After the Nei treaty was signed in 1919, according to article 56 of the same agreement Bulgaria was forced to sign the convention for free repatriation . The protocols, signed in Geneva in September 1924, in which the Bulgarian minority in Greece was placed under the supervision of the United Nations, could not be executed, because the Greek Parliament did not ratify them. An intensive chasing of the Bulgarians from Aegean Macedonia started. Ruthless terror and slaughtering of Bulgarian population took place. For example, in 1924 the Greek officer Doksaniks gave orders for the 19 local villagers, captured and brought to the district administration in the town of Ser, to be shot oh the road between Turnlis and Gorno Brodi. That was followed by countless executions of Bulgarians, refusing to be expatriated to Bulgaria. We will not mention all of the cases, because this shall be done in addition. We would like only to stress the fact that the blood of the Macedonian Bulgarians was shed again during the
GREEK CIVIL WAR (1945-1949)
Our compatriots became victims of the Greek Communist Party, that was manipulating and lying to our compatriots that it would recognize their minority status, if they fought on its side. This manipulation was done in full coordination with the bolshevik governors of Skopje and Belgrade - Aleksandar Rankovich, Milovan Djilas, Lazar Kolishevski, Tzvetko Uzunov, Michajlo Apostolski and Paskal Mitrevski. On October 14th, 1946 they stated the password ,,Now you will go down (to Aegean Macedonia). The leader of your struggle will be the Greek Communist Party". This party got down to work and organized by force the whole Bulgarian population till the end of 1947. The ones, born in 1930-1931, were also mobilized to fight in the war, although they had not yet reached 17 years. In 1948 that party mobilized the whole population - men and women in the so called assisting units for digging trenches, fortifications etc., e.g. total mobilization of the whole population of Aegean Macedonia was carried out. The blood of our compatriots was ruthlessly shed for the accomplishment of foreign ideals. They were told that their national rights would be recognized. This war took 30 to 40 victims from every village. The total number of Macedonian victims was 20000 persons. The supreme commander was the commander of the partisans Markos who said to the ,,Epikera" newspaper journalist: ,,We kill Slavs to keep Macedonia in Greece". His statement provided him with a visa for his return to Greece (see ,,New Macedonia" newspaper from February 25th, 1992). In September 1988 the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party said in Thessaloniki that for the Greek Communist Party there is no Macedonian minority in Greece.
"VOLUNTARY" EXPATRIATION OF MACEDONIAN BULGARIANS
According to Greek Encyclopedia (Athens 1934), volume 1, page 405 and volume 16, page 532, on the basis of the Nei Treaty, the Kalafov-Politis protocol and the Molotov-Kafandaris Treaty from 1928, during the period 1913-1932 72000 Macedonian Bulgarians were resettled from Aegean Macedonia. That is only one part of the deported population. According to the Sever Treaty Greece has assumed the following international obligations concerning the minority groups in Greece: a) Equality regarding the other nations in the field of protection of life, freedom, civil and political rights, b) Free use of mother tongue, other than Greek, in the private and public life, c) Right to their own humanitarian organizations, churches, schools, and d) the Government of the state in question must provide education in their language.
According to volume 10, page 405 of the same Encyclopedia from 1928 as a result of the accommodation of the Greek immigrants from Asia Minor, the composition of the population in Aegean Macedonia was changed and was reduced to 81 000 Slav speaking persons in the districts of Voden, Lerin, Kostour and Kozani. According to the Manual of the Greek Statistical Bureau from 1934, 81 984 persons speaking Slav language lived in Greece and 16 775 - speaking Bulgarian. These numbers were used to show the loyalty of the obligations assumed by Article 7 of the Sever Treaty, according to which the country is obliged to provide civil and political rights of the Greek citizens irrespective of their nationality or religion. In order to mislead the international organizations the Greek Ministry of education gave orders to a commission to publish a primer book for Macedonian children, named Abecedar. The book was written with Latin letters, using the dialect of Lerin-Bittolya. It remained only an unfinished project, because the obligatory education in Greek language was introduced in the schools.
On October 11, 1930 the Greek Prime Minister Elefteros Vanizelos made the following statement:
,,The issue of the Macedonian minority in Greece will be solved
and I will be the first in Greece, who will engage himself to open of
Macedonian schools if that is requested by the people".
Of course, these were only words and actions to mislead the foreigners.
And the reality was:
1. ,,Eliniki Makedoniki Pigmi" - organization, fighting against Bulgarians. On January 26-27, 1926 the organization published the following regulation: ,,As from today we ban the use of Bulgarian dialect in allpublic places, in institutions, in trade relations, on meetings and gatherings, on festivities, receptions, weddings, etc. We order that the Greek language be spoken in all above stated cases. Police officers, authorities and governmental officials are not to speak with citizens in any other language but Greek".
WRIT OF SUMMONS
The public prosecutor in the village of Kato Idzura (Doino Kotari), based on the Articles 143-145 of the Criminal procedures, summons Georgus Jovanis Mitrusis, citizen of Polipotamos village (Nere) to appear personally in the court hall on May 15th, 1939, Monday, at 9.00 A.M., to be put on trial because on February 19, this year was caught speaking with another person in Slav language - thus violating Article 697 of the Criminal Law and in reference to the instruction of the police No. 15/36. In case the person named above doesn't come he will be tried in absentia.
During the period 1936-1940 about 5 250 Macedonian Bulgarians were prosecuted for using Bulgarian language on public places.
Our compatriots became victims of the Greek Communist Party, that was manipulating and lying to our compatriots that it would recognize their minority status, if they fought on its side. This manipulation was done in full coordination with the bolshevik governors of Skopje and Belgrade - Aleksandar Rankovich, Milovan Djilas, Lazar Kolishevski, Tzvetko Uzunov, Michajlo Apostolski and Paskal Mitrevski. On October 14th, 1946 they stated the password ,,Now you will go down (to Aegean Macedonia). The leader of your struggle will be the Greek Communist Party". This party got down to work and organized by force the whole Bulgarian population till the end of 1947. The ones, born in 1930-1931, were also mobilized to fight in the war, although they had not yet reached 17 years. In 1948 that party mobilized the whole population - men and women in the so called assisting units for digging trenches, fortifications etc., e.g. total mobilization of the whole population of Aegean Macedonia was carried out. The blood of our compatriots was ruthlessly shed for the accomplishment of foreign ideals. They were told that their national rights would be recognized. This war took 30 to 40 victims from every village. The total number of Macedonian victims was 20000 persons. The supreme commander was the commander of the partisans Markos who said to the ,,Epikera" newspaper journalist: ,,We kill Slavs to keep Macedonia in Greece". His statement provided him with a visa for his return to Greece (see ,,New Macedonia" newspaper from February 25th, 1992). In September 1988 the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party said in Thessaloniki that for the Greek Communist Party there is no Macedonian minority in Greece.
According to Greek Encyclopedia (Athens 1934), volume 1, page 405 and volume 16, page 532, on the basis of the Nei Treaty, the Kalafov-Politis protocol and the Molotov-Kafandaris Treaty from 1928, during the period 1913-1932 72000 Macedonian Bulgarians were resettled from Aegean Macedonia. That is only one part of the deported population. According to the Sever Treaty Greece has assumed the following international obligations concerning the minority groups in Greece: a) Equality regarding the other nations in the field of protection of life, freedom, civil and political rights, b) Free use of mother tongue, other than Greek, in the private and public life, c) Right to their own humanitarian organizations, churches, schools, and d) the Government of the state in question must provide education in their language.
According to volume 10, page 405 of the same Encyclopedia from 1928 as a result of the accommodation of the Greek immigrants from Asia Minor, the composition of the population in Aegean Macedonia was changed and was reduced to 81 000 Slav speaking persons in the districts of Voden, Lerin, Kostour and Kozani. According to the Manual of the Greek Statistical Bureau from 1934, 81 984 persons speaking Slav language lived in Greece and 16 775 - speaking Bulgarian. These numbers were used to show the loyalty of the obligations assumed by Article 7 of the Sever Treaty, according to which the country is obliged to provide civil and political rights of the Greek citizens irrespective of their nationality or religion. In order to mislead the international organizations the Greek Ministry of education gave orders to a commission to publish a primer book for Macedonian children, named Abecedar. The book was written with Latin letters, using the dialect of Lerin-Bittolya. It remained only an unfinished project, because the obligatory education in Greek language was introduced in the schools.
On October 11, 1930 the Greek Prime Minister Elefteros Vanizelos made the following statement:
,,The issue of the Macedonian minority in Greece will be solved
and I will be the first in Greece, who will engage himself to open of
Macedonian schools if that is requested by the people".
Of course, these were only words and actions to mislead the foreigners.
And the reality was: 1. ,,Eliniki Makedoniki Pigmi" - organization, fighting against Bulgarians. On January 26-27, 1926 the organization published the following regulation: ,,As from today we ban the use of Bulgarian dialect in allpublic places, in institutions, in trade relations, on meetings and gatherings, on festivities, receptions, weddings, etc. We order that the Greek language be spoken in all above stated cases. Police officers, authorities and governmental officials are not to speak with citizens in any other language but Greek".
2. During the dictatorship of Metaxas a law was passed that forbids the use of the dialect that's the way Bulgarian language was called. Here is an example:
The public prosecutor in the village of Kato Idzura (Doino Kotari), based on the Articles 143-145 of the Criminal procedures, summons Georgus Jovanis Mitrusis, citizen of Polipotamos village (Nere) to appear personally in the court hall on May 15th, 1939, Monday, at 9.00 A.M., to be put on trial because on February 19, this year was caught speaking with another person in Slav language - thus violating Article 697 of the Criminal Law and in reference to the instruction of the police No. 15/36. In case the person named above doesn't come he will be tried in absentia.
Polipotamos Public prosecutor: April 4, 1939 (Signature illegible)
During the period 1936-1940 about 5 250 Macedonian Bulgarians were prosecuted for using Bulgarian language on public places.
3. On September 9th, 1946 the commander of the National Guard in the village of Polipotamos issued the following announcement: ,,As from today I most strictly forbid all of the citizens from age of 2 to 50 years to use any other language but Greek."
4. In the Aegean Macedonian schools the students, using Bulgarian language are punished as following: - by pricking on the tongue with needle. - by taking by force of castor-oil - by feeding by force with salted fish, salted herring, after which the drinking of water is not permitted.
5. The Greek newspaper ,,Katimerini" from August 11th 1959 stated: ,,A celebration was held out in the village of Atropos (Karpeshina, - Lerin), at which the inhabitants gave an oath that they will not speak any more in their Slav dialect in the future."
6. ,,Elenikos Voras" newspaper from August 11th, 1959 informed of the same ,,event": ,,The inhabitants of Atrapos - men, women and children by raising their right hand repeated the oath which was read by the mayor: I promise before God, the people, and official state authorities that from today I shall stop speaking the Slav dialect, which only serves as a motive for incorrect interpretation by our enemies, the Bulgarians, and that always and everywhere I shall speak only the official language of my fatherland, the Greek language in which the Holy Bible of our Jesus Christ was written."
These reports were published also in the following Greek newspapers: ,,Elinikos Voras" Thessaloniki, 4.8.1959; ,,Vima" - Athens, 78.7.1959; ,,Elpheteria" - Athens, 7.7.1959; Elinikos Voras, 8.8.1959 The persecution of the Bulgarian language was the priority task. But other activities of Bulgarian national consciousness were also persecuted: 1. Prohibition for the use of local folk dances - ,,Stohos" newspaper, 16.4.1987: ,,We made a list of all persons, singing in a dialect (e.g. Bulgarian) at fairs, weddings, etc. Do not sing in another language or „ idiom " but Greek, because you will curse the day you were born. " - ,,Stohos" newspaper - 21.8.1986; In the publication: ,,The perfect danced in the rhythm of horo on the sounds ,,Free Macedonia" and,,Eleno, girl, Eleno" is mentioned that on Ascension Day in the village of Atrapos the perfect danced ring dance in the rhythm of Macedonian Slav Songs and appeals as follows: „... Speaking and singing on any other language but Greek is not allowed. Cut their tongues off so we can save Greece". - ,,Mahitis" newspaper - 6.8.1987 - There was a wedding with folk music in the village of Melitis (Vostarevo). Four cars with members of KIP (Greek Intelligence) blocked the wedding from all sides and recorded the music sind the speaking of the wedding. - ,,Stohos" newspaper - 5.7.1990 - In the information about the wedding of the granddaughter of Kostidis (Kacibanov) the newspaper is fascinated that this was the only wedding on which Slav songs were not sung. [Index] [Previous] [Next]