Petsov Blagoja

Blagoja Petsov was born in the village Aitos, Lerin region in 1909. From a young age he took part in the revolutionary movement led by the CPG. In his own village a party organization was formed in 1930. Blagoja and his comrades were decisive activists in the pre-election campaign in 1932, 1933 and 1936. And not just in Aitos but also in the surrounding villages. Thanks to their activism, the Peoples Front had significant success in those villages. In Aitos, apart from the party organization, there was also the Macedonian organization VMRO (united) in which a large number of Aitos villages were members.

During the Metaxas dictatorship Blagoja was arrested and subjected to torture. During the German occupation he took active part in the struggle against the occupier. He decisively defended the ideologically correct policies of the CPG in the Macedonian issue and fought against those seeking to divide the unity between the Macedonian and Greek peoples. He said, "Without military unity between the two brotherly peoples, there is no liberation."

After the Varkiza agreement he was followed and for a long time lay in prison.

In the second phase of the armed struggle Blagoja against took an active part. He worked in DAG in the political organizations, in the groups of free shooters and wherever the party sent him. Blagoja joined the battle with his whole family. His 16-year-old son - Vasil Petsov - served as a courier in the 18th brigade and in October 1948 he died heroically.

Blagoja fell as a free shooter on 16 April 1949 in the Ajtosh peaks. An announcement made on 2 May 1949 said "Blagoja Petsov completed his mission with dignity, perseverance and heroism. His energy has become an example for his comrades in battle." With the same announcement, Blagoja was awarded a medal for outstanding intelligence record.

S K

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

© 2009

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