2 

The Campaign Committees after the Establishment of the Bulgarian Administrative Rule

The campaign committees and mostly the CC faced many essen­tial economic tasks for accomplishment. One of the first was provid­ing food for the population and normalizing of life. The functioning of the industry had to be restored as well as the existing administra­tive offices, factories, workshops, schools, etc. Of course, the greater part of the tasks in connection with the restoration of the normal life was a responsibility of the municipalities, the formation of which was a task of the campaign committees.

The CC organized the dispatch of wheat flour from Bulgaria to Skopje and the region as well to the parts in distress in Vardar Mace­donia, for example, Galichnik, Mavrovo and others. Greater part of the food was transferred by irregular ways for the starving people in the regions occupied by the Italians.⁴²

With a letter from May 31, 1941 to Stephan Chaprashikov⁴³ the CC insisted food to be sent to Macedonia immediately - at least 10 000 t grain food. One part of that quantity were for the Bulgarians in the areas, occupied by Italy and the transportation had to be secured by the Bulgarian authorities. As an important request was the food to be given only to the Bulgarians by the Italian administration. The CC announced that the supply with essentials had to be arranged as soon as possible, i.e. sugar, salt, petrol, soap and oil - and the distribution had to be organized by coupons to avoid speculation.⁴⁴

The Bulgarian government understood and responded to the re­quest of BCCC. Echelons with food were set off Vardar Macedonia. Only in June in Skopje 100 wagons were delivered. In August 200 000 Leva were granted for the poor. From the army canteens served food to the population. Notwithstanding the lack of essentials the state provided goods mostly for that region as compared to the popu­lation in the other parts of the country. Pensions were given to the participants in the struggle for liberation against the Turkish, Serbi­an and Greek tyranny. The Bulgarians were returned the lands set­tled with Serbian colonists. The prices of tobacco, as well as of the wool and of the other agricultural goods rose. The government took care for the development of industry and crafts, transport, educa­tion and health service. Eight hours working day was introduced and children's labour was forbidden.⁴⁵

On April 30, 1941 the Council of Ministers gathered on a session about the regions affected by the war. On the basis of Art. 1 and 2 from the Law on Assistance to Those Affected by Social Disasters, Skopje region, Pirot district, Tsaribrod and Bossilegrad as part of Sofia district. For assistance of the extremely poor population in those regions the Council of Ministers granted money subsidies: to Skopje Regional director - 2 000 000 Leva and to Sofia one - 500 000 Leva. That money was for provision of food, products, etc. for the population as per the local needs. The amount of 400 000 Leva was granted to the Administration for purchase of grain, as well for the delivery of corn in those regions.⁴⁶

On May 13, the Council of Ministers discussed that question again. It was assigned to the Bulgarian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank to grant a 5 000 000 Leva loan, guaranteed by the state, to the Com­missioner of Supplies to ensure essentials to the population in those regions. As it was obvious, the Bulgarian administration in the newly liberated areas started operation by providing material support to the population in disaster that was not a fault of Bulgaria.⁴⁷ Obvious­ly the Bulgarian administration in the newly liberated parts started operation with material support for the population in disaster not to the fault.

The food supplies for the population in Macedonia caused some difficulties in the economy of the country. In the 1941 annual report of the commissariat of 9^lh Infantry Pleven Division, for example, was written that the newly liberated Bulgarian lands - Dobrudzha, West Thrace, Macedonia and the Western Territories (Zapadni Pokrainini) - were systematically sacked by their former rulers. That imped­ed the economic life in the old boundaries of the country, as it im­posed urgent measures for providing the population with essentials.⁴⁸

The old emigration in Bulgaria from Macedonia also rendered assistance. The brotherhoods raised funds and other things for help.

At their meeting on May 12, 1941 the Veles Brotherhood took a deci­sion to help the poor citizens in Veles. Originally there were some ideas with the money raised to be bought food. Later the members of the brotherhood found out that for the transportation of the food they would have to pay a considerable amount of money. That was why they decided Ivan Popyordanov to take the cash of 60 000 Leva to Veles and with the assistance of the members of the cam­paign committees to give them out to the poor. They considered that that amount of money sent from Bulgaria would cover sufficient quantities of food.⁴⁹

Besides the food supplies for the population, the CC proposed to the government to undertake as soon as possible the construction of roads, railways, as well as public buildings - schools, etc. thus ensur­ing work for thousands of workers in miserable position. Care was taken for the clerks and the intellectuals. BCCC insisted for help until they find suitable work. Having in mind that the clerks and the intel­lectuals had worked in a foreign environment and were not well in­formed about the Bulgarian laws, BCCC proposed clerks form Bul­garia to be sent in Macedonia and to “adapt the local intellectuals to work faster”. According to BCCC, that was “an honorable service".⁵⁰

The financial matters especially bothered the members of the campaign committees. They proposed the prices in Vardar Mace­donia to be in Leva to prevent speculation as it could have negative impact on the clerks, workers and the ,.insignificant citizen" and to prevent the import of great quantities of banknotes from Yugoslavia. In general, they insisted serious measures to be taken for the preser­vation of the economy of the region, already affected by the Serbian and Greek tyranny; the repayment of people's savings to start even in partial installments as they suffered most. As regards the Serbian colonists, the members of the campaign committees were adamant - they had to be deported as soon as possible and their properties to be returned to the Bulgarians that owned them. As a whole, BCCC in­sisted for a grand in its dimensions work for a maximum use of the “tough” Macedonian Bulgarian, his strenuous labour, his honesty and thriftfulness, the beautiful and fertile land, the natural resources (Document No. 42).⁵¹

In the letter to Chaprashikov, the Central Committee insisted the educational and cultural work to be promoted in Vardar Macedonia and a Faculty in Agriculture to be opened besides the existing one in Philosophy. The concept of the members was to accomplish a direct contact between the students from the old and the new bound­aries. BCCC did not have any illusions about the condition of the intellectuals. It was evident that the oppression had badly damaged their characters. “As it was known that even in the social life of Bulgaria the lack of strength of character has played a fatal and horrible role, steps should be made for cultivation of hardness, mod­esty, diligence, love to the nation and the Motherland, in other words -to be created conscientious, respectable and patriotic citizens of lib­erated Macedonia, now in the warm embrace of Mother Bulgaria."

BCCC insisted the Bulgarian authorities to pay special attention to the organization of the medical care as the Serbian and the Greek regimes did not protect the health of the Bulgarian population.

One of the first tasks before the Bulgarian campaign commit­tees was the assistance for-the liberation of the Macedonian Bul­garians - soldiers in the Yugoslav army and then prisoners of war in German camps as well as of everyone from the prisons of Ver­sailles Yugoslavia.

That concerned the whole Bulgarian society and mostly the Head­quarters of the army. A special Military Captives Office was created for that purpose. The Ministry of War got in touch with the German and Italian headquarters and insisted the question to be arranged -the Bulgarian prisoners of war to be returned to the Bulgarian mili­tary authorities. For that reason the campaign committees made lists with the names of the prisoners of war and sent them to the Ministry of War.⁵² On its part the ministry sent information to BCCC. Accord­ing to that data, as at May 27, 1941 were released and sent to their homes the following Bulgarians - prisoners of war: from the camp in Slivnitsa - 3101 people, from the camp near Vidin - 120 people, from the camp near Petrich - 487 people, from the camp near Nikopol -2361 people, from the camp near Rousse - 812 people, Until that date 10 475 people in total were liberated and sent back to their native places. That, however, were only the prisoners of war on the territory of Bulgaria. Along with that the Headquarters of the army ordered to the military attaches in Athens, Belgrade, Budapest and Rome to discover and liberate from the camps in the respective coun­tries all Bulgarians - prisoners of war: Commissions headed by Bulgarian military officers were sent to the camps and they liberated: 300 people from the camps in Hungary, 1147 people from the camp in the town of Timishvar, 204 people from the camp in the town of Nish, 36 people from the camp at Panchevo, 507 people from the camp at Dedine (near Belgrade), totally - 2194 people. Or until May 27, 1941 were liberated 12 669 prisoners of war - Macedonian Bul­garians in total. (Document No. 39).⁵³

The campaign committees gave their contribution to the libera­tion of the prisoners of war especially from the camps in Macedonia. Their members negotiated for the liberation of the people. Of course that happened with the active intervention of the Bulgarian govern­ment. The precise Germans would not easily agree easily to liberate the prisoners of war. But in any case the interference of the cam­paign committees in that activity was obvious. Dr. Hristo Grouev from the town of Strouga, for example, turned with a request to the CC for the liberation of several thousand people Bulgarian prison­ers of war from Macedonia that were in camps in Albania. The Ital­ians did not permit, as the doctor explained, the relatives of the pris­oners of war to meet them. Even the Bulgarian consulate in Tirana was not in a position to help (Document No. 40).⁵⁴

Active participation in raising funds for the prisoners of war took the Macedonian Women's Union with the BCCC for Macedonia. Care for the liberated prisoners and their sending to the native places took also the emigrants’ organizations in Bulgaria - The Union of the Macedonian Cultural Educational Charitable Brotherhood, the Macedonian Women's Union, the Macedonian Scientific Institute, Ilinden society and Macedonian Adrianople Volunteers' society.⁵⁵ For example, on their meeting on April 28, 1941 the trustees of Raiko Zhinzifov Veles Charitable Brotherhood in Veles accepted donations from the colony in town for supporting of the prisoners of war as well for the poor citizens that suffered from the battles. The funds raised amounted to 65 500 Leva the spending of which entrusted to Ivan Popyordanov.⁵⁶

At first were liberated the prisoners of war from Kale camps near Skopje and after that in the whole of Macedonia - not only from the Vardar area, but from Aegean region, the camps in Yugo­slavia. The committees were actively involved actively in the libera­tion of the Bulgarians from Macedonia - prisoners in Yugoslavia and Greece.

The Bulgarians from Western Trace and Aegean Macedonia, in­terned to the islands and in Pelopones also were liberated from the German and Italian camps for prisoners of war. Part of them, mostly those from the islands, were sent to Kavala and Salonica, others to Athens where the Bulgarian legation ensured their transportation by trucks to Salonica. On July 4, 1941 were sent the last 80 people, who were found in the prisons in Naflipon.⁵⁷ The prisoners of war in Austria, Italy, Germany and Hungary were liberated as well.

A great number of Serbs, Croatians, Montenegrins, people from Bosnia and Slovenia were liberated together with the Bulgarians with the assistance of the campaign committees. For that purpose the campaign committees sent official letters to the German commandantship, to the Italian minister plenipotentiary in Sofia and others. CC was in permanent contact with the Bulgarian military and polit­ical authorities mostly with General N. Mihov, commander-in-chief.⁵⁸

From the prisoners was required firstly oral and then written declaration that they were Bulgarians. That requirement was set by the German commendatories that were against the liberation of pris­oners of war from other nationalities from former Yugoslavia. The number of the Yugoslavian soldiers, captured on the territory of Vardar Macedonia was about 100 000 people.⁵⁹

A great number of petitions for liberation of the captured Bul­garians from Macedonia, former soldiers in the Yugoslav army, were preserved in the Central Military Archives. Below we show only one example. The father of the Yugoslav General Mihaylo Apostolski - Mite Apostolov Matovski from the Shtip quarter of Novo Selo — famous stronghold of the Bulgarian spirit - noted in his plea that his son Mihail Mitev, operative major in the Headquarters of the Drava Division in the town of Liubliana was captured in the war near the town and was in Vestne camp near Milan, Italy. Matovski asked for the liberation of his son and stated that he was “a Bulgarian, born by Bulgarian parents in the town of Shtip”. Further he said, “I say that I am one of the first Bulgarians in Shtip, I worked for Bulgaria and for the Bulgarian nation and in the World War I was a volunteer in the Bulgarian army, I was wounded on the border with Albania by a hostile bullet and now I am handicapped." The father explained that his son served in the Serbian army not from love to the country but “as we are extremely poor people, he tried to find temporary work with the expectation that one day our country will be access­ed to the Motherland and than he could serve to the beloved Bulgar­ian Tsar and state." (Document No. 41).⁶⁰ There was a resolution on his plea: “Rome, for liberation." The campaign committees allowed the possibility for officers and soldiers from other nationalities also to be liberated. However, there was not information whether any prisoner of war felt Macedonian and had refused to be freed from captivity for not being Bulgarian. A great number of Serbian cap­tives, for example, refused to be liberated because they were Serbi­ans, not Bulgarians.

