Refugee Children from Aegean Macedonia in Yugoslavia By Misho Kitanoski & Giorgi Donevski (Translated from Macedonian to English and edited by Risto Stefov) Refugee Children from Aegean Macedonia in Yugoslavia Published by: Risto Stefov Publications [email protected] Toronto, Canada All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written consent from the author, except for the inclusion of brief and documented quotations in a review. Copyright 2016 by Misho Kitanoski, Giorgi Donevski & Risto Stefov e-book edition ****** June 7, 2016 ****** This book is dedicated to the many “mothers”, teachers and staff of the children’s homes (boarding schools) in Yugoslavia, who unselfishly gave part of their lives to grant us the gift of childhood and to point us on the right path of life… 2 INDEX PREFACE ..........................................................................................7 AGAINST WHOM HAVE WE SINNED? - THERE IS BUT ONE DESTINY.........................................................................................11 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................12 CHAPTER ONE ..........................................................................15 LEAVING THEIR BIRTHPLACE .................................................15 EVACUATION OF THE CHILDREN ...........................................15 A WELL-PLANNED AND EVEN BETTER EXECUTED CAMPAIGN ....................................................................................17 INCLUDED IN THE PROPAGANDA...........................................21 IN DEFENSE OF THE MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE ................23 REASONS FOR EVACUATING THE CHILDREN .....................25 FLEEING FROM HORROR ...........................................................27 FACTORS DICTATING THE RESETTLEMENT ........................28 YUGOSLAVIA AS A TRANSIT COUNTRY ...............................29 THE REFUGEE CHILDREN’S RECEPTION WAS WELL- PREPARED .....................................................................................29 UNDER THE CARE OF NOF AND AFZH ...................................31 TESTIMONIES OF THE UPROOTING.........................................40 CHAPTER TWO .........................................................................43 THE CHILDREN’S HOMES AND SHELTERS IN YUGOSLAVIA ...............................................................................43 FORTY ONE SHELTERS AND HOMES......................................43 CHAPTER THREE......................................................................45 CARE OF THE REFUGEE CHILDREN IN SERBIA AND VOIVODINA...................................................................................45 FROM BELGRADE TO BELA TSRKVA .....................................45 FUNCTIONING OF THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN BELA TSRKVA..........................................................................................54 WORLD PRESS ECHOES REGARDING THE REFUGEE CHILDREN IN BELA TSRKVA....................................................57 THE YUGOSLAVS DRESSED THIS GROUP..............................59 SUCCESSES IN THE SCHOOL “LAZAR KOLISHEVKI” IN BELA TSRKVA ..............................................................................63 LETTER FROM THE “MOTHERS” IN DEFENSE OF THE CHILDREN .....................................................................................68 START OF REPATRIATION.........................................................72 3 A LETTER SENT FROM A HOME IN BELA TSRKVA TO THE NEWSPAPER “VOICE OF THE AEGEANS”...............................74 PASSENGERS IN A BLIND ALLEY – SUFFERERS FOREVER ..........................................................................................................75 TWO MACEDONIAN SETTLEMENTS – GAKOVO AND KRUSHEVLIE IN VOIVODINA....................................................82 HARD WORK LED TO A DECENT LIFE....................................88 CHAPTER FOUR........................................................................91 FOUR CHILDREN’S HOMES .......................................................91 MEMORIES FROM THE MALINSKA HOUSE ...........................92 TEACHING WAS DONE IN THE MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE ..........................................................................................................94 THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN TSRIKVENITSA .........................99 SATISFACTION FROM VICTORY ............................................101 LIFE AT THE TSRIKVENITSA HOME......................................102 FURTHERING EDUCATION ......................................................106 STUDY OF TRADES – A PRIORITY TASK..............................108 LOOKING FOR PARENTS..........................................................110 FOREIGN YOUTHS VISIT THE CHILDREN IN TSRIKVENITSA ...........................................................................111 STUDENTS FROM SAMOBOR ON VACATION IN OHRID...113 LIFE - COLLECTED IN A BUNDLE ..........................................113 ON THE RIGHT TRACK .............................................................117 CHAPTER FIVE........................................................................119 THE CHILDREN’S HOMES AND SHELTERS IN SLOVENIA119 THE FIRST SHELTERS ...............................................................119 THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN STARA GORA...........................120 THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN DUTOVLIE................................121 CHILDREN LEAVING FOR AUSTRALIA ................................125 PARENTS GAVE ME THEIR CHILDREN.................................126 CHAPTER SIX ..........................................................................128 THE CHILDREN’S HOMES AND SHELTERS IN MACEDONIA ........................................................................................................128 IN THE FREE PART OF MACEDONIA .....................................128 ANOTHER HOME FOR THE REFUGEE CHILDREN ..............130 THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN BITOLA......................................135 THE CHILDREN FROM THE BITOLA HOME GO ON VACATION TO THE BUKOVSKI FOREST ..............................136 “11 OCTOBER” - HOME FOR STUDENTS ...............................137 FULFILLED OBJECTIVES..........................................................140 4 THE CHILDREN’S HOME IN STRUGA ....................................146 THE CHILDREN’S RESORTS IN OHRID..................................148 MASS SCHOOLING OF THE REFUGEE CHILDREN..............150 AMONG THE STUDENTS FROM THE GRAPHIC SCHOOL IN SKOPJE .........................................................................................152 VACATIONING CHILDREN FROM THE VALANDOVO HOME ........................................................................................................154 CHAPTER SEVEN - DOCUMENTS .......................................156 INTERIM DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT OF GREECE - MEMORANDUM .........................................................................156 FIRST UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION FOR THE REPATRIATION OF THE GREEK CHILDREN ...................................................................................158 ANOUNCEMENT FROM THE LEAGUE AND FROM THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS COMMITTEE........................159 THE LEAGUE SEEKS ASSISTANCE FOR THE GREEK CHILDREN ...................................................................................160 INACCURATE NEWS FROM RADIO ATHENS.......................161 LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE AND COMMITTEE TO THE YUGOSLAV RED CROSS REGARDING THE INACURATE RADIO NEWS FROM ATHENS..................................................162 RED CROSS LEAGUE AND THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS COMMITTEE ..................................................................162 LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE TO THE GREEK RED CROSS ........................................................................................................163 LEAGUE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE....................164 PRESS SECRETARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS ..................165 UNITED NATIONS - SECOND RESOLUTION.........................166 GENERAL ASSEMBLY...............................................................166 YUGOSLAV RED CROSS TERMS FOR RETURNING THE CHILDREN TO THEIR PARENTS..............................................167 STATEMENTS MADE BY DR. OLGA MILOSEVICH DURING A RED CROSS LEAGUE MEETING IN GENEVA ...................168 REPATRIATION OF THE GREEK CHILDREN ........................172 THIRD UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION...............................................................................173 RED CROSS STAFF WORKING AT THE CHILDREN’S HOMES IN BELA TSRKVA FROM 1948 TO 1958 ..................................175 MACEDONIAN STAFF FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA ...............................................................................176 5 CHAPTER EIGHT ....................................................................178 TO NEVER FORGET – AS A LEGACY .....................................178 A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE “MOTHERS”, THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF THAT WORKED IN THE CHILDREN’S HOMES..........................................................................................178 WHATEVER THERE WAS... ......................................................180 CHAPTER NINE.......................................................................183 FROM THE MEETINGS IN SARAI TO THE THIRD WORLD MEETING......................................................................................183