Shumbashev Dimitri

Dimitri Shumbashev was born in Rosen, Lerin region. During the German occupation he was about 60 years old but his age did not prevent him from taking an active part in the liberation movement, nor in becoming secretary of EAM in his own village. He did not want to remain behind the other people. At the time of the Ilinden uprising he was in the village police and many years during the uprising he worked for VMRO. With passion and importance he spoke about the Ilinden freedom fighters from that region - Krsto Ljondev, Leko Dzhorlev, Mice Zabrski, about the Ilinden uprising, about his young years. He was sad that he did not, at that time, get to hold a rifle and to join the ranks of ELAS.

But what he could not do with a rifle he did with words; with his tireless work in the village, for the freedom movement. He went from house to house and spoke to the villagers of EAM, for the struggle of the Macedonians and Greeks, about the rights the people would gain. He believed forcefully in the victory of the great Russian people, in the victory of all of the oppressed peoples.

Dimitri as a secretary of the village organization of EAM took part in various regional councils of EAM: in Lagen, Kotori, Negovan and others. There, in the liberated and not yet liberated territories - he saw that in the midst of the passion of battle, the people began to put their new lives into order. In the councils the representatives spoke in their mother tongue. He heard the partisans and youths from the villages sing freely the melodious Macedonian songs and also to present some Macedonian plays. In Lagen and Kotori he saw with his own eyes our Macedonian language being taught in the schools that were functioning.

He spoke to his neighbours with enthusiasm about everything he saw in the liberated territories. He told them about the great education that was taking place where the people took control in their own hands. On his initiative a Macedonian school was opened in Rosen with the local priest as the teacher - Pop Petre. All of the Rosen villagers felt such happiness and satisfaction at that. Now they worked even harder for liberation. The whole village was up on its feet. Whole trucks loaded with wheat and other village produce were taken from Rosen to the partisans' stores.

After the Varkiza agreement Dimitri with the same passion continued to work for the victory of democracy, for the rights of the Macedonian people. Because of his activism he was followed by the police force. He did not sleep at home at night but rather in the fields, among the wheat.

One spring night they killed him in his own fields. His field, for which for half a century he poured out his sweat and now gave his blood. He closed his eyes peacefully, convinced that he had fulfilled his life's obligation - his obligation to his homeland, the people.

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

© 2009

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