would not retract their application, which was finally accepted, under one condition: they would be sent only if the Hungarian border officials allowed it. After that, action was taken to close down the Shid shelter, supposedly because of lack of good living conditions, and move the residents to the new shelter in Churug, at Novi Sad.

The total number of refugees accepted in Churug was 193, of whom 168 were adults and 25 children. Even though living conditions in Churug were significantly better than those in Shid, the same Greeks insisted that they be sent to Czechoslovakia or Hungary. Because of this the Churug shelter, on January 25, 1950, was visited by Dr. Olga Milosevich, Yugoslav Red Cross Secretary General, who tried to explain the reality of the situation, i.e. that the problems experienced were due to Informburo propaganda. Unfortunately the explanation was not accepted and the Greeks continued to cause unrest. This situation lasted until July 1950 when the Hungarian authorities opened the border to the Greek refugees from Churug. They left Churug on July 7, 1950 and arrived in Budapest early the next morning.

But all Greeks did not leave Churug. Two adults requested to remain in Yugoslavia (a general labourer and a lawyer). Included among those who also did not leave Churug for Hungary were 18 children who came from Kovilj, 3 children who came from Star Bechej and 7 other children under 17 years of age... The total number of Greek refugee children remaining in Churug was 29. Most of them had one parent or both parents living in Czechoslovakia. It was explained to those who did not leave Yugoslavia that they could only leave if their parents or guardians asked for them.

However the Greek “Committee to help the children” EVOP, which up to now existed for two years and operated in Bulkes and later in Budapest, continued to make demands that “all” refugee children from Yugoslavia be sent to Hungary. But despite the strong propaganda and political pressure put on by Eastern European countries and their communist parties, the Yugoslav Red Cross did not give up the refugee children from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia. This was strengthened by the two resolutions already adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (the first on November 27, 1948 and the second on November 18, 1949).

To bring the accommodations and living conditions in Churug to a satisfactory level, the authorities decided to turn the shelter into a children’s home. This decision was implemented on July 8, 1950 after the buildings were renovated and the space was remodeled.

The children’s home in Churug was officially opened on August 1, 1950. On August 22, 1950 35 children and 3 Greek women were brought there from the Kumanovo shelter. During this time, this home sheltered 64 refugee children and 4 refugee women. The work done on the home was funded by the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee.

Unfortunately this home operated for only a short time. It was closed on November 9, 1950, 3 months after it was opened. The refugee children and young men and women who lived there were moved to the children’s home in Sajlovo at Novi Sad, which opened the same day. This home accommodated 64 children, young men and women and the 4 Greek women from the Churug home. The living conditions in this home were better than good. This also applied to the food served at the shelter. The Red Cross Central Committee in Belgrade made sure the home was stocked with good food products. On top of that the International Children’s Fund – UNICEF made sure the home recived proper textile products. We can freely say that the refugee children sheltered at this home enjoyed all the benefits of a well-organized and well-equipped children’s home. Several children were repatriated in 1951. At the end of March 1951 31 children were sent from the home in Sajlovo to the home in Shent Vid, People’s Republic of Slovenia, and a select number of people from that home were sent to the home in Sajlovo. A total of 52 dependants with a Greek teacher and 3 Greek women arrived at Sailovo.

At the beginning of April 1951 there were 72 dependents, 1 teacher and 5 women refugees, a total of 78 people at the home in Sajlovo. They were looked after by 9 employees.

It is interesting to note that on February 1, 1951 this house was visited by American journalist Sarah Godwel who, after talking to the residents, wanted to have a press release in the American press. But that failed because the residents refused to answer her questions and to be photographed. She was also fiercely attacked with accusations that the Americans and the British were to blame for the children’s fate of becoming refugees and being driven out of their birthplaces in Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia.

Unfortunately the same picture was also repeated in the homes in the People’s Republic of Croatia and the People’s Republic of Slovenia where rebellions broke out among the accommodated refugees with demands to be immediately sent to Czechoslovakia. These demands were also made by letter to Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.

Repatriations and transfers of individuals continued with refugees being transferred to the homes in Bela Tsrkva and Shent Vid. By mid-June 1951 17 residents were sent to apprenticeship programs and placed in suitable boarding schools for apprentices in Vrsats, Kacharevo and Zrenjanin, and later to Bachka Palanka, Kovilj, Sombor, Vrbas, Apatin and Kula, as well as in Shid and Sremska Mitrovitsa.

It should be noted that after the homes were closed in the People’s Republic of Croatia and in the People’s Republic of Slovenia, the refugee children and other residents were relocated in the children’s homes in Bela Tsrkva and other places. In April 1952 26 residents were transferred to the home in Sajlovo.

The Sajlovo home stopped operating on October 22, 1952. The decision to stop its operation was made by the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee. As a result 14 residents had to be transferred to the children’s homes in Bela Tsrkva and 39 residents were placed in the home for apprentices in Novi Sad. They were sent to learn a trade in the local industrial enterprises and to vocational schools.