One of the important tasks of the campaign committees was orga­nizing the Bulgarian celebrations in liberated Macedonia. Of course, they were a people's deed and the main organizer was the adminis­trative power. The members of the campaign committees took part in the administrative power and also participated in organizing the feasts. Without going in detail I would examine some actions of the citizens in Vardar Macedonia at that time and the role of the cam­paign committees in it.

Special attention deserved the celebration of May 24 in Skopje where BCCC took active participation. According to the notice in the Integrated Bulgaria newspaper, many visitors form Sofia arrived for the celebration. Members of Yunak union were present as well. The president of the Macedonian Scientific Institute in Sofia prof. Nikola Stoyanov, born in Doyran, had arrived too. BCCC organized an official meeting of the guests by a brass band, which was trained by BCCC to play Bulgarian marches. In the Tsar Boris III central square the guests were met by the municipality authorities as well as by the notable citizens among who was Dimitar Giuzelev. Many girls and boys were also present. With a moved voice the advisor of the BCCC Blagoy Popankov delivered a speech in the name of the citizens of Skopje and especially in the name of Skopje “Yunatsi”. The population mingled with the guests. Relatives, brothers and sis­ters met after long separation. The people in the square cried with joy. In the same evening, a little later in Skopje arrived the represen­tatives of the Macedonian Adrianople's Volunteers' Societies from Sofia, Plovdiv and Pernik. The group consisted of 100 people and was led by Andro Loulchev. On the railway station in Skopje the veterans in the struggle for liberation were met by the members of the renovated Volunteers’ Society - about 200 people with Pane Shosholchev, the Secretary Hristo Gligorov and the Cashier Kosta Panev at the head.⁶¹

Along with the meeting farewell party was organized for the representatives of the Macedonian Bulgarians leaving for Sofia. A great number of children - students from Skopje, Veles, Prilep, Bitola, Ohrid, Kroushevo, Negotin, Kavadartsi and Gevgely started for the celebration in the capital. On the station a meeting took place. The Regional Director Anton Kozarov and the Deputy President of the Macedonian Women's Union at BCCC Ekaterina Voynova greeted the crowd.⁶² To take part in the celebration arrived the old revolu­tionary Lazar Tomov - President of Ilinden Organization in Sofia. He took with himself the flag of Vardar Yunak Society that he had carried with him to Sofia after the catastrophe in 1918.⁶³

Impressive were the celebrations in liberated Skopje in honour of the brothers from Salonica. Early in the morning the central square was full of people. The streets were decorated with flags , flowers and the pictures of the brothers Cyril and Methodius. A platform for the official representatives and honorable citizens and guests was constructed especially for the feast. There were the Regional Direc­tor Anton Kozarov, the mayor of the town eng. Yanko Mustakov, the Deputy President of BCCC and mayor of the town Spiro Kitinchev, foreign councils, people's representatives Tasko Stoilov, Peter Doumanov, Geto Krastev, eng. Dimitur Chkatrov and Dimitur Giuzelev, representatives of the Bulgarian Writers' Union and many other.⁶⁴ The stone bridge was approached by a procession headed by the governing the Skopje-Veles Bishopric, Sofronii, Bishop of Turnovo, surrounded by 15 local priests. Boys carried gonfalons and the old­est icon of St. St. Cyril and Methodius from the Holly Mother Church that was preserved by miracle from devastation by the Serbian sup­pressors.

