Kalkovski Risto

Risto Kalkovski was born in the mountain village Besfina, Lerin region. His parents were poor and so, at a young age, he worked as a bricklayer to earn bread for his family.

During the Hitler occupation he joined CPG and worked in the national liberation organisations in his village.

After the Varkiza agreement, because he was followed by the monarcho-fascist forces, he was forced to flee and live in the mountains. Risto was among the first self defence groups of the national liberation combatants and from 1946 he was in the ranks of DAG, in the Vich region.

He participated in many battles where he fought heroically. In battle, he was always the first to charge in and was renowned as a barve fighter. He was wounded on two occasions: once in May 1947 and once in June 1949.

In 1948-9 he served in the peoples police, in the Prespa region. In this post he demonstrated himself to be a real son of the people. He was a powerful guard of their rights and his conduct toward the people was exemplary. With a smile on his face he was ready to serve young and old. He was an outstanding example of a police officer, a servant of the people. The people of Prespa called him "Risto from Besfina" and he was their beloved police officer.

Later he was sent to officer school at the DAG headquarters. In the final battles on Gramos in 1949 he was burned alive by the napalm spread by the enemy airplanes.

M Cholakovski

From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters

© 2009

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