Due to the need for vocational training, in mid-March 1949 50 youths arrived in Novi Sad and stayed at a home in Crikvenitsa, People’s Republic of Croatia. Of the 50, 22 were Macedonians and 28 were Greeks. They were placed in a dormatory in Novi Sad from where they attended trade school in the three local factories: locksmith, machinist, electrical, etc.

The young people were doing well in the homes and factories until August 1949 when some began to make requests to leave Yugoslavia. Militsa Dedier, head of the social department at the Yugoslav Red Cross, tried to appease them but was not successful. On September 7, 1949, under the leadership of their teacher Ianis Panagouris, they left Novi Sad and joined the people in Bulkes who

from there went to Hungary. They then continued their journey to Czechoslovakia.

Despite this, refugees continued to arrive in Novi Sad to learn trades. After the home in Sajlovo was closed at the end of October 1952, 32 young people arrived in Novi Sad and continued their studies in the trades. From these and from the others, 8 students joined the electrical, 14 the locksmith, 16 the machinist and 1 the tailor trades.

Funding for the care of these young people was provided by the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee (for accommodations, clothing and part of their meals. The rest of their meals were provided for by the companies where they studied). From the beginning of 1953, in support of the food program for the students, the Yugoslav Red Cross had to pay the home in Novi Sad 3,400 dinars per month. At the beginning of July 1953 24 apprentices were sent on vacation to Makarska.

It is interesting to mention that in 1953 11 students left for Greece and 3 students, due to lack of discipline, were expelled because students from the home collective complained about them.

In 1954 there were 22 students left at the home in Novi Sad. Some left to join their parents in Eastern European countries. Of those who remained, in June 1955, 17 passed the exams and obtained a diploma in their craft.

Like in Novi Sad, on May 20, 1950, 6 young people were sent to Panchevo to continue their education. They were placed in a children’s home in Kovilj. Before that some of them lived in children’s homes and shelters in Malinska on the island Krk, Tsrikvenitsa, in Skopje in Bogovadja and in Kovilj. Most of them did not know where their parents were so, in October 1950, one of them was sent to the People’s Republic of Slovenia, one of them was sent to Chufug and another one was sent to a home for apprentices in Kacharevo near Panchevo.

The house in Vrsats was actually a children resort. Situated outside of the city, in the beginning of April 1948, it was converted into a

home (boarding school) for the refugee children from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia. Initially it housed 49 refugee children and by the middle of the same month another 16 children were admitted. In total the number of refugee children cared for was 65, of whom 32 were boys and 33 girls. All the children were Macedonian and so were the staff who fled with them from Greece to save themselves from the Greek Monarcho-Fascist terror.

Unfortunately this house only operated for 6 months and was closed down at the end of September 1948. At the end of July 1948 the preschool children from this home were sent to the children’s homes in the People’s Republic of Slovenia.

From a report submitted by Bora Gichkov to the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee, among other things, the following was noted: “The children in the home are clean, well-dressed and are progressing well given the circumstances. The impact of their educational work is well felt. The organizational work is well-conducted and well-performed in accordance with house rules. There are two people assigned to advocate for the care of the children who regularly make sure there is food and clothing for them and their health is taken care of. One young woman is assigned to assist the educator and do the menial work. Friendship between staff and children is good and everyone is happy...” After the home in Vrsats was closed the refugee children and staff were redistributed in the children’s homes in Bela Tsrkva and the building that was previously a children’s summer resort was returned to the municipality.

Children’s homes were opened in three buildings in Banat Plandishte which, at the beginning of April 1948, housed 154 children. Another 47 refugee children were added in May 1948. The “mothers” and other women from Aegean (Greek Occupied) Macedonia who accompanied the children, and also arrived together with the refugee children, were also moved to these homes. By mid May 1948 the number of children in these homes was increased to 201, of whom 106 were boys and 95 girls. They were all Macedonians.

Similarly 12 women refugees with their children came to the home, for a total of 27 of whom 16 were boys and 11 girls. Included among them were:

Elena Shulevska, 4 children – Dolno Kotori Vasilka Delova, 1 child – Lagen Elena Delova, 1 – Lagen Maria Shulevska, 6 - Gorno Kotori Tomaia Bozhinova, 4 - Gorno Kotori Mitra Milankova, 2 – Dolno Kotori Mitra Germancheva, 2 – Turie Ristana Lazarova, 1 – Turie Parashka Panova, 1 – Turie Fania Doneva, 1 – Turie Elena Eftova, 2 – Turie Mitra Koleva, 2 - Turie.

At the end of July 1948 24 preschool children were sent to children’s homes in the People’s Republic of Slovenia.

The person in charge of the home was Vladimir Veselinovich and after him the teacher Dobrila Iovanovska.

This home too only existed for 6 months after which, in September 1948, it was closed down. The children and staff were transferred to the homes in Bela Tsrkva.