After the prayer and the palpable speech of Bishop Sofronii the regional school inspector Hristo Zografov delivered a speech full of signification and gratitude towards the deeds of the Saint Brothers. The crowd was deeply touched. Young people came with quick steps through the bridge. They carried by relay the sacred flame from the old capital - the town of Preslav. Fanfares sounded and everybody shouted “Hurrah”. Bishop Sofronii took the flame and pronounced a blessing “In the name of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church I am blessing this holy flame and let it be spread in all parts of the liberated land.”⁶⁵

The young boys headed for another sacred Bulgarian place -Ohrid. Afterwards 29 streets in Skopje were given the names of Bulgarians from Macedonia, Colonel Boris Drangov str, Mara Bouneva str., etc. On the square in front of the platform there were 29 people in line with bicycles, dressed in uniforms, who carried plates with the new names. When the name of the street was pronounced the man with the bicycle headed off to it, accompanied by ovations.⁶⁵

The manifestation of the students, the villagers, the organizations and the military units started then. First came the little children dressed in white, green and red clothes. Others had self-made clothes of Bulgarian newspapers. Children carried crowns with letters from the Bulgarian alphabet. A truck passed with a group of students sitting on desks. Before them there were four blackboards with the letters “ъ, ь, ю, я”. Those were the letters that differentiated the Bul­garian alphabet from the other Slavonic alphabets. Among a storm of applauses and shouts “Hurrah” passed the students from the old boundaries, the Yunatsi from Sofia, members of Macedonia-Adrianople's Volunteer Groups from Pernik, Sofia, Plovdiv and Skopje. Excellent impression made the brass band of the students from the secondary schools. Small group of white-haired old men also passed caring a modest placard “1888-1908. Teachers of the Exarchate.” After them passed workers from the Skopje tobacco monopoly. Girls with national costumes followed. With rapture were met the peas­ants from the region. They carried enormous flags. Some of them were dressed very poorly. Some of the women wore slippers, others were barefooted. The old people were moved to tears. They passed with spread hands as if they wanted to embarrass the long yearned and achieved freedom. The manifestation finished and left unforget­table memories in the citizens of Skopje.⁶⁷ They were convinced that the years of oppression had passed and that the Bulgarian society was united before the ideal for liberation and accession of the lands. The celebrations of May 24 were organized in a similar way in the other regions of Macedonia.

Even before the end of the celebrations in Skopje, on 26 May 1941 in the Holy Mother Church was organized a memorial meeting for Colonel Boris Drangov. Like many other young Bulgarians from Macedonia, Drangov had dedicated himself to the military service. He thought that only as a soldier he could work for the liberation of the oppressed Macedonia. He was a highly respected officer in the Bulgarian army and was a good teacher, too. He actively participat­ed in the wars for national liberation and unification in 1912-1918. On May 26, 1917 he was killed by the Bulgarian enemies. Colonel Drangov was buried in his native town in the yard of St. Dimitrii Church in the presence of all citizens.⁶⁸ The Serbs, however, did not leave his remains in peace.

The memory for the perished Boris Drangov was alive in the people's memories despite the attempts of the Serbian regime in Vardar Macedonia his name to be sunk in oblivion. In 1934 the Serbs demolished his grave which was moved by his relatives in Skopje cemetery. The establishment of the Bulgarian authority in the re­gion allowed the merited respect to the remains of that hero. On May 26, 1941 the citizens of Skopje at the head with BCCC officially celebrated the 24^th Anniversary from the death of Drangov. In Holy Mother Cathedral in Skopje there was a service in which Bishop Sofronii took part. The people that came into the church were so numerous that some of them stayed in the church yard, even in the nearer streets. His family was also present, as well as the mayor of Skopje eng. Moustakov and the whole municipal administration, the Deputy Regional director, representatives of the Boris Drangov Com­mittee, an honorable unit of guardsmen, officers, followers of Ilinden Organization, volunteers from the Macedonian Adrianople's Volunteers Groups and many other guests.⁶⁹