THERE IS ONE DESTINY - Part 05

Risto was enrolled in the faculty at Vrotslav and was to start his course in the fall of 1950 but unfortunately Risto was bypassed by a Greek who was sent in his place. Later Risto was told that the Committee had enrolled him in a different school and not to the one in Vrtslav. And as such, in the beginning of September 1950, the first regular Party school for the whole territory of Poland began its operation under the direction of the CPG. There were 70 participants who attended classes, which lasted about nine months until May and June 1951. The subjects taught were very difficult and were followed by written and oral exams after which diplomas were handed out in the presence of CPG General Secretary Nikos Zahariadis. Upon completion of this course, certain students were then selected for further study in a different school, a military school. Thus Risto was transferred from a Party school to a military school.

Party School “500”

Risto and the other students were sent by train from Zgorzelets and, after a long journey, arrived at the old place where hospital “250” had been, except now the former hospital had been converted to a school and renamed “500”. It was a military school which housed about 450 students. The students were all DAG and CPG officers and former fighters of the Greek Civil War. Included among those who were with Risto in the First Unit were Done Iankula from Zhelevo, Tane Paskov from Ofchareni, Tashko Botsev of Ksinonero and Naum Chakalo from Operino, the rest were Greeks. The Staff

and officers in the school were Poles. The students were classified as being part of the Headquarters of the Polish Ministry of National Defense. The students were divided into three units. Risto was part of the first unit. The course was designed to last one year but it only went from June 1951 to January 1952, at which point it was closed. The program was difficult, with much theoretical and practical material and exams were taken every three months. Risto did well in two sets of exams and was recognized by Command. Much discipline was expected from the students because the courses were designed for senior CPG officers, which were completed without any problems. The courses taken in this school were also helpful in private life because the students were expected to learn the Polish language as well as how to behave in Polish society. When Zahariadis came to the school he gave a fiery speech after which it was decided to close down the school. The reason given was because the Greek government had protested to the UN for having such a school and as such the Poles decided to close it down. After the school was closed, the students were loaded on a train and sent to Lizbark, a place near the city Olshin. The Germans used to have bases at this place. The terrain had natural beauty with many mountains and lakes. Unfortunately this place was isolated and the students had no contact with the local population. The school had to be isolated because classes were being held illegally. And as such the students went through two schools before they were disbanded and sent to various cities to work, including Vritslav, Poznian and Zgorzelets. From there some left and went to various other towns.

As was mentioned earlier, Risto returned to Zgorzelets in 1952 after attending military school. The situation there had changed and the city was not the same as Risto remembered it from 1950. There were no jobs available, the school was not working and there were no factories where one could find work. Risto remained in Zgorzelets where he was examined by a medical military commission and found to be permanently disabled. He was housed on Dasichengo street number 45 and was given coupons for food and cigarettes, but no money. The fighters who were capable of working, on the other hand, were given jobs in factories and their salaries were paid with money. Risto was a young man and in need of money but incapable of earning it, so he decided that he wanted to leave Zgorzelets and go out on his own. But he needed permission from those who looked

after his affairs and his health. He first went to Barba Traiko but was unable to convince him to allow him to leave. Later he went to Maki and Barba Lambro who gave him permission to move to Shvidnitsa provided he gave up everything he had in Zgorzelets, including his bed, blankets and sheets. After he agreed, Risto was given formal permission and a paid train ticket from Zgorzelets to Shvidnitsa. This was in February 1952.

