IMAGES OF THE REVOLUTIONARIES

IMAGES OF THE REVOLUTIONARIES

The Veles Gemidzhii, those who had fallen by the bullets of the Ottoman soldiers in the streets of Solun, were quite young and neither could nor wanted to leave any sort of information about their short life or about their involvement in the revolutionary struggle. All that we know today about their character and revolutionary activities is what was left for us by the surviving Gemidzhii Pavel Shatev and Todor Organdziev, especially the first one. Attempts were made in Bulgaria during the Second World War to solicit information through canvassing descendants of some of the Gemidzhii but the results were quite meager. (Kosta Ts’rnushanov, The Solun Assassins prior to 1903. Military-historical collection, 3/1983, 159 and on.)

Iordan Popiordanov-Ortse (1881-1903)

The first among the Gemidzhii was Iordan Popiordanov nicknamed Ortse. The Popiordanov family, originally from the village Papradishte, Veles Region, moved to the city Veles a long time ago. Ortse’s father Giosho and his uncle Petar were traders (businessmen). Ortse grew up in a large family. He had 4 sisters and a brother named Mile, whose heroic death in the ranks of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization was memorialized in one of the most beautiful Macedonian folk songs.

Ortse completed his elementary education in Veles and his secondary education in a gymnasium in Solun. As a student he was diligent and modest. He was tall, with a thin, dark olive face and regular features. At first glance he seemed like a humble and timid young man. But, as his friend Pavel Shatev wrote: “He was a nervous and restless young man from an early age. He could not stay in one place for more that five to ten minutes if he was not doing something. He was a very private individual and generally did not want to reveal anything about himself.” He was in touch with only a few of his relatives and friends from Veles and that constituted the circle with which he maintained a close relationship. (Pavel Shatev, 421.)

Ortse loved mathematics and history. All other school subjects he considered unnecessary and unimportant. Even as a student he exhibited the traits of a “person in charge”. This trait appeared publicly for the first time when he was in class VI at the gymnasium. One day, for unknown reasons, a professor did not come to work. According to school policy he should have been replaced by another professor. However, on Ortse’s initiative, the Veles circle decided not to allow that to happen. The entire class revolted forcing the school authorities to act. Harsh disciplinary measures were taken resulting in the suspension of all the students from class VI. In other words, a meaningless event served as an occasion through which a rebellion took place, expressing student dissatisfaction with “the school system and with the general order in the Solun academic and educational institution”. (Ibid, 422.)

Ortse was not happy with the school administration’s approach to solving the student problem and with the tactics it used to break the students. As a result he demonstratively left the gymnasium. He was not only disappointed in the school administration he was also disappointed in his treasonous classmates who so easily succumbed to pressure. Ortse left the school towards the end of the school year and became involved in the “whirlpool of the Macedonian liberation movement”. (Ibid.)

“Ortse as a revolutionary was a solid and determined person. He was able to impose his views and opinions into many of the various disputes that took place regarding the liberation struggle. He often

used clear and convincing words to illustrate his arguments. His knowledge of history, especially the history of the French Revolution, very much helped him in this regard. He rarely spoke but when he did his opponents became his supporters. He was extremely convincing and able to have much impact on those around him... Ortse was born as a leader with a commanding and elastic spirit. He was extremely strict with his friends even about the slightest errors made intentionally or accidentally. Other than that he loved all those closest to him, his friends and his people. On the other hand, he hated all those chest beaters who thought of themselves as the authority over the people. He hated glory because he fought sincerely and wanted to serve his own enslaved people...” (Ibid, 424.)

One of the most characteristic features of Iordan Popiordanov was that could not tolerate slavery. Without thinking he was prepared to give his own young life if only slavery in Macedonia could be abolished.

Kosta Ivanov Kirkov (1882-1903)

Kosta Kirkov was the second most important and prestigious person in the Gemidzhii circle. He belonged to a wealthy family. His father Ivan was a small-time trader and an honest and diligent resident of Veles. Kosta was the oldest of five children. Kosta was a nice looking young man of medium height, round face, fine facial features, dark eyes and dark hair. But his personality was opposite from what he projected from his looks. According to Pavel Shatev: “Hiding behind Kosta’s physical appearance and feminine looks was a courageous man, a man who had many frightening and destructive ideas and prospects, a man who was ready to thrust himself and fight against anything with the greatest of enthusiasm. He was ready to fight against prejudice, laws, social orders and all kinds of other injustices and he was prepared to do it alone if necessary. He was always happy with himself and polite and attentive to everyone else, especially to his friends. He was the most sympathetic and most liked person in the Gemidzhii circle. This was mainly due to his great idealism, modesty and kindness…” He was usually silent and rarely said a word during discussions but when he spoke he made sense. His suggestions and deductions were logical and striking. He

rarely showed hopelessness, despair or great joy. He was always calm, collected and cheerful, appearing cold-blooded with good-natured pleasantry and sarcastic humour. He was an example for the others and was often imitated. (Ibid, 225-420.)

As a young man Kosta was well-informed. He was familiar with most basic social and revolutionary movements as well as with the history of the French Revolution. He was very sympathetic to the suffering of his people and was ready to share everything he had with those who suffered. His mother used to send him to Solun with full suitcases and he always returned with nothing saying that he had given his belongings to his poor peers. (K. Tsrnushanov, c. Statia, 161.)

According to Kosta, the only person that can call himself a revolutionary is a person who is capable of giving up all his worldly goods and accepting the revolution as a profession. His motto was: “Deeds speak louder than words.” (Stefan Аvramov, Heroic times, I, Sofia, 35.) Kosta was influential and courageous, he “looked at death like an achievement in life and was never afraid of it regardless of how it would spring up as long as it served his purpose in the struggle for Macedonia”. (P. Shatev, 245-246.) (Kirkov like Ortse did not want his picture taken under any circumstances. He even turned down requests from family members to send photos home. He wanted no traces of him to remain after his death. He felt that as an individual he fought and would die for his ideas and no one should distract themselves with that, not his family and not anyone else.)

Dimitar Mechev (1870-1903)

Another large figure in the Gemidzhii circle was Dimitar (Dime) Mechev, or “Meche” (young bear), as he was usually called. Meche was the oldest among the Veles Gemidzhii. According to Pavel Shatev’s description, Meche was a tall thin man with a thin face, small eyes, sharp straight nose, curly black hair, always modestly dressed, and looked like an ordinary worker.

Meche was a poor child. He completed primary school with great difficulties. He lost his father and had to take care of himself and his

mother since he was very young. He joined the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization and became an activist as soon as the MRO arrived in Veles. Failing to fulfill an RMO order (kill a Veles businessman), Meche was compromised and identified by the authorities. Ever since then he was forced to live in hiding as a rebel in the surrounding Macedonian mountains where he spent more than a year, after which he immigrated to Bulgaria. Not wanting to be a burden on the MRO, or to engage in the whirlpool of the immigrant organization, he took on a job as a common labourer in the Pernik mine.

Meche was fearless, resourceful, efficient and effective in the MRO. These were qualities that were noticed by Gotse Delchev (outside of the Veles organization) who personally engaged Meche in doing several tasks for the Organization. Evidence of this can be found in the letters that Delchev wrote. (On June 12, 1900 Delchev gave Meche a letter and sent him to see Nikola Malishevski, a famous MRO worker in Bulgaria. Meche’s objective was to join a group tasked with kidnapping the child of Ivan Geshev, a Bulgarian statesman. Meche’s involvement in the MRO was again mentioned by Delchev in a letter dated December 8, 1900 and in another letter in the autumn of 1902 - Gotse Delchev, Correspondence. Redaksia Hristo Andonov-Polianski, Skopje, 1972, Doc. 93, 96, 225; P. Shatev, 429.)

By nature Meche was a quiet, honest and fair individual with a strong compassion for the suffering of his people. At the same time he viewed the intelligentsia with suspicion believing it was responsible for society’s ills. He lived an austere life. The only meaningful thing in his life was his struggle for Macedonia’s liberation. He was ready to give his life for what he believed in without hesitation and at a moment’s notice.

Being familiar with the workings of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization and with the level of preparedness required to arm and involve the entire Macedonian population en masse, Meche came to the conclusion that Macedonia’s liberation could not be achieved through a general uprising. Meche was prepared to sacrifice himself for Macedonia’s liberation but did not have faith in the oppressed masses to carry out actions similar to those of the Gemidzhii. When

Ortse returned from Geneva in early 1902, he decided to recruit Meche into his circle. Then, after some persuasive discussions, Meche agreed to join the Gemidzhii. His addition enriched the circle with an older, fearless and experienced member who had many ties to the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization and personal contact with Gotse Delchev and Damian Gruev. At first Meche remained in Sofia as a representative of the Gemidzhii, but not long after that he came back home to be personally and directly engaged in the realization of the general plan.

Ilia Trchkov (1884-1903)

Ilia Trchkov was one of the youngest among the Gemidzhii. He was only 19 years old when he died in 1903. Physically he was a big, young man but he was also modest and quiet. Ilia was happy to carry out all tasks put in front of him without hesitation. According to Shatev: “He believed in what he was doing and did his part with great devotion... the revolutionary tasks... He was a good example of an intimate and dear comrade who, at any given moment, was ready to sacrifice himself for his friends and relatives”. (P. Shatev, 431)

Ilia was not able to finish his secondary education. He went to work as a shoemaker and used his job as cover for his revolutionary activities both in Veles and Solun.

Vladimir Pingov (1883-1903)

Vladimir (Vlado) belonged to a family of craftsmen. His brothers were barbers and through them he too became familiar with the craft. Vlado was a short man with a dark, olive complexion and was cheerful in nature. He did his assigned tasks quietly and diligently. He was well-disciplined and was always ready to engage himself even in the most serious of actions. During the three-year period of preparation in Solun, Vlado was given very risky assignments. But, despite that, he was always cheerful and showed no anxiety or nervousness. According to Shatev, Vlado was a great fatalist. “Whatever dangerous work he was given to do he felt it was predestinated by fate and he had no objection to doing it and did it with great satisfaction, believing that he was carrying out a moral deed for his nation. (Ibid, 434-435.) He began his pre-gymnasium

education in Veles and continued his gymnasium education in Solun. He was convinced that he would die for the “cause” and did not finish his education.

Georgi Bogdanov (1879-1939)

Georgi P. Bogdanov was the son of one of the most powerful and well-known families in Veles. He had a great childhood without a care in the world. He finished his primary education in Veles and in 1897 he enrolled in the Solun gymnasium. Before finishing his education Georgi took on a job as a merchant working for his brother-in-law Ilia Popstefanov, a commissioner in Solun. At first Georgi avoided the revolutionary turmoil and joined the Gemidzhii circle much later, in 1901. He was drawn in by his comrades Ortse, Kosta and the other Veles Gemidzhii. Being employed in Solun, Georgi was a great asset to the Gemidzhii circle.

And, like the other Gemidzhii, Georgi Bogdanov was a modest, quiet but persistent individual in doing his tasks. (P. Shatev, Georgi P. Bogdanov - Il. Ilinden 107, Sofia 1939, 13.)

Milan Arsov (1886-1908)

Milan Arsov was the youngest in the Gemidzhii circle. He was born in the village Oraovets, Veles Region. He completed his primary education in Veles, he then studied in the Bitola gymnasium for a year and after that he enrolled in the Solun gymnasium. He had already teamed up with the Gemidzhii when he was in Veles.

According to Shatev, who wrote about him with great sympathy: “...Milan was a very trusted friend of the conspirators… He was a typical phenomenon of the epoch that gave birth to all the heroes in these turbulent times in Macedonia. Milan was very young... but his bravery rivaled his youth. His enthusiasm had no limits...” (P. Shatev, The Solun Assassins and the imprisoned in Fezan, Sofia 1927, 15-16.)

Milan was a tall young man with a thin pale face and black hair. He was daring and strong-willed.

In addition to the aforementioned Veles Gemidzhii directly or indirectly involved in the Solun assassinations, there were also others from Veles. Unfortunately very little information was left behind about them, not even enough to describe their character traits or physical appearance. But the fact that they belonged to the Gemidzhii circle is enough information to convince us that they could not have been much different from the other Gemidzhii, most importantly we know that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for Macedonia’s freedom. These young men were Todor Organdzhiev, Todor Bogdanov, Ilia Popiordanov (Ortse’s cousin) and Alexi Minov-Kanikot.

The other Gemidzhii and direct participants in the Solun assassinations were not from Veles. Their names were Pavel Shatev, Marko Boshnakov and Tsvetko Tpaikov.

Pavel Potsev Shatev, (1882-1951)

Pavel Shatev was one of the most prominent members in the Gemidzhii circle. He was born in Kratovo to a powerful family. He completed his elementary education in Kratovo, his middle school in Skopje, and gymnasium (class IV-VII) in Solun in 1900. He joined the revolutionary movement in Kratovo when he was attending IV class in the Solun gymnasium. He was also a member of the revolutionary circle operating in the gymnasium. Shatev thereafter lost interest in the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. In his opinion the MRO was not properly managed. Its Central Committee was unable to successfully direct the revolution and its actions and the Organization had a number of other shortcomings. The morale in the ranks of the Organization was low and this low morale was imported from Bulgaria. “Local leaders and agitators who had the opportunity to go to Bulgaria and meet and exchange ideas with other members of the Organization from other parts of Macedonia as well as get acquainted with the immigrant organization that Macedonian immigrants had joined,” writes Shatev, “came back demoralized. Even the more positive ones found a demoralizing atmosphere in free Bulgaria…” Shatev went even further to say: “Those who want to do clean work and remain clean should never set foot in Bulgaria and, if it can’t be avoided, they should never

stay in Bulgaria for more than a week”. (P. Shatev, Macedonia under slavery..., 71-72.)

Shatev left the gymnasium revolutionary circle and joined the Gemidzhii in 1900. He devoted himself fanatically to his work and took part in all sorts of risky tasks, both in the preparatory period and during the assassinations themselves. Physically Shatev looked like an average person but he was daring, persistent, accomplished and loyal to his companion. In other words, he had more or less the same characteristic features as all the other Gemidzhii.

Marko Boshnakov (1874-1903)

Marko Boshnakov was born in Ohrid. He completed his elementary and gymnasium education in Ohrid after which, in 1900, he joined a revolutionary unit. In the beginning he was under Boris Sarafov’s command and participated in the execution of a Romanian journalist named Mihailianu in Bucharest who was charged with protecting perpetrators. This execution, ordered by Boris Sarafov, caused significant echoes in Europe, particularly in Bulgaria and Romania which brought those two countries to the brink of an armed conflict.

Marko Boshnakov joined the Gemidzhii circle in 1902. His characteristic features were modesty, humbleness, achievement...

Tsvetko Traikov (around 1860-1903)

Tsvetko Traikov was the oldest of all the assassins. He became involved with the Gemidzhii much later, after Boris Sarafov sent him to Solun to kill the Solun vali. (P. Shatev, Solun Assassination ..., 46.) Traikov was originally from Resen but lived in Bulgaria. He was very sick for a long time.

We know that about twelve Gemidzhii were directly involved in the actual implementation of the assassinations. However, there were other people involved in assisting the Gemidzhii in this regard. It is well known that conspiratorial activities could not be successfully carried out without the assistance of other persons to serve as cover, observers, couriers, and so on. The revolutionary actions of the Gemidzhii, however, were not exactly conspiratorial activities and

did not need a wide circle of accomplices, not that such accomplices could be easily found. The people who helped the Gemidzhii knew nothing of about their secrets because these secrets were not divulged to anyone outside of the circle. Their helpers were actually sympathizers of the Macedonian revolutionary movement who believed they were helping the Gemidzhii in their efforts to liberate our people.

Shatev wrote that he needed a lot of space to explain the actions of all his accomplices (helpers) in the Solun dynamics but gave specifics of only a few. He did not even mention the names of the others.

Included among the most famous of Shatev’s accomplices in the assassinations, not only in Solun but also in Tsari Grad (Istanbul), was Nancho Stoianov. Nancho was the son of a Resen merchant named Kalcho who lived in Tsari Grad. Kalcho owned a store near the Ottoman Bank in Tsari Grad which was rented by S. Merdzhanov, P. Sokolov, P. Mandzhukov and P. Shatev who used it to dig a tunnel that would supposedly have led them to the foundations of the Ottoman Bank which they were planning to dynamite. Unfortunately they were detained in 1900 and arrested on suspicion that they were conspiring to act against the Sultan’s order. Detained among the four conspirators was also Nancho who they thought could not endure the torture. But despite their torment the four and especially Nancho pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released. Nancho did not give up the conspirators even though he was fully aware that the discovery of their plans would have meant death for him and destruction for his family. And indeed, when the tunnel in the store was discovered in 1901, Nancho and his father Kalcho were arrested, sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to prison where Kalcho was tortured to death. After serving his sentence Nancho was released, but was seriously ill. Soon afterwards he died. Their families were left without breadwinners and were exposed to hunger and suffering.

Milan Sazdov was one of those Macedonian youths who would risk his young life for the benefit of Macedonia’s liberation. Milan was born in Veles but left the city when he was still a child, looking for a crust of bread. He was employed as a waiter and worked for the

Belgrade-Tsari Grad railway line. He was 18 years old when he was initiated into the Gemodzii cause. His task was to acquire dynamite in Bulgaria and, in the highest of secrecy, deliver it to Tsari Grad, which he did impeccably. “During the winter Milan Sazdov,” wrote Shatev, “fulfilled his conspiratorial task with enthusiasm and joy. He was very happy to be in our company and, with a glance, wanted to show us that: “If I can’t serve my homeland with anything else, at least with what I can...”

Gotse Chanev was one of the most trusted faces in Solun outside of the Gemidzhii circle. Gotse was from Kukush but lived with his family in Solun. His little shop became one of the most secure places for the Gemidzhii to hang out. It was the same with his house. As a former member of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in Kukush, Gotse knew many things and many people. He used his entire experience (he was forty years old) in the service of the Gemidzhii. He helped them with everything he could, most importantly, by allowing them to use his shop and home to exchange information even in the most critical times. Ortse and Kirkov, who had the most contact with him, loved him and were very grateful to him. Gotse Chanev survived the Solun Gemidzhii and was very much interested in their fate and that of their relatives.

Included among the people who helped the Gemidzhii was a woman. This particular woman deserves a special mention not only because she was a woman but also because she had nothing to do with Macedonia, except that she had a great compassion for the ongoing Macedonian struggle against the sultan’s tyranny. Her name was Anna Shepets and she was Hungarian. Anna worked as a singer in the famous “Batemberg” hotel in Sofia where Gotse Delchev and a great number of Macedonian revolutionaries regularly stayed when they were in Sofia. Anna came in contact with them there and had the opportunity to become acquainted with the Macedonian people’s suffering and struggle. As a result she became a great sympathizer of the Macedonian revolutionary movement. So, when it was proposed to her to go to Tsari Grad and serve with the Gemidzhii (who she only knew were revolutionaries, but probably knew nothing about their plans) she accepted the task with pleasure and without fear of any of the catastrophic consequences she may encounter. The Gemidzhii were wrong when they thought that Anne

would “charge” for her service. When they asked her what kind of reward she would accept for her cooperation, she boldly replied that she would not work for money because she knew that she would be engaged in a sacred service. She “loved the Macedonian people who were willing to die for the freedom of their homeland”, and she knew many of those young people who spent time at the “Battemberg” and later died for their Macedonian cause. (Ibid, 254-256.) The only thing that Anna wanted was to buy the pledged jewelry and luggage from a commissioner and extortionist. The total purchase cost six Napoleons (gold coins). She took the jewelry and left her luggage to the Gemidzhii in Tsari Grad. While in Tsari Grad she was employed as a cabaret singer in the variety show “Crystal”. Her task was to collect and store the dynamite that Milan Sazdov delivered.

* * *

The Veles group was fully constituted as a circle with the name “Gemidzhii” in 1899. Why did the young people of Veles call their revolutionary circle “Gemidzhii” and what exactly did that mean? Even though the answers to these questions can be found in existing literature, the various sources do somewhat differ in their explanations. One of the stories of how the Gemidzhii got their name was that they wanted a symbolic way to show that their lives were at their end and that their “boat” (gemia) would sail into the turbulent sea and either take them to the coast (success) or break up on the rocks (failure). (Stefan Avramov, Solun Conception – Il. Ilinden, Year V, book V, Sofia 1932, 4. Almost the same explanation was given by P. Shatev in Macedonia under slavery, 84.)

According to another claim, the Veles students often walked along the Solun seashore watching the Jewish fisherman and boatmen pull out their boats (gemii) from the sea to repair them. The young people thought that “a boat out of the water” or “a boat on dry land” was a good symbol describing the current socio-economic conditions in Macedonia. The path taken by ordinary people following their pursuit for existence was uncertain and this is why the boats had to be thrown back into the water, which meant “let the usual path be abandoned and all sacrifices be made for the good of

the enslaved people”. (S. Simeonov, Solunskoto s’zaklitie (1898-1903), Sofia, 1921, 5.) According to this story the word “Gemidzhii” was an allegorical expression of the specific revolutionary and life-path chosen by the young people in the circle.

Todor Organdzhiev, one of the circle’s members, gave us an even simpler answer. He said that even though they were good students, the young men from Veles decided to leave school and “roam around the sea” in their pursuit of sacrificing themselves for the liberation of their country. “This is how we gradually adopted the name boatmen (Gemidzhii)” wrote Organdzhiev. (Todor Organdzhiev, 117.)

The interpretation given by Organdzhiev, it seems, at least to us, is the best and most logical answer to how the Gemidzhii got their name and what it meant for them. Organdzhiev, by the way, was one of the two surviving Gemidzhii who wrote about their experiences.