Kiro from Aitos

Kiro from Aitos. That is how the brave partisan from the village of Aitos is known in the partisan movement inVich and in the region of Surovichko.

Kiro was born in 1924 and did not get to enjoy his youth. He was 17 when our homeland was overshadowed by the black clouds of the Nazi occupation and from a young age he got to know the harsh battle for the national and socialist rights of the people. He joined the ranks of ELAS and bravely fought against the Nazi fascist occupation. After the negotiations in Varkiza, Kiro, along with the other national fighters, was followed by the reactionary forces. New struggles awaited him. He farewelled his family, left his beloved village and joined DAG as early as 1946. Kiro was an outstanding fighter, so he was given the leading gun, which the partisans had christened "Turtura". In the Vich detachment he carried out the most important and most dangerous missions. He was familiar with the villages - Macedonian and Greek - from the time of ELAS; he was also familiar with the people involved in organizing. In the time when the fascist bands criss-crossed the plains, he fearlessly entered his village for information and to carry out other tasks. His partisan life was rich with brave and dangerous missions which he successfully completed.

One day he was sent into the village Ekshisovo. Disguised as a Saraskachan he passed along Radosh and fell into an ambush set by a police group there. His wit and bravery saved him. He threw himself at once in a gully and vanished in the forest. However, the enemy bullet found its target and he was wounded. He was nursed for a long time in a nearby village and then returned to the ranks. The partisans greeted him with such joy as they had considered him lost!

On another occasion he went down to the village of Dolno Nevojani (Valtonero), which was populated by Greeks. The same day two fascist bands (MAI), one from Kailarsko and the other from Surovichko, had set off on separate courses with the aim of meeting in Nevoljani which was claimed to be a hideaway for the partisans. The bands opened fire before they entered the village. So Kiro set off to the Vrapcheski farm. But the band from Kailarsko had reached there and began to shoot at him. He replied with the Turtura. But the enemy was powerful and he was forced to go down to the marsh. He stayed there until nightfall. The enemy turned the area upside down to find him but they did not succeed. When night fell, they pulled out of the village. At the same time, Kiro also left the marsh, went to the village and joined the partisans, fulfilling his mission.

He also participated in many brutal battles. In 1949 in the battles near the village of Tserovo he was seriously wounded. He was killed at Vich in September 1949 with the Turtura in his arms.

Kiro was very talented. His greatest attribute was his love for and dedication to his people for whom he gave his life. His bravery and self sacrifice came from his faith in the peoples work. These attributes place him in the front ranks of the people's heroes.

All of his battle comrades speak with great respect for the prowess of Kiro.

A. Hadzhitashkov

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

© 2009

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