Party School in Vrotslav

In August 1956, Risto was sent to the Party school in Vrotslav by the PORP Party Committee. Risto left his wife, brother and cousin in Shvidnitsa while he and a number of others went to Vrotslav. There they were placed in a well-equipped boarding school, which was supposed to last for a year. Many subjects were taught including mathematics, geography, history, biology, physics, the Polish language, Greek history, Marxism, political economics, etc., fourteen subjects in all. In the beginning the subjects were very difficult but the students had good teaching staff who worked full time with them so no one was left alone to struggle on their own. Risto remained in this school until March 1957 when the school again closed by order of Warsaw. All such schools that existed throughout Poland were closed. The only one that remained open was the one in the centre of Warsaw. A decision to close down these schools was made by Vladislav Gomulka, head of PORP, in September 1956. Vladislav and his comrades Spihalski, Klishko and others decided that this kind of education not only cost Polish society too much money but was unnecessary for the state. They closed down all the “sovkhozes” and “kolkhozes” and divided the land amongst the peasants. This all started after Russian troops left Poland and as a result of political demands to issue work permits to private businesses. This was also the time when nationalism was on the rise and there were demands made for the Jews, Germans and foreigners to leave the country, which of course led to no good. Now, for the first time, Poles were afraid in their own country. In the spring of 1957 General Rokosovski left Poland. At the same time Jews began to leave for Israel. Many Macedonians also sought permission to leave permanently and move to Yugoslavia and Greece.

Shvidnitsa

As luck would have it, Risto ran into Nikola Giorgievski, a friend of his and former co-fighter who lived in Shvidnitsa. Nikola promised Risto he would find him an apartment and work there. Soon afterwards Risto left for Shvidnitsa. Nikola Giorgievski and Nikola Michkovski were at the railway station waiting for him when Risto arrived. Together they took him to the wagon manufacturing factory where he was well received by his comrades who gave him a place to stay in the barracks and supplied him with coupons for food and money. In the barracks, beside his bed were linen, towels and basic hygiene products. So after years of strife in hospitals and schools, Risto finally arrived in a factory with large machines. This was a new day and the beginning of a new life for Risto in Poland.

After Risto established himself in the factory, met up with people he knew as well as with people he had just met in this beautiful industrial city, he returned to Zgorzelets to get Party recommendation to join the organization in Shvidnitsa, which he obtained without any problems.

As soon as Risto registered with the Party in Shvidnitsa, he began to look around and was happy with what he saw. The industrial city was well-developed with many factories, including factories for making cars such as M-9, ZVAP, SVUP, SHARPALNIJA, Rankoviche, etc. There were factories for processing sugar, gas storage facilities, thermal power plants and many smaller enterprises in which the former DAG fighters were working. The city was a great trading centre with about 70,000 inhabitants. There were many schools, a sports stadium, a swimming pool, a large park, an artificial lake, a railway and roads that linked it with nearby cities like Vałbzhuh, Belava, Shchegom, Iavozina and others. Shvidnitsa also had military barracks that housed Russian troops, an airport, a beautiful movie theater and many bars and restaurants. This was a place where everything was moving very slowly and had everything that a young man could wish for in those days after World War II.

The immigrants were well-accepted by the local residents, which made them feel very welcome. Before the war this place had been under German occupation just as Macedonia had been under Turkish

slavery. The capital of the entire Dolni Slonsk Region was Vrotslav, a large landscape with many channels of water running through it. The capital of Gorni Slonsk was Katovitse, a well-developed coal mining town that provided coal for the industry. Poland received these lands in 1945 after World War II, when Poland fell under the influence of the USSR. These territories were very rich but were destroyed during the war. After receiving these territories, Poland became a developed industrial country. In late 1949 many Greeks and Macedonians, many of the refugees from the Greek Civil War who had fled to Albania, were taken to Poland.

After Risto arrived in Shvidnitsa he took up residence at the factory barracks with his friends Nikola Giorgievski, who later married Risto’s friend Hristina from the village Rula, who Risto knew from the partisan days, and Nikola Michikovski, his wife, grandmother, child, and Barba Micho, who had arrived in the city before Risto. After Risto’s arrival more people came to the city. Among them were Micho Shkordov and his wife, Tashko Chapkanov, Vasil and Sotir Trpovski, who later got married, Micho Vangelov, and Micho from Seres Region. All these people came from the Vrotslav city schools as KV workers. So, besides those people mentioned above, there were also many other workers, including Greeks, who had worked and lived together, first in the barracks and then in common buildings. In the spring and early summer in 1952, Risto worked as a general labourer and at the same time studied to become a welder. But this did not last long as Risto became ill and was sent to an eye clinic in Vrotslav. He had developed eye problems from the bright welding light.

