TINKA DUMKOVA (1926-1949) - Part 01

TINKA DUMKOVA (1926-1949)

An important place among the brave Macedonian women fighters of the national liberation movement in the Aegean part of Macedonia belongs to Tinka Dumkova. 333 Tinka was born on February 26, 1926 in the heroic village Ekshi-Su, 334 Lerin Region, to a poor agricultural family.

Like many other Macedonian women from her village, Tinka was poor and experienced poverty and hardship from an early age. In order to provide for his family, her father was forced to go to South America to seek work. 335

Tinka finished primary school in her native village and was one of the best students in her school. In addition to going to school Tinka also helped her mother with the household chores. 336

During the German, Italian and Bulgarian occupation of Greece and Aegean Macedonia, and especially since 1943, Tinka actively and tirelessly worked in EPON, the youth organization.337

After the withdrawal of the German occupying forces from Greece and the signing of the capitulating Varkiza Agreement, Tinka Dumkova didn’t stop her revolutionary activities. From the first days after the nationalist regime in Greece was restored, Tinka actively participated in the struggle against the new right-wing authorities in Greece. Together with others from her native village, she collected food and took it to the Lerin Prison to feed the patriotic Macedonians who were imprisoned by the Greek authorities. 338

333 This article, with some small changes and additions, was also published in the INI Gazette, Skopje, 1981, XXV, no. 2-3, pp. 397-400. 334 The village of Ekshi-Su is an old Macedonian village in Aegean Macedonia near the town Sorovich. It used to be called Vrbeni, but the Turks called it Ekshi-Su (Sour water) because it had mineral water springs. 335 According to the recollections of Pando Tashkovski, from Ekshi-Su. Pando was a fighter in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 336 Ibid. 337 Dumkova Tinka. “For the Holy National Freedom”..., p. 86. 338 According to the recollections of Pando Tashkovski and Giorgi Turundzhiev, from the village Ekshi-Su. Giorgi was one of the first fighters from Lerin Region to join the National Liberation War. While working at EPON, Tinka Dumkova was tasked with helping the prisoners in Prespa and border villages who couldn’t be helped by their relatives.

During EPON meetings, which she often organized, Tinka appealed to the girls and women to knit socks, sweaters and other items of clothing for the needs of the activists. Unfortunately some of the women, including fellow villagers Menka Vodenicharova, Verka Vodenicharova and Olga Sherifova, were caught by the Greek authorities, arrested and taken to a prison in Lerin where they were subjected to terrible torture. 339

On May 7, 1945, the Monarcho-Fascist National Guard broke into several houses in Tinka Dumkova’s native village Ekshi-Su and abducted three villagers and brutally beat them. 340 On May 11, 1945, the Monarcho-Fascists broke into more houses in Ekshi-Su but didn’t find the men they were looking for so they abused the women and children and then robbed the houses. 341

In early November 1945, Dimitar Stumtaki, Stefan Rombov, Evangelo Kristamdzhi and Iani Sodra were arrested in Ekshi-Su and sent to prison. 342

On May 1, 1946, the Monarcho-Fascists blockaded Tinka’s village Ekshi-Su, arrested about 200 villagers and then beat them for 6 days. 343 The same Monarcho-Fascists looted and burned 30 houses, arrested all the women, children and elderly and detained them in the village school for three days without food. 344

In 1947, the sisters Vesa and Niki Strezov and Matka Popova were brutally tortured and then burned alive in the village square in Tinka

339 Ibid. 340 “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 24, p. 51. 341 Ibid. 342 Ibid: doc. 188, p. 356. 343 “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, Vol. III, doc. 202, p. 447. 344 Ibid: p. 446. Dumkova’s presence. 345 Their torturers burned them with red hot irons until they died from their wounds. They were especially brutal against Matka Popova who was tortured in front of her husband and four young children.

In 1947, the Monarcho-Fascists stabbed Sika Strezhova in front of her ten-year-old son. Sika was Vesa and Niki’s sister mentioned above. Then, after torturing her for a long time, her torturer Baburis fatally stabbed her. She died without giving up any information about her activities. 346

The atrocities the Monarcho-Fascists committed in the village Ekshi-Su and in other Macedonian villages motivated Tinka Dumkova and her fellow villagers to fight even harder against these fascist gangs. And when the Greek Civil War intensified more than 120 partisans from Ekshi-Su joined NOF, the Macedonian liberation organization. 347

In the summer of 1947, Tinka also joined the partisans as a volunteer. She left Ekshi-Su, traveled over Mount Radush, near the village Aitos, Lerin Region, and joined Mati Bulev’s detachment. After that she, along with other volunteers, was inducted into DAG’s ranks.

While serving in a DAG company in the 3rd Battalion of the 108th Brigade, Tinka was promoted to corporal, responsible for leading a number of women. There she distinguished herself as a courageous and spirited fighter who served as an example to the others. Her fellow fighters were proud of her and respected her. 348

In the summer of 1948, when heavy fighting was taking place on Mount Gramos between the partisans and the Greek government troops, on orders of battalion command, Tinka was transferred from the first to the second line on Preval peak where the wounded partisans were kept. Her job was to encourage the fighters to

345 Dumkova Tinka. “For the Holy People’s Freedom”..., p. 86 and p. 94. 346 Chronicles about the village Ekshi-Su. Manuscript kept in INI. 347 Ibid. 348 The Greek and Slavo-Macedonian people in DAG. Spis. “Makedonche”, 1953, March, IV, no. 3, p. 8. continue to hang on and fight. But the real reason for sending her there was to save her from being killed. Command knew that with her courage and determination she would have jumped into the fire and faced inevitable death. Still she wasn’t content serving in the second line and persistently insisted on returning to the front line, demanding that Captain Giorgi Ratsko let her go. She insisted that her place wasn’t here and that she should go to where her brigade was. 349 After insisting for a long time Tinka eventually left and rejoined her brigade in Gramos.

On April 2, 1949, brave Tinka tirelessly traveled from Mount Vicho to Gramos along the enemy line. She ran from one place to another helping the partisans during their most difficult moments. Tinka also demonstrated her heroism when her company was cutting the barbed wire at the Alevitsa pass.

Early in the morning, on April 5, 1949, Tinka Dumkova’s company was located near the rocks at “Kotelska Visochina”. This is where two years before three young DAG fighters had jumped off the cliff so as not to fall alive into the hands of the enemy. 350 Suddenly they were attacked by two large enemy units. Even though they were a smaller group, Tinka’s partisans fought bravely and repelled the attack. They then helped the other DAG units liberate Gramos.

Tinka Dumkova, as always, also fought bravely at the peak of Vulgara Mountain in Kotel Region (Gramos). She walked upright all morning from place to place encouraging the fighters not to be afraid. Then, around 11 a.m., when Tinka stood up, for only a moment to help a wounded partisan lying close to her, an enemy bomb fell and wounded her in the abdomen, arm and leg. 351 Her comrades took her out of the battle zone and bandaged her. Even badly wounded she didn’t want to be taken out and kept struggling to get up and join the fight, even if it was only for one last time. Despite being severely wounded she gathered her strength and yelled out to her comrades: “Forward comrades!... Fight!... Avenge our fighters!” After throwing her last grenade in the direction of the

349 Ibid. 350 Dumkova Tinka. “For the Holy People’s Freedom”..., p. 87. 351 Ibid. Monarcho-Fascists, she slid over the rocks and jumped off the cliff yelling: “Long live the people’s democracy!” 352

This is how Tinka Dumkova, one of the bravest daughters of the Macedonian people, the pride of the DAG 108th brigade died.

352 About the Greek and Slavo-Macedonian people in DAG... 143 GIORGI KALKOV (1916-1948)

Giorgi Kalkov was one of the first founders of the Macedonian NOF partisan groups that were created on Mount Vicho in the period from 1945 to 1946. He was also the first fighter from his village Visheni, Kostur Region, to join the struggle.

Giorgi Kalkov was born in 1916 to a poor agricultural family. Due to being very poor his father was forced to find work in distant America. Unfortunately a short time after he left he severed ties with his family and never came back.

After finishing primary school in his village Visheni, Giorgi together with his older brother Nacho (Damian) helped their mother at the farm. In addition to doing household chores, Giorgi also worked as a janitor for some of the more prominent families in his village. 353

In 1936 Giorgi was drafted into the Greek military and sent to Solun to serve in a cavalry unit.

After Greece was occupied by Fascist Germany, Italy and Bulgaria, the Italian authorities in Kostur Region created special search and destroy units to eliminate those who consistently fought against them. Given this unbearable situation, the Visheni resistance leadership advised the villagers to take precautionary measures against these Italian hostilities by immediately fleeing to the mountains. This continued to happen every time the Italians showed up. 354 One day in July 1941, the people of Visheni found out that an Italian armed unit was approaching their village. And as always all the men fled into the woods. When the Italians arrived in the village they immediately searched each house looking for men. Then the villagers found out that they were only looking for communists. When Giorgi’s mother found this out, she ran to the forest and asked her son Giorgi to come home, explaining that there was no danger to

353 According to the recollections of Dimitar Prstenarov, from the village Visheni, Kostur Region, Dimitar was an active participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG and was a fighter in the “Lazo Trpovski” detachment and the First Aegean Strike Brigade. 354 Chronicles of the village Visheni, Kostur Region. Records kept in INI. 144 him. But she wasn’t exactly right. As soon as Giorgi came home he was immediately arrested and taken to prison in Kostur, where he spent a year in jail. 355

After his release from prison, Giorgi continued his patriotic activities by all possible means to help the Macedonian people’s anti-fascist movement struggle against the occupiers.

One day in May 1943, after spending a day in the village Bapchor, Kostur Region, the partisans from the Lerin-Bitola detachment moved to the “Koziak” locality, in the forest near “Ianchov Izvor”, located on the border between the villages Visheni and Bapchor. There they hid themselves in the brush so they could have a rest. While they were resting one partisan named Kostas Kitsiridis took his mule carrying the detachment’s weapons to graze in the valley. 356 That same day Giorgi Kalkov and his fellow villager Spiro Tsulev, both working as civil guards in the village Visheni, were going through this area and happened to pass through the “Koziak” locality. At a distance of about 30-40 metres they spotted a suspicious man with a rifle over his shoulder grazing his mule. Thinking that the man was a Greek “Andart” (rebel), they decided to kill him. Giorgi fired at him but only wounded him in the arm. The moment the detachment partisans heard the rifle shot they jumped to their feet and ran after the assailants towards the village Visheni. Frightened by what they’d done Giorgi and Spiro ran and took refuge in Tiolishta, a neighbouring village. When all this was over, Giorgi went to the resistance leadership in his village and confessed that he was the one who had shot Kostas and that it was by mistake. After that Giorgi joined ELAS and continued the struggle against the occupiers as an ELAS reservist. 357

In the spring and summer of 1945, a large number Greek gangs sprang up all over Greek occupied Macedonia and, supported by the Athenian government, intensified their terror activities against the democratic movement, above all, against the Macedonian people. During this unbearable situation, Giorgi Kalkov, wanting to avoid

355 According to the recollections of Dimitar Prstenarov... 356 According to the recollections of the late Spiro Tsulev, a fighter in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 357 Ibid. 145 being arrested, fled his village and joined a group of Macedonians from his village and neighbouring villages on Mount Vicho. There, with a rifle in his hand, he fought against the new reactionary authorities in Greece and, as an experienced fighter, was soon appointed commander of an armed group which aimed to protect the Macedonian population from the Greek terror in the area. He led this group until the beginning of December 1945. 358

In the winter of 1945, the partisan group on Mount Vicho had to disband due to the cold. Some of the fighters went home and others, including Giorgi Kalkov, moved to Bitola in the Republic of Macedonia.

At the beginning of July 1946, Giorgi and a group of Macedonians from Greek occupied Macedonia left the Republic of Macedonia and went to Mount Vicho. 359 Here he connected with other Macedonian patriots and immediately joined the struggle against the Greek reactionaries. Thanks to his military experience and tireless effort Giorgi was appointed commander of an armed NOF group. 360

Over time the NOF group led by Giorgi Kalkov grew into a company. Giorgi acted in the area around Mount Vicho, in Kostur, Lerin and Prespa Regions. Thanks to his excellent fighting skills he was able to liberate a large number of Macedonian villages and added to DAG’s free territory in the Vicho area.

Giorgi Kalkov led his company in the Vicho area until the spring of 1947 when he was transferred to Ber Region in Hasia, to the 670th DAG unit. 361

358 Report written by the General NOF leadership, dated July 19, 1945, regarding the political situation in Aegean Macedonia and regarding the CPG’s position on the Macedonian national question. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, Skopje, 1973, doc. 89, p. 162. 359 According to the recollections of Metodi Malkov from the village Seshtevo, Kostur Region. Metodi was one of the first to join the National Liberation War and serve in DAG. 360 According to the recollections of Risto Malkov from the village Seshtevo. Risto was a fighter in the First Aegean Strike Brigade and in DAG where he was a fighter in Giorgi Kalkov’s company. 361 Kalkov Giorgi. “For the holy national freedom”..., p. 111. 146 It is worth mentioning at this point that Giorgi Kalkov wasn’t only an experienced DAG fighter and leader but also a prominent political organizer in the Macedonian liberation movement. Thanks to his tireless effort in the struggle for the liberation of the Macedonian people, he was appointed a candidate member in the NOF Main Board leadership during the First NOF Congress. 362

At the beginning of March 1948, Giorgi Kalkov’s company took part in the glorious welcoming of the newly mobilized, but still unarmed fighters arriving from Rumeli to Mount Gramos. This operation in DAG’s history was known as: “The heroic campaign of the unarmed column from Rumeli”. 363

On March 16, 1948, Giorgi and several fighters from his company were surrounded by enemy troops in the locality “Kundzhupia”, on Mount Pieria. Here Giorgi laid down his life fighting heroically in an unequal battle for the freedom of his people. 364

Posthumously, DAG General Staff promoted Giorgi Kalkov to Major.

362 . “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1948”, T. V. Skopje, 1981, doc. 16, p. 45. 363 Giorgi Kalkov. “For the holy national freedom”..., p. 111. 364 Ibid. 147 PENO KARAMUTKIN (1920-1945)

Peno Karamutkin was a fighter in the People’s Liberation Movement in the Aegean part of Macedonia and gave his life at an early age for the freedom of his homeland. He was one of nine NOF activists from Gumendzhe District who remained on eternal guard on Mount Paiak.

Peno was born in 1920 in the beautiful Macedonian village Kriva, Gumendzhe Region, to a poor agricultural family. He finished primary school and spent his childhood in his native village. 365

Peno had a great desire to continue his education in the high school in Kukush but due to lack of funds was unable to realize his desires. After completing his military service in the Greek army, where he was promoted to sergeant, he returned home and helped his parents with their farm work. 366

When Germany, Italy and Bulgaria occupied Greece and Aegean Macedonia, Peno, like many other Macedonians from his native village, voluntarily joined the struggle against the fascist occupiers.

In 1942 Peno Karamutkin and his fellow villagers Atanas Ianakov, Dimitar Lititarov, Dino Binchev and Pano Mitkov formed a basic EAM organization in their village Kriva. 367

In 1943 Peno formed a basic EPON organization in his native village and as its leader enjoyed great authority among the youth. Peno and members of EPON also set up a guard station to monitor secluded and dangerous places and to provide contact between the activists in his native village and those in the town Gumendzhe. He often patrolled the surrounding villages, such as Petgas, Barovitsa,

365 This article, written by Tashko Mamurovski, was also published in the House of Immigrants from Macedonia “Emigrant Calendar”, Skopje, 1982, pp. 94-95. The same article with minor changes and additions is also presented here. 366 According to the recollections of Dimitar Lititarov from the village Kriva, Gumendzhe Region. Dimitar was a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 367 Memoirs of Dimitar Lititarov, about his revolutionary activity in the period 1942-1948. Kept in INI. 148 Ramna, etc., and solicited the young to join the struggle against the occupiers and domestic traitors.

In February 1944 Peno decided to join ELAS voluntarily, but because his contribution to the struggle in other areas was of particular importance the resistance leadership wouldn’t allow him to join the partisans. 368

Peno worked for the People’s Liberation Movement in Kriva and surrounding villages until December 1944 when the German and Bulgarian occupiers were ousted from the country. After that he was appointed a member of the People’s Court in Gumendzhe. 369

At the end of December 1944, Peno became involved in collecting and storing weapons abandoned by the withdrawing occupiers from Greece. Along with others from his village, Peno transported several loads of weapons from Solun to Mount Paiak. 370

With the arrival of the English interventionists in Greece and the introduction of right-wing rule, as a result of the signing of the Varkiza Agreement, Peno and other progressive Macedonians from his village were forced to go underground.

Understanding the very difficult situation the Macedonian people in Greece were facing, in May 1945, Peno and a number of patriotic Macedonians from Greek occupied Macedonia, with NOF’s agreement, decided to go to Mount Paiak in Aegean Macedonia and join the struggle against the new reactionary authorities in Greece. 371 Upon his return, Peno immediately connected with the young people from his village and formed a NOF cell in the village Kriva.

From this moment on Peno gained even greater authority, especially among the Macedonian youth, and, with their help, managed to involve more people in the struggle against the new and unpopular regime in Greece. His activities lasted until November 17, 1945

368 Ibid. 369 According to the recollections of Ivan Nichev from the city Gumendzhe... 370 According to the recollections of Dimitar Lititarov... 371 According to the recollections of Vangel Nichev-Orivatis, Dimitar Lititarov and Ivan Nichev... 149 when he was betrayed on Mount Paiak in the locality “Sheova” and brutally killed along with 8 other NOF leaders and activists who worked in Gumendzhe District.

Peno Karamutkin’s death was a great loss not only for NOF but also for the Macedonian people. Although he wasn’t a major and leading figure in the movement in Aegean Macedonia, he still played a significant role, especially in laying the foundation for NOF in his area of operation, as well as in attracting and involving young people in the Macedonian People’s Liberation Movement.

150 ATANAS KIZOV-GIZA (1914-1947)

Atanas Kizov was one of the many active fighters in the Macedonian People’s Liberation Movement and in the Democratic Army of Greece. He was born in December 1914, in the village Neret, Lerin Region, to a large, poor family. After finishing primary school in his village, he had no means to continue his education due to poverty. At age fourteen, Atanas and several of his fellow villagers went to Mount Athos. There Atanas worked for an Arnaut (Albanian Turk) loading lumber and building materials on five mules and delivering them from the mountains to the coastline. He worked hard doing this job for several years with short breaks during which he returned to his native village to see his loved ones. 372

When he visited Solun he often met with the workers in a tile factory and had long conversations with them about being exploited by the factory bosses. From these conversations Atanas began to understand the causes of social injustice among the working class, to which he himself belonged. From this point on, he gradually began to associate with the progressives and adopt their ideas. The biggest influence on his political orientation came from Iovani, a CPG District Committee member for Solun who had been imprisoned in the Solun prison for some time by the Greek gendarmes. After being severely tortured to a point where he was presumed to be dead, Iovani was thrown out the prison window to make it look like he’d committed suicide. 373 It was under Iovani’s influence and thanks to his meetings with other workers that Atanas began to embrace socialist ideas.

In 1936, after completing his military service in the Greek army, Atanas returned to his native village and immediately began to install a new CPG Party cell. By then there was nothing left from the old CPG cell in Neret; no Party and no members. Anything that existed before that had been dispersed or closed down by the Greek authorities. All such organizations practically ceased to exist. Atanas

372 According to the recollections of Vane Topalovski from the village Neret, Lerin Region. Vane was an active participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 373 Ibid. 151 Kizov’s appearance in Neret created a new opportunity to renew the CPG Party there. After many and long discussions in the café in the village square, the creation of a future Party organization was a done deal by early 1938. During its initial phase the organization consisted of Alekso Mechkarov, Atanas Kizov, Vane Topalovski, Traiko Mechkarov, Atanas Stasev, Atanas Kolev, Atanas Kirev, Vasil Milev and Vasil Slivkin. After the CPG party organization was created in Neret it began to accept new members, by 1941 80 people had signed up. 374

With the outbreak of the Greek-Italian war, Atanas Kizov and other villagers of fighting age were mobilized into the Greek army and immediately sent to the Albanian front. Some people in Neret, like some in their neighbouring villages, believed that fighting in this war was fighting for other people’s interests. In time many progressives, including Atanas Kizov, fled the Greek army and crossed over into Yugoslavia. The CPG leadership unfortunately didn’t see things their way and because Tanas and the others left for Yugoslavia they were labeled as traitors who had betrayed their own country. Nikos Zahariadis himself, as CPG secretary general at the time, called on all progressives to fight against Mussolini’s army and labeled those who didn’t traitors.

Atanas Kizov remained in Yugoslavia for some time and worked as a waiter.

In the spring of 1941 he returned to his native village Neret and immediately began to organize the villagers to struggle against the occupiers. At the same time Atanas and a number of people from his village began to collect weapons and ammunition abandoned by the Greek army after it withdrew from the Albanian front.

At the end of 1942, Atanas and fellow villagers Petre Markov, Pando Postolov and Pando Mialichin 375 left the village and went to

374 According to the recollections of Alekso Mechkarov from the village of Neret. Alekso was a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. Also according to the recollections of Vane Topalovski... 375 Pando Mialichin spied for the Greek reactionaries during the Greek Civil War. 152 join the partisans. A few months later, two more people from Neret, Pando Popov and Vane Stamenov, joined ELAS. 376

In the spring of 1943, Atanas joined an ELAS detachment which took part in a number of attacks against the Germans in Kulata, just below Vicho, where ELAS fighters inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. In retaliation, in the summer of 1943, the Germans burned down the houses of four ELAS fighters from Neret.

At about the same time schools for officers were organized on the free ELAS territory. Atanas Kizov was sent to one of these schools from which he graduated as a lieutenant. After that he fought in Greben Region until the end of the fascist occupation.

After the German-Italian and Bulgarian occupiers were driven out, Atanas went back to Neret and as the new political situation in Greece developed, after the famous Varkiza Agreement was signed, the people of Neret created the organization ACE. At this point it was too dangerous to associate with the CPG so the Neret communists, wanting to avoid persecution and arrest, transformed their CPG party organization into ACE, which was a legal organization. In Neret, ACE took an active role in organizing political actions, such as agitating the population to participate in the various manifestations and rallies taking place in Lerin against the British and the reactionary elements coming to power in Greece. Atanas was involved in all of these actions.

In March 1945, after consolidating their power in the country with Anglo-American help, the Greek reactionaries launched an unheard of terror campaign against all progressive forces in Greece and, above all, against the Macedonian people with aims at physically exterminating them. During this unbearable situation, widespread throughout all of Aegean Macedonia, Atanas Kizov and a group of Macedonians and former anti-Fascists were forced to go underground. Many crossed the border and fled to the Republic of Macedonia.

376 According to the recollections of Vane Stamenov from the village of Neret. Vane was a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. 153 In 1946, Atanas and many of his compatriots who had fled to the Republic of Macedonia voluntarily returned to their native village and created a Macedonian detachment. Atanas was appointed its leader. The detachment later began to operate in the Neret vicinity and on Mount Vicho. According to Dr. Giorgi Nedelkov, his comrade in arms, Atanas was a popular leader respected by his fighters. They were proud to fight under his command. This is how Dr. Giorgi Nedelkov described Atanas’s fighting qualities in his memoirs:

“It was fall in 1946. After a long journey traveling over a bare rocky mountain we entered a forest... There we had a few touching moments! It seemed like we were with an old faithful friend and patron... It was like reliving our ELAS memories of localities, events, friends, comrades... I was in a good state of mind when we entered the old partisan camp. The hearths that were left behind were still there. The partisans lined up and prepared for a campaign. The commander gave them their last orders. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a broad forehead, eyes with a resolute gaze, lips tight. His body showed a man of strength with unwavering will. In general, the commander’s external appearance radiated confidence and love... After a short discussion he unexpectedly spoke to me about some new divisive manifestation of certain elements... Such was the moral form of Giza (Atanas Kizov), which was supplemented with a clear political orientation...” 377

Atanas Kizov remained on Neret Mountain and in the Vicho area until the end of October 1946.

In the second half of November 1946, after the NOF Macedonian partisan detachments were combined with the CPG partisan detachments and a joint DAG headquarters was created in “Vicho”, Atanas and his detachment left for Mount Voion. There it fought bravely against Greek government troops and Atanas was quickly elevated to prominence as an experienced fighter. He was promoted to commander of the DAG 12th Company. 378 This is what Dr. Giorgi Nedelkov said further on in his memoirs: “I caught up with

377 Dr. Giorgi Nedelkov, Atanas Kizov-Giza. “For the Holy National Freedom”..., pp. 71-72. 378 According to the recollections of Vane Topalovski... 154 Atanas Kizov in the summer of 1947, when he was company commander. He was well respected by the partisans in his company and was well-known by all the partisans and the people from Vicho to Hasia...” 379

On July 25, 1947, three DAG battalions from Epirus and Macedonia (about 900 fighters), including Atanas Kizov’s company, attacked the government installations in the town Grevena. The purpose of the operation was to seize the city but it failed. According to a report by DAG General Staff, about 200 DAG fighters were killed and wounded and a total of about 298 government soldiers were killed. 380

Atanas Kizov demonstrated extraordinary abilities and heroism during the battle to capture Grevena. Namely, when his company was being decimated, he decided on his own initiative to disable the enemy bunker that was mowing down his comrades. Even though this bunker was fenced with several rows of barbed wire at a distance of 100 to 150 metres from its nest, Atanas managed to cut it and got as closer as 3 metres without being killed. But when he attempted to penetrate the bunker in order to destroy it, an enemy burst of machine gun fire came from an opposite bunker and cut him down. 381

Risto Kizov, Atanas’s son, visited Grevena and found the mass grave where his father and other fallen fighters were buried. The tomb is located west of Grevena in the locality of Kishlak. There is also another cemetery nearby where the Greek government soldiers, killed during the same battle, were buried.

About 1 to 2 km northwest of the partisan mass grave is a dominant hill. This is where the bunker where Atanas Kizov died is located.

379 Dr. Giorgi Nedelkov, Atanas Kizov-Giza, “For the Holy National Freedom”..., p. 72. 380 Chronology of the People’s Liberation Struggle in the Aegean part of Macedonia. Republic Board. Skopje, 19--, p. 165. 381 According to the recollections of Petre Dimirov from the village Krapeshina, Lerin Region. Petre was a participant in the National Liberation War and in DAG. He was Atanas Kizov’s courier. 155 Today the bunker is fenced with a strong fence and is kept in good condition.

This was how Atanas Kizov died.

DAG Military Command for Gramos highly appreciated Atanas Kizov’s fighting qualities and intended to soon promote him to battalion commander but his untimely death prevented that.

156 IVAN KOVACHEV-ORFEAS (1922-1949)

In July 1949, just one month before DAG was defeated, a fierce battle took place on Mount Alevitsa near Gramushta, to capture a strategic peak on Mount Gramos during which Ivan Kovachev-Orpheas, political commissar of a battalion, was killed. His two brothers Giorgi and Dimitar also gave their lives for Macedonia’s freedom. Giorgi was killed during a partisan attack on his hometown Gumendzhe in August 1946 and, even though he wasn’t a direct participant in the attack, he was captured by Greek government troops and burned alive. A year later, in 1947, Dimitar was killed during a partisan attack on the town Enidzhe-Vardar. Their mother also suffered. She went mad due to her severe suffering. But the death of his two brothers and his mother’s suffering didn’t shake Ivan. On the contrary, he became increasingly more determined, firmly believing that this was a just war and victory would be achieved.

Ivan Kovachev-Orpheus was born in 1922, in the town Gumendzhe, to a poor working class family. After finishing primary school he learned the skill and worked as a barber in Gumendzhe.

From the start of the fascist occupation in 1941, Ivan was one of the first in Gumendzhe to join OKNE, the youth organization, and later EPON and continued to struggle against the foreign occupiers. 382

In March 1944, Ivan Kovachev voluntarily joined 383 the 30th ELAS Brigade. 384 Serving as Captain he actively participated in all its battles. Included among the main ones were the battles to capture the cities Gumendzhe and Enidzhe-Vardar, the Boimitsa mine, the

382 Short biographical notes on the NOF activists in Gumendzhe and Enidze-Vardar Regions, submitted by Ivan Nichev to the NOF General leadership. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, Vol. III, doc. 134, p. 298. 383 Program for the memorial commemoration of events and characters from the revolutionary past of the Macedonian people in Skopje. Skopje, 1973, part III, (bisti). Manuscript kept in INI. 384 Thanasis Mitsopoulos (Captain Stavros), History of the ELAS XXX Brigade (Memories and Events), Part I. Translated from Greek to Macedonian by Todor Simovski, pp. 240-244. Kept in INI. 157 villages Sandelchevo, Vrtikopsko, Postol (Pela), Plasnichevo and Kukush. 385

Later, in December 1944, Ivan Kovachev serving in the 30th ELAS Brigade was sent to Athens where, together with other ELAS units, he fought valiantly against the Greek nationalist government and the British interventionists who had arrived in Greece just as the German occupiers left. Ivan was wounded in the head during one of these battles. 386

In the second half of January 1945, after the armistice was concluded on January 11, 1945 between the reactionaries and ELAS, Ivan and the ELAS 30th Brigade returned to Solun and from there went to Enidzhe-Vardar where all weapons were accordingly surrendered as per the Varkiza Agreement. 387

In March 1945, after ELAS capitulated, Ivan Kovachev-Orpheus went underground and, in order to avoid being arrested by the Greek reactionaries, together with other patriots from his homeland crossed over the border into the Republic of Macedonia. There he immediately joined the First Aegean Assault Brigade and actively and selflessly fought against remnants of the Balisti gangs in the vicinities of Debar, Kichevo, Gostivar, Tetovo, etc.

Shortly afterwards, in late spring of 1945, Ivan Kovachev left the Yugoslav People’s Army and voluntarily returned to Gumendze Region to organize Macedonians from this area into a nationwide uprising against the Greek reactionaries wreaking havoc all throughout Aegean Macedonia. 388

385 Ibid: Part II, pp. 208-212. 386 Ibid: p. 452. Also see “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, Vol. III, doc. 134, p. 298. 387 Thanasis Mitsopoulos, History of the ELAS XXX Brigade..., pp. 461-472. 388 Report written by Ivan Nichev, member of the NOF District leadership for Gumendze and Enidze-Vardar Regions, and sent to the NOF Main leadership, regarding the organizational and political situation in Gumendzhe Region. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, Vol. III, doc. 24, pp. 59-60. 158 In a letter sent to the NOF General leadership, dated November 1945, regarding the Macedonian people’s difficult situation in this region, Ivan, among other things, wrote:

“...The situation in our area is unbearable. The terror is enormous. In addition to the 25 389 Burandars (reactionary bands) arrested, now others are being persecuted... The people are very upset... In general, there is a lot of terror committed in the entire country... Two people were beaten in Barovitsa when the Burandars found a copy of the newspaper “Laiki Foni” on them... 390

As a member of the NOF District Board for Gumendzhe and Enidze-Vardar Regions (responsible for NOMS), 391 Ivan Kovachev worked tirelessly day and night and successfully performed all the tasks assigned to him. He remained in this position until May 20, 1947 when NOF held a general meeting in the “Mishovi Kolibi” locality in Kaimakchalan, where a decision was made for part of the NOF leadership, which had previous experience in warfare, to join DAG and thus strengthen its ranks. Here Ivan voluntarily joined DAG and immediately stood out as an experienced commander during the numerous battles he’d fought in Central and Southwest Macedonia, in Epirus and Thessaly, etc. Later, the DAG leadership entrusted him with a relatively large unit which, as its commander, he led in the most difficult battles in Gramos, Vicho, Prespa, Epirus, etc.

