behaviour had lately become difficult to obtain; and in any case, the Devinsky Commando was registered as a literary society, named after Ivan Devinsky, poet of the region, who despite various decadent and formalist tendencies had proved a patriot and martyr during the fascist invasion of 1941. The second factor was the chance attendance of a Swedish TV team whose locally hired car had broken down the previous day, and who now found themselves with nothing to film but a piece of routine provincial dissent.
Had the security police investigated the Devinsky Commando, they might have discovered that the poet had a reputation as an ironist and provocateur; and that in 1929 his ‘loyal sonnet’ entitled ‘Thank You, Your Majesty’ had led immediately to a three-year exile in Paris. The membersof the student Commando identified themselves by wearing the red bonnets of Junior Pioneers: headgear for ten-year-olds, which was either ludicrously stretched or else satirically attached to the crown with a girlfriend’s hair-clip. The other protesters, like the security forces, had never heard of the Devinsky Commando, and were irritated by what looked like a group of pro-communist infiltrators. Their suspicions were confirmed when the Devinskyites unfurled a banner reading WE, LOYAL STUDENTS, WORKERS AND PEASANTS, SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT .
Pushing their way to the front of the demonstration, the Commando took up a position close to the bank of dirty snow and began to chant. ‘LONG LIVE THE PARTY. LONG LIVE THE GOVERNMENT. LONG LIVE THE PARTY. LONG LIVE THE GOVERNMENT. ALL HONOUR TO STOYO PETKANOV. LONG LIVE THE PARTY.’
After a couple of minutes, the tall french windows on the reviewing balcony opened, and the local party chief emerged to witness for himself a display of support rare in these counter-revolutionary days. Immediately the students widened their repertoire of chants. With fists patriotically raised and red bonnets forming a loyal phalanx, they acclaimed the smiling boss of Sliven:
‘THANK YOU FOR THE PRICE RISES.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES.’
‘GIVE US IDEOLOGY NOT BREAD.’
The students were well drilled and had loud voices. Their fists punched the air, and there was no hesitation as they switched from one slogan to another.
‘THANK YOU FOR THE PRICE RISES.’
‘STRENGTHEN THE SECURITY POLICE.’
‘LONG LIVE THE PARTY.’
‘HONOUR TO STOYO PETKANOV.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES.’
‘GIVE US IDEOLOGY NOT BREAD.’
Suddenly, as if they had taken a silent vote, the rest of the crowd joined in. ‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES’ began to echo furiously round the square, the party chief banged shut the french windows, and the demonstration suddenly acquired a hysterical edge which Ganin knew to be dangerous. His men were drawn up at the side of the building, and they now caught the attention of the Devinsky Commando