Risto remained in the eye clinic until he healed and at the same time was informed that he could not weld or do any heavy work. And that was that. Later Risto was visited by the authorities and placed in the ward where upholsteries were handled and where a number of older people worked. These people accepted Risto like he was their own son. They were involved in repairing old office furniture, belts for machines, gloves, aprons, wooden shoes and everything else that was needed in the factory. Risto had to study theory and practice as well as pass a test in order to become a KV worker. Unfortunately this too did not last long, as Risto was requested to change jobs. The authorities recommended that he take on a job operating the factory

cranes, which Risto accepted. This was complicated work for which Risto had to again study and pass a test in order to qualify to be a KV crane operator. Risto did not like this job because he had to work in three shifts which took him away from his social activities. In order to qualify for a better job, Risto enrolled in a course for technical drawing, which he successfully completed and passed the exam just in time, just before the factory began to develop a new type of narrow passenger wagon. Risto applied for a job and got it. His new responsibilities included working in a department as a KV locksmith where he spent a long time working. This, more or less, was Risto’s resume of the jobs he did in the factory for making wagons in town Shvidnitsa, for the period from 1952 to August 1957.

Risto’s work in the social and political life in Shvidnitsa from the winter of 1952, after he joined the people at the factory for manufacturing wagons, connected him with all the organizations such as the CPG Party organization in Poland, the “Nikos Veloianis” organization for the Greek refugees and the “Ilinden” organization for the Macedonian refugees.

* At the “Ilinden” Macedonian Organization for the Aegean Macedonians, Presidency meeting, an organization created under Zahariadis’s initiative, held on June 4, 1956, Colonel Pando Vaina, head of the organization, in his speech about the persecution of the Macedonian people by the CPG, among other things, said: “…During the Greek Civil War and even after DAG was defeated, Zahariadis had implemented policies to vilify and persecute a large number of Macedonian cadres and popular fighters. Labeling Macedonian fighters and political figures ‘enemy agents’ and other derogatory terms. This was very easy for Zahariadis to do but these charges, however, were completely unfounded… But because of these false accusations made by Zahariadis, many Macedonians were arrested and some were executed during 1948, 1949 and later.” (Am F-21/1600).

Risto was involved in all these organizations as a member and activist. Risto was the only one who was educated in such matters and, as such, was quickly accepted in the Municipal City Committee. The main slogan of the Party was: “competitions and

more work”. Then Risto, together with Sotir Asencharov, established the presidency of “Ilinden” as follows:

- President: Sotir Asencharov from the village German, Prespa Region - Secretary: Risto Mavrovski responsible for education - Treasurer: Manoli Begovski from Voden Region - Macedonian Language Teacher: Tsveta Sklifova - Supervisor and Inspector: Tasho Chapkanov - Music and Dancing: Ilia Sklifov - Youth Organizer: Kole from the village Bapchor

This was the Board and Council for the 1952 period. Later staff changes were made. In addition to the Board, the organization had subcommittees responsible for organizing sports activities, arts, correspondence, etc. The goal of the organization was to bring everyone together and keep them informed about what was happening. This organization closely cooperated with the organization “Nikos Veloianis” and some of the people were members of both organizations. The Board in which Risto participated was made up of members from all the factories.

The following people participated:

- Vango, President, a Greek - Lotsos, member, a Greek - Risto Mavrovski, responsible for the Macedonians - Apostolis Dimakopoulos, Secretary, a Greek - Vasilis Zogas, Party chores and tasks - Zirinchev, member, a Macedonian - Sotir Asancharov, member, a Macedonian - Tanas Trendov, member, a Macedonian

This was the presidency of the organization “Nikos Veloianis” in Shvidnitsa in 1952. Many changes were made later in both the membership and work done by that Committee, which was later renamed to Board.