As a DAG fighter Ivan Kovachev fought heroically against the Greek reactionaries and because of his dedication to the liberation of the Macedonian people, during the First 392 and Second 393 NOF

389 The letter also includes a list of the arrested anti-fascists. 390 Letter from Ivan Kovachev-Orpheus, to Ivan Nichev, regarding the terror in Gumendze. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1945”, Vol. II, doc. 207, pp. 390-391. 391 NOF Main Management Annual Report, dated January 12, 1946, on NOF’s organizational structure and activities in Aegean Macedonia. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1946”, T. III, doc. 9, p. 32. 392 List of NOF Main Board of members appointed during The First NOF Congress. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1948”, T. V, doc 16. p. 45. 393List of NOF Main Board members proposed at the Second NOF Congress. “Aegean Macedonia in the National Liberation War, 1949”, Vol. VI. Documents 159 Congresses, he was appointed a candidate member of NOF’s central leadership.

Ivan Kovachev-Orpheus, a brave leader in NOF and exemplary fighter in DAG, died heroically in July 1949 in a difficult and unequal battle against the enemy while attempting to capture the “Gramushta” locality on Mountain Gramos. He was serving as a political commissar when he died. 394

on the participation of the Macedonian people from the Aegean part of Macedonia in the Greek Civil War. Macedonian Archives, Skopje, 1983, doc. 74, p. 155.) 394 According to the recollections of Aleko Pulkov... 160 KOSTA KUZEV-DINI (1913-1950)

Kosta Kuzev was born in 1913 in the town Voden to a poor working class family.

In 1924, after Kosta’s father Tushi died suddenly, little Kosta was sent to a boarding school in Voden. After finishing his primary education, Kosta continued his education at the military school on the island Krv. 395 From the very beginning he was one of the best students in his school. A short time later he connected with other students, and with their help joined OKNE, the youth organization. There he learned new and revolutionary ideas.

In 1930, Kosta was caught by the military authorities at the school, arrested for being involved in revolutionary activities and then sentenced to seven months in prison. 396 After serving his sentence he returned to his hometown and, as an OKNE member, continued to work to expand the OKNE organization in Voden.

In the period between 1932 and 1933, many labour union related manifestations took place in Voden during which Kosta, on behalf of OKNE, worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm to get people to join the rallies and demonstrations. 397

In 1934, Kosta Kuzev was drafted into the Greek military in Voden. There he immediately joined the anti-fascist Committee of the 30th Infantry Regiment, headed by the CPG District Committee for Voden Region. 398 Being an experienced OKNE activist, Kosta disseminated revolutionary propaganda in military barracks at his own risk. In addition to writing propaganda slogans, he distributed leaflets, talked to people, etc.

Kosta was a member of the CPG City Committee in Voden when Ioannis Metaxas’s dictatorship took root in Greece, and as such he

395 Vangel Aianovski-Oche, Critical Review of the Development of the Workers’, Communist and National Liberation Movement of the Macedonians in Voden and Voden Region, Part II, p. 371. Kept in INI. 396 Ibid. 397 According to the recollections of Vangel Aianovski-Oche. 398 According to the recollections of Angel Gatsev. 161 fought against the crimes committed by the Greek regime against the innocent Macedonian population.

In late October 1940, Kosta was mobilized into the Greek army and sent to the Albanian front to fight the Italian Fascists. In the spring of 1941, he left the Albanian front and returned to Voden where he immediately joined the struggle against the new fascist occupiers. Thanks to his commitments to liberate his homeland, he was re-appointed to the CPG Committees for the city Voden. 399

Later with the formation of MAO, the Macedonian Liberation Organization, Kosta was appointed a member of the MAO District Committee for Voden Region. 400 In that capacity, Kosta continued to struggle against the foreign occupiers and their domestic servants.

At the end of the spring of 1943, Kosta Kuzev was appointed a member of the CPG District Committee for Voden Region in charge of finances.

In mid-July 1943, in addition to giving the Fascist Bulgarians the eastern part of Aegean Macedonia, the German occupiers gave them control of parts of Central Aegean Macedonia and thus divided Macedonia yet again. Naturally the Macedonians in Voden weren’t happy and received the news with great indignation. A two-day general strike was organized in the city and towards the end of the month more people began to protest in the streets. A rally was held which was attended by about 1,000 protesters. The rally was led by a special board consisting of Vani Mandev, Tashko Aianovski, Dini Papaiankov, Kosta Kuzev and some others. 401

After the German-Italian and Bulgarian occupiers were driven out, Kosta was appointed District Public Prosecutor in Voden Region and worked in that capacity until ELAS capitulated as a result of signing the famous Varkiza Agreement.