Macedonian Literary Association "Koco Racin" in
Melbourne marked the 73 anniversary of the death of prominent poet, founder of
the Macedonian literature, Kosta Solev Racin. They held an extraordinary event
on the 12 of june in Mill Park Library, dedicated to Racin's literary work .
Gordana Dimovska and Violeta Jovanovska read about his life, literary work,
revolutionary activities ,simultaneously knitted with the poems: Tatuncho,
Tutunoberachite, Elegy for you, Diggers, Sandanski, Morning over us, recited by
Krste Naumovski Mechkar Violeta Jovanovska Gordana Dimovska Stevan Aceski Vera
Gjorgjievska. Young Daniel Dimovski and Alicia Cimineli also surprised the
audience with beautiful recitation of the poem Days.Denovi in Macedonian and
English.The youngest participant Shana Jovanovska as always impressed the audience with her recitation of Grandparents quarells, Doll, and her project: "My development from birth to today." At the end of the official part of the event, the presidentMLA Koco Racin, Gordana Dimovska concluded: We worship his ideals, his self-sacrifice, struggle for affirmation of the Macedonian identity, his literary work. After 108 years since the birth and 73 after his death, there is a need to strengthen the Macedonian identity, preserving the name, the language, the history, there is a need for unity among all of us in the Diaspora as well as in our native Macedonia. We will continue affirmation of the Macedonian language through the literary work of: Nove Mladenovski Krste Naumovski, Violeta Jovanovska Ljubica Popovska Vera Gjorgjievska, Stevan Aceski and everyone else who will create literary work in the future.
Daniel Dimovski and Alysha Ciminelli - reciting Denovi/Days (photo courtesy of Igor Pavlovski AWM and Today newspaper)
About Koco Racin:
Кosta Solev Racin (Кочо Рацин) was born on December 22,
1908 in Veles, in the family of Mary and the Apostol Solevi. He was a men who
merged with the needs of time and the future.
Named after his grandfather Koce, a poor potter who
moved in Veles from surrounding countryside. Koce was well known folk singer
and musician, whose talent was transferred on the children Pano and Dime. Hence
the small Koco Racin, will get
influenced by the rich folk traditions. Little Kocho, used to sit next to a
warm fireplace, listening with great curiosity the songs and stories from
mothers and uncles and comprehends them on his own way.
Due to the difficult financial situation Koco is
forced to leave school, finishing second grade high school (now VI th grade).
His father had no other option. With his poor health could barely feeds
increased family. It changes Kocho’s life. Every day at dawn he digs and
carries soil not far from the city. He worked hard making pots in his dark
room.
The horrors of war, wheezing sirens,
explosions, shells, shattered his childhood dreams. He saw armies, constantly
marching through the city streets. He saw columns of carts with dead and
wounded soldiers. There were many hungry women, children and old men. Older
people in his city were changing their uniforms, going and coming back again -
pictures of hugs, crossed hands and crying. That were the years when he could
not think, but only sees, hears, feels bitterness
and suffering.
The great revolutionary wave is transmitted in the
hometown of Kocho. In the streets and squares often manifest demand for justice,
for peace, bread, freedom. In April spring day in 1919 the city gets exciting
picture. The railway line passing through the center of the town is deserted.
Gendarmes and soldiers roamed the streets. School authorities released the
children from schools. Koco sees columns of workers moving defiantly as fiery
river in the streets. The spirit of rebellion is born.
In 1943 Racin joined the partisans in the unit
"Ship". He became editor of partisan newspaper "Ilinden
time" and prepared two sets of Macedonian folk songs. Soon after, in the
evening of June 13, 1943, while returning to the partisan printing house of
Mount Lopushnik, Kicevo, Racin was fatally shot by a guard who was guarding the
approach to the printing house. They are two versions about his death. Under
the first, it is an accident, due to the inherent hearing problem, Racin could
not hear the call of the guard saying “stop” In order to be identified, after
which it fired the fatal bullet. According to the second version he was
deliberately killed.
Racin was known as a man full of optimism, remembered
for his greeting phrase: "We will
win". Even his last words when he was shot in Lopushnik were:
"Tell my mother not to be sad or feel regret, we will prevail."
Undoubtedly, Kosta Solev Racin is one of
the most prominent intellectuals in Macedonia in the period between the two
world wars.
In his writing, he expresses rich creative nature,
which springs from the roots of life, oppressed and enslaved people to go in
defiance and resistance, walking towards freedom. With his poetry in Macedonian
language, he created the values of Macedonian national culture, proclaiming
her right to free development just at the time when it was repudiated and
prohibited.
Aware of its historic mission with great love, perseverance
and denial Racin was in constant effort to study and promote the history of
Macedonia and its people.
"With his written literary work, Racin made a bridge of
the two epochs. His courage and struggle for recognition of the rights of the
people and the class to which they belonged is remarkable.
Racin's poetry was like a new road sign, light in the
Macedonian literature. Translated into many languages stroll the world to
reflect the authenticity of the language. He was not only a writer, poet,
journalist, he was a fighter and advocate for changing the situation in the
country and to realize everything they deeply believed in. Racin's voice was the
voice of the people, his people, a voice that brings the past and present,
permanent voice of human ideals. Today will recall his character, his sacrifice, and
will pay tribute to his literary work". – Gordana Dimovska 12.6.2016 Melbourne
Besides the poetry, Racin has written fiction and
theoretical works. The most popular and
succesful became with his book of poems: "White Dawns" consisting of
12 songs in 5 cycles, written Veles dialect with a touch of western Macedonian
speeches, dominated social and revolutionary themes. The title of the
collection is symbolic - landscape that is desired by the workers, Laborers and
all the exploited people.
"White Dawns" was created under the
influence of folk poetry and work of Miladinov brothers. The most common motifs
in Racin’s poems: labourers hardship - expressed in "Days" and
"Village hardship" social class injustice expressed in
"Tutunoberachite" (the tobacco pickers) revolutionary call expressed
in the "Diggers" and Elegy for you "," Utoroto over us
" "Tatuncho" the patriotic motives, about failed trades he
writes in “ To have a shop in Struga"
Interesting: His first poems were written in 1928. From that year
dates his youthful love towards Rahilka Firfova which inspired him to write his
love lyrics with blood and ink on 31 greeting cards, known as "Anthology
of Pain" - remained in manuscript. In 1935, he was released from prison
and returns to his hometown where with even greater enthusiasm to investigate
and work for the national existence of the Macedonian nation and its historical
values.
Special thanks to: Community coordinator Jack Chang Mill Park Library, AMW and Today Macedonia newspaper (Igor Pavlovski), SBS radio (Margarita Vasileva), Radio Ilinden Melbourne (Donco Angeloski).
.
Comments
Post a Comment