From 1952 to half way into 1957, the immigrant people (both Greeks and Macedonians) working in Shvidnitsa were employed in the various factories as follows:

The Wagon Manufacturing Factory

- Nikola Michikovski, wife Alexandra, son Sotir and his wife’s mother - Nikola Giorgievski, wife Hristina, daughters Kiratsa and Elena, and a child that died - Aleko Liangovski and his mother - Micho Shkordov, wife Leftera, son Ilia and daughter Aleksandra - Sotir Trpovski, wife Tsana and son Vane - Vasil Trpovski and his woman - Trpo Gichevski and wife Tsila - Micho Angelov from Seres Region - Tashko Chapkanov from Voden Region - Dedo Micho from Voden Region - Done from the village Rula - Pando Manchev from the village Zagorichani - Vasilka Purovska with her children Micho and Lina - Risto Mavrovski

There were 34 people in total in this factory. The factory Board consisted of the following people:

- Nikola Giorgievski, President of “Ilinden” - Micho Shkordov, Secretary -Tashko Chapkanov, Treasurer - Nikola Michikovski, Member - Vasil Trpovski, Member

Factory M – 9

- Ilia Sklifov and his wife Tsveta - Sotir Asencharov, wife Iana, daughter Mira and his father Iose - Mitra Adzievska, mother-in-law and children Mitra, Tsena, Sandra, Dora and Vangel - Aleko Ilievski, wife Sofia and their son - Stavre Gruiovski, wife Stanka and two daughters

- George and his wife with four children from the village Zagorichani - Georgi Kostadinov from the village Zelenichevo

The factory Board consisted of the following people:

-Ilia Sklifov, President of “Ilinden” - Aleko Ilievski, Secretary - Georgi Kostadinov, Treasurer - Tsena Sklifova, Macedonian language teacher

Factory – ZVAP

The people working in this factory were predominantly young people who came from the various schools and this was their first job. Among them were some older people who are listed below:

- Risto Kotsmanov - Metodia Dafov and wife and son - Pando Zirinchev (a much older person) - Hristina Mladinka from the village Lak - Mara from the village Shestevo - Chana from the village Lagen - Kole from the village Bapchor - Kuzo Sklifov from the village Zagorichani - Olga Dzhateva from the village Pozdivishta, came a little later - Todor Giakovski from the village German - Lambro and Mara from Voden Region

The factory Board consisted of the following people:

- Risto Kotsmanov, President of “Ilinden” - Pando Zirinchev, Secretary - Kole from the village Bapchor, Treasurer and responsible for the youth

The following people were responsible for the disabled who worked in the Spudzhelnia Cooperative:

- Manoli Benovski, wife Aleksandra and daughter

- Angel Dramov - Todor Stamkov - Kosta Begalov worked in the garden

Manoli Benovski was in charge.

Factory – SVUP

- Tanas Trendov

Factory - Leather accessories (Renkavitse)

- Lina Purovska - Sofia Rosi Mavrovska

Apparel Cooperative

- Micho Purovski

Wood working Cooperative

- Nikola Mavrovski

City Hospital

- Aleksandra Kirova (had a daughter) - Visha Popovska - Antigona Pandovska and her children

Working in the town Schegom

- Giorgi Tasevski, wife Kostadina and children. There were other Macedonians as well whose names Risto did not remember.

There were Macedonians working in the city Iavozhina Svonska who were members of the “Ilinden” organization, 104 in total.

Included among those who died and were buried in the city cemetery were:

- Vasilka from the village German - Aleksandra Michikovska from the village Rabi - Kole and Hristina Giorgievski’s son (a young child)

Listed below are some of the tasks carried out by the CPG Party through the Organizations “Ilinden”, “Nikos Veloianis” and the PZPR (Polish United Workers’ Party).

The main tasks and slogans were: