CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER NINE

FROM THE MEETINGS IN SARAI TO THE THIRD WORLD MEETING

EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS

On several occasions we mentioned that the refugee ordeal involving the Macedonians from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia began in 1945. Those who settled in the People’s Republic of Macedonia were welcomed and every effort was made to find homes and employment for them. But our Macedonian drama became especially sharp after the partisans were defeated in the Greek Civil War, when there were rivers of refugee children, civilians, fighters, disabled, young and old, pregnant women… all fleeing to find a safe haven.

As was already mentioned, the Aegean Macedonians refugees, i.e. inhabitants from the village D’mbeni, held their first meeting in 1950. The aim of the meeting was for the settlers from D’mbeni, who were now living in Skopje, to visit with their native villagers. From what we understand, this meeting was sponsored by people from D’mbeni who themselves had fled D’mbeni and were now living in the United States.

The first meeting was a huge success and so these people continued to organize similar meetings in the coming years, each meeting more successful than the previous one. These meeting were always held in the recreational centre Sarai near Skopje.

Given that the people of D’mbeni had such a huge success, other refugees began to organize similar village meetings, including the refugees from Bapchor, German, Rabi, Orovo, Dobritishta, Trnovo, Nivitsi, P’pli, Orovnik, Besvina, V’mbel, Trsie, Setina and Popadia. During these meetings the people formed village organizations and elected board members to run them. With the money raised they put on various performances, cultural programs and published monographs of their villages. They regularly invited the dancers from KUD “Gotse Delchev” to perform at their events, as well as

the singing groups “Kosturchanki”, “Bapchorki”, “Meglenki”, “Vodenki” and others.

The meetings also served as a forum to disseminate information, not only about their villages but also about the various settlements in which these people were now living. They also took the time to honour their fallen soldiers and praise their names for having sacrificed themselves for their freedom, for defending their homes and honour, and so that they are not forgotten.

This movement and the existence of the boards which maintain it greatly contributed to the idea of collecting all the expelled Macedonians from Aegean (Greek occupied) Macedonia, now residing in the Republic of Macedonia.

Following in this course was the idea of holding a world meeting of all the Aegean refugee children, forty years after the exodus.

THIS IDEA CAME FROM TORONTO

The idea of organizing a World Meeting for the refugee children from Aegean Macedonia was initiated by Elena Pandzharovska during a meeting of Refugee Children in Toronto in 1984. The idea was accepted by brothers Giorgi and Vane Pliukovski. The same idea was also to discuss with Consul Petar Tolev in Vasko Pandzharovski’s apartment in Toronto. A meeting was also held in the same apartment in which the Refugee Children’s Toronto Board passed a proposal to hold the world meeting. It was decided that this meeting would be held in 1988 in Skopje and dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of the exodus.

It was their desire to hold a meeting in the free part of their country, in the Republic of Macedonia.

The acceptance of this idea was communicated to Skopje by Vane Plukovski. Then, in July 1984, a large group of former refugee children and their friends and families from Canada came to visit Macedonia. Included among them were Risto Chachkirovski, President of the Toronto Board, Giorgi Plukovski, Secretary and Sime Miloshevski, Member of the Board.

The Toronto Board representatives got together with refugee children representatives in Skopje and made requests to meet with the government of the Republic of Macedonia, more specifically with the Secretariat of Foreign Relations, where they pitched their idea for a world meeting. A similar meeting was also held in the House of immigrants in Macedonia. In the end, the former refugee children obtained full support for holding such a meeting.

While still visiting Skopje, the guests from the Toronto Board, together with their Skopje hosts, established the first Initiative Committee of Refugee Children from Aegean Macedonia. Included among its members were Vane Plukovski Chairman of the Advisory Board, Petre Nakovski, Mito Miovski, Krsto Kiradziev, Ilia Ainovski, Kole Mangov, Petre Kalinovski, Nikola Dumurdzhanov, Mihailo Dichevski, Naso Bekiarovski, Georgi Donevski, Dr. Hristo Trpovski, Nikola Bundovski and Pande Konstantinovski.

Even though the idea and the initiative to organize the first World Meeting of the refugee children from Aegean Macedonia had both open and hidden resistance from the then Yugoslav leadership, because of the need for Yugoslavia to have good neighbourly relations with Greece the meeting was opposed by Yugoslavia. But then consent was obtained from the socio-political organizations in the Republic of Macedonia, which steadfastly stood behind the initiative.

For that purpose, the then Conference of the Socialist Union of the Republic of Macedonia, having seen the activities established by the Initiative Committee, which continued to work as a Board for gathering, on July 15, 1987 formed its own Board, the National Board, in order to assist in organizing the gathering. Unfortunately not a single member from the other Board became involved.

As a result of this some negative remarks were made which prompted the old board to supplement this board (the National Board) with the inclusion of 5 members from the refugee board. Included among those who joined the new board from the Republic of Macedonia were Vane Plukovski, Mito Miovski, Giorgi Donevski, Naso Bekarovski and Kole Mangov. Others who joined

the National Board included Risto Chachkirovski and Giorgi Plukovski from the Canadian Board and Tome Miovski, Tanas Krlevski and Pero Bozharovski from the Australian Board.

After the National Board was supplemented with representatives from the child refugee Board, a president and a secretary were elected. Goga Nikolovski was elected President and Boge Sotirovski was elected Secretary. A Board Secretariat was also established to better organize the First World Meeting along with five committees: to advertise, to create cultural and artistic programs, to welcome guests, to raise operating finances and other material, and to organize round table discussions dedicated to the exodus.

The first child refugee world meeting was held from June 30 to July 3, 1988. The gathering offered a rich and wide program, and was attended by more than 10,000 former refugee children from Europe, Australia, Canada, the USA and other places.

The gathering was held in Skopje Fair and the opening ceremony was conducted in front of about 3,000 former refugee children from all over the world. The meeting began with the playing of the Republic of Macedonia’s anthem “Today above Macedonia” and after that all the greetings were delivered by the former refugee children who came from Canada, Australia, the United states, Eastern European countries and from the various parts of Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

The first world meeting was opened by Goga Nikolovski, President of the organizing committee. Then, on behalf of the Yugoslav federation, Dr. Bozhidar Cholakovich, President of the SSRNJ federal conference, welcomed all the guests. Then M.A. Gligorie Gogovski, President of the Executive Council of the SRM Assembly took the stand and, among other things, said: “Your trek, that terrible ordeal from hell, under the harshest conditions of existence is yet another great tragic moment for the destiny of the Macedonian people in the first half of the twentieth century…”

President Milka Vraneshevich – Maleska spoke on behalf of the Yugoslav Red Cross which, 40 years ago, was responsible for organizing and accepting the refugee children in Yugoslavia, and

welcomed the former refugee children and all the guests who attended the gathering. After that, Board representatives from the Australian, Canadian, Eastern European and from the Republic of Macedonia gave welcoming speeches.

A prayer was conducted during the program to honour the fallen Aegean Macedonians and the children who died during the exodus. The prayer was conducted at the “Sveti Dimitria” Macedonian Orthodox Church in Skopje. The prayer was led by His Beatitude Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, H.H. Gavril, Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, with a number of bishops and other venerable Fathers and deacons from the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

H.H. Gabriel, Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, delivered a sermon to the gathering sitting at the long table in “Sveti Dimitria”, in which he highlighted parts of the history of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Among other things he said:

“This freedom we enjoy today, that has never before been seen in our long history, did not come easily to us; we have paid dearly for it, with much blood spilled, during our many centuries of struggle. This freedom we can easily lose if we don’t protect it and cherish it. Therefore we must be vigilant at all times. You are well aware that we waited for almost 12 centuries to renew our state and church. We truly passed over the centuries through much suffering and torment. You can say that we were more or less half-dead. And now, here we are, resurrected…”

Similarly, a visit to the great Macedonian son Gotse Delchev’s tomb, in the “Sveti Spas” Macedonian Orthodox Church in Skopje, was organized during the gathering, at which Delchev and his contributions to the Macedonian people were honoured. About 1,000 people attended the ceremony, the majority former refugee children who came from all over the world. They all participated in the singing of the Macedonian National Anthem, after which a representative from the National Board and 4 representatives from the other Boards laid wreaths on Delchev’s tomb. Giorgi Plukovski laid a wreath on behalf of the Canadian Board, Kosta Angelkov laid a wreath on behalf of the Australian Board, Gotse Mirchevski on

behalf of the Eastern European Board, Vane Plukovski on behalf of the Skopje Board and Gora Nikolovski on behalf of the National Board.

After the wreath laying ceremony, a cultural performance inside the “Sveti Spas” yard was conducted by members of KUD “Gotse Delchev” from Skopje, and by the singing groups “Bapchorki” and “Sirma”.