TWO MACEDONIAN SETTLEMENTS – GAKOVO AND KRUSHEVLIE IN VOIVODINA

TWO MACEDONIAN SETTLEMENTS – GAKOVO AND KRUSHEVLIE IN VOIVODINA

The forced exodus, ordeal and migration of Macedonian families from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia to the Autonomous Province Voivodina, is a special page in the history of the Macedonian people.

Initially, since 1945, Bulkes was inhabited by Greek refugees but later, in 1948, new refugee groups began to arrive. They were Macedonians from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia. And thus

began their settlement in the abandoned German-built houses in Gakovo and Krushevlie, in Sombor.

The first Macedonian settlement in Gakovo took place in late February and continued to the beginning of March 1948. The Macedonian refugees came from Kostur, Lerin and Voden Regions and some from Thrace. According our statistics 8,729 refugees in total had arrived, of whom 4,749 were adults and 3,980 were children under 14. Of that total around 6,000 refugees were settled in Gakovo and about 2,000 were settled in Krushevlie. Most of the refugees were women and children whose husbands and parents had been killed in the fighting or were imprisoned and taken to the Greek island prisons and concentration camps. There were also a number of children without parents, disabled people and some elderly. A separate house was opened for them in 1950. Twenty-five people were settled in this house. An orphanage was also opened for the orphans, which housed around 50 refugee children.

One more fact: there were 3,234 children under 14 in Gakovo who came with their parents and relatives, while there were 746 children under 14 in Krushevlie and over 100 children who had no parents with them.

The Yugoslav government granted 15 million dinars worth of aid, followed by the Government of the People’s Republic of Macedonia which provided another 6 million dinars in support of obtaining accommodation and nutrition for the refugee children from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia. This aid greatly assisted the administration in securing housing and other necessities for the children. This action was repeated by the Yugoslav Red Cross Central Committee which also awarded the refugees many items including food products.

It is important to mention at this point that, after the outbreak of the Informburo Resolution on June 28, 1948, many Greek settlers, who for several years lived in Bulkes, asked to be moved out of the settlement. Their request was granted. Among them were 20 Macedonians and about 10 Greeks who refused to leave Bulkes. They were moved to Gakovo.

Because the Macedonian migration to Gakovo and Krushevlie took place in the spring, these Macedonians were immediately organized and put to work in agriculture to cultivate the land, with one goal in mind to engage them as equals in economic life. They created a machine and tractor station and began to seed crops on the allocated farmland. They were also allowed to form their own people’s government that was independent of the municipality. The first elected president of the Gakovo Municipality was Mino Delkovski. Included in his jurisdiction was the village Krushevlie.

The project was very successful and as a result two rural cooperatives were formed in 1949. The cooperative “Gotse Delchev” was formed in Gakovo and the cooperative “Lazo Trpovski” was formed Krushevlie. The Gakovo cooperative “Gotse Delchev” was managed by Mini Aianovski. Both cooperatives operated until the end of February 1950, at which time they were closed down. After that the Gakovo and Krushevlie residents established a farm called “Granichar”.

Within these agricultural businesses they also operated a carpentry workshop, a blacksmith workshop and a footwear and seamstress workshop, which employed about 60 workers.

It is worth mentioning here that in mid-April 1949 the local Gakovo people’s committee, whose president was V. Tanev, took a census. According to this census there were 195 children in Gakovo of whom 92 were male and 103 female, all under the age of 3. There were 217 children of whom 115 were male and 102 female, ages 3 to 7. There were 467 children of whom 255 were male and 212 female, ages 7 to 14. The census also revealed that there were 1,439 adults in a total population of 2,318 inhabitants living in Gakovo.

Because Krushevlie was under the Gakovo jurisdiction, the local people’s committee here too took a census with the following results: There were 79 children under the age of 3 of whom 37 were male and 42 female. There were 90 children ages 3 to 7 of whom 50 were male and 40 female. There were 308 children ages 7 to 14 of whom 150 were male and 158 female. There were 399 adults in a total population of 876 inhabitants.

From the above numbers we can see that in 1949 there were 1,356 children and 1,838 adults, a total of 3,194 residents living in the two settlements.

In March 1948 there were 3,980 children and 4,749 adults, a total of 8,729 residents living in Gakovo and Krushevlie.

In mid-January 1949 the Red Cross took 216 children from the children’s homes in Gakovo and Krushevlie and sent them to the children’s homes in Rovini, Croatia.

It is worth mentioning at this point that immediately after the refugees arrived in Gakovo and Krushevlie, two units were dedicated to opening elementary and high schools in the interest of educating the refugee children. The children were taught in the Macedonian language. It was estimated that 1,300 students were enrolled in the primary schools. A dormitory was opened for those students from Krushevlie who attended high school in Gakovo. The teachers who taught in Gakovo and Krushevlie were qualified professionals sent there by the Ministry of Education from the People’s Republic of Macedonia. Teaching was done in accordance with the teaching curricula of schools and students. The students were provided with proper textbooks and teaching aids, the same kind as those used in schools in the People’s Republic of Macedonia. Milan Krstevski was appointed director of the schools in Gakovo.

A delegation consisting of representatives from the Aegean Macedonian main board in Skopje, representatives from the Macedonian government and from the Macedonian Red Cross main board arrived in Gakovo and Krushevlie towards the end of 1950. The delegation also visited the various refugee homes in the People’s Republic of Serbia, including those in the Autonomous Province Voivodina, the People’s Republic of Croatia and the People’s Republic of Slovenia. The delegation was composed of Dinko Delevski, head of the refugee office from the Ministry of Social Protection, Atanas Kirovski from the Red Cross main board, Steria Vangelova, member of the Aegean Macedonian main board, and Spiro Mechkarov, city council secretary of the association of

refugees from Aegean Macedonia in Skopje. While touring Gakovo and Krushevlie they also visited the schools and kindergartens.

Among other things, members of this delegation, in a report dated January 25, 1951, noted the following: “The kindergartens were clean and well arranged and the children were well cared for. The Gakovo kindergarten accommodated anywhere from 40 to 70 children on a daily basis and so did the kindergarten in Krushevlie. About 570 students attended classes in the school. In conversations with the teacher we found out that the children were good students…”

A cultural centre with a cinema was opened in Gakovo for the Macedonian population, which initiated the formation of a cultural and educational society. It had three sections: folklore, drama and public education. The folklore section came first at the festival in Sombor and was named best in the region. The drama section came second in the district drama festival competition. The Macedonian people in Gakovo and Krushevlie also formed working brigades. In 1948 the first brigade participated in the construction of the Shamats – Sarajevo railway section. The second brigade participated in the 1949 highway construction “Brotherhood and Unity” extending from Belgrade to Zagreb. In 1949 the third brigade participated in the construction of New Belgrade.

The Macedonian people in Gakovo and Krushevlie also formed a special general purpose brigade which in the fall of 1949, under the leadership of Giorgi Cholakov, took part in protecting the properties in Bulkes after the Greek settlers left.

The Macedonian refugees residing in Gakovo and Krushevlie came from the following places in Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia:

Aslanovo, Aposkep, Banitsa, Bahovo, Bobishte, Bosilevo, Borovotsa, Besfina, Buf, Voshtareni, Vrbeni, German, Dobrolishta, Embore, Krushoradi, Lukovets, Mokreni, Nanitse, Neokaz, Papadia, Pozharsko, Prokotia, Rantsi, Rabi, Radevo, Sakulevo, Studen, Setina, Tushin, Tsakoni and others.

Included among many others, the following people lived in Gakovo and Krushevlie:

Iarusa T. Abadzieva, Tronda Golcheva, Kosta Avkov, Marika Gorchilova, Lefteria I. Avramova, Tina Gianina, Pinelopi G. Anastasova, Giorgi Ginev, Lazar Angelevski, Naidenka Dafova, Ristana Andrievska, Emilia P. Dafova, Sofia Argirova, Vasilka Delova, Lena Arnautovata, Mino Delkovski, Tomania Asprova, Risa M. Delkovska, Tronda Babinkostova, Petrusa H. Dechkova, Giorgie Belimovski,Spiro Dibranov, Olympia Betsova, Kuzman Dimov, Tina Bogdanova, Elena A. Dimitrova, Dimitra B. Bogleva, Naum Dichovski, Stoia Bogleva, Kiro Donev, Tosho Bozhanov, Giorgi Donev, Fania N. Bozhinova, Velika Doichinova, Blaguna Boiadzieva, Done Dudev, Taksho Boichevski, Petre Duketovski, Dimka D. Borisova, Dimitra Ivanova, Fana Bosheva, Maria Itskova, Tena K. Botsova, Kole Giurkov, Dine Botev, Elena Eftova, Done Branov, Eleftheria K. Iadrova, Spasa D. Branova, Pashalina S. Iankova, Kata Buleva, Dimitra Ianevska, Sofia Vanchova, Slavka Iankova, Sofia Voseva, Hristo Iankulov, Kosta Vasilevski, Dine Ianchevski, Stoianka Vasileva, Risa Ianchova, Tasho Galov, Marika Iancheva, Elefteria Gakova, Petar Iovanovski, Stiliana Gatseva, Vasil Iovanov, Giorgie Genchev, Tronda Kaicheva, Fania Kaichevska, Anastasia Menchova, Gligor Kamburov, Ivan Menchov, Traianka Kalaianova, Trond Melianova, Sofia Kalkova, Paskal Mesaiakov, Sofia Kapetanova, Maria S. Miga, Maria Karanova, Kata Milankova, Vangel Karaiashovski, Maria Miova, Tina Karaiovanova, Tasa Mangova, Petkana Karaiaskova, Maria Mitreva, Pando Karanfilov, Olga Mishevska, Tronda Kazanova, Sofia Misheva, Sava Kachakova, Vasilka Mishovska, Nikola Kachandonov, Iovan Mitskov, Iovanka Kovacheva, Iordana Naseva, Ristosia Koleva, Sofia Nikovska, Sofia Koleva, Olga Nichova, Velika Konstevcheva, Dimitar Nolev, Vana Kocheva, Liuba Olieva, Dimitar Karnishevliev, Mitra Olieva, Dimitra Krsteva, Andromahi Pavlova, Done Kudalov, Stojan Paikov, Maria Kuzmanova, Tsvetko Paikov, Grena Kukuvikova, Danka Petkova, Lena Kurteva, Elena Petrova, Dosta Kurti, Giva Petrova, Ristana Lazarova, Traiko Petlicharov, Kitsa Lamova, Petre Petsev, Stoianka Lamova, Anastasia Petsova, Maria Lamova, Menka Petkasinova, Pena Landova, Fana Pleskova, Petkana Lakova, Tsana Pinzova, Ioshe Marchevski, Iana Padarovska, Florina Madzheva, Maria Popova,

Tsveta Madzheva, Lena Popova, Elefteria Madzheva, Pashalina Popcheva, Dosta Madzheva, Fania Popova, Tina Popstefanova, Argira Stoicheva, Dita Poptasheva, Maria Stoicheva, Petre Poshinov, Rina Stoianova, Vane Ranelov, Fotia Taneva, Mitra Raieva, Tina Tasheva, Alekso Risafov, Elena Tasheva, Risa Ruseva, Krsta Tasheva, Menka Ruseva, Mitra Tanurova, Fana Ruseva, Ilo Tolevski, Todor Rusev, Sotir Tolevski, Katerina Sasova, Sondra Torkova, Kitse Staievski, Lena Totseva, Kosta Stanishev, Eftimia Traikova, Stavrula Stefova, Kata F. Trgovcheva, Dimka Steriova, Filip Trgovchev, Dosta Trpenova, Maria Tsotseva, Gena Trpenova, Sofia Chapkanova, Sondra Trpova, Risto Cholakov, Lazo Uzunov, Fana Chakova, Maria A. Farmakova, Atanas Chopov, Rada Filina, Krsta Dzhingova, Dafina Filkova, Krste Dzhogov, Urania Hadzieva, Vasilia Dzhogov, Vasil Tsakonchev, Giorgi Dzhuriki, Eftimia Tsakoncheva, Giorgi Shmarganov, Tsana Tsapova, Elena Shulevska, Iula Tsvetkova and Danka Shuleva.

But during the following years many refugees who were settled in Gakovo and Kurshevlie began to leave. By end of 1954 everyone had left Krushevlie and only 15 families remained in Gakovo. Almost everyone went to the People’s Republic of Macedonia and settled in Skopje, Veles, Tetovo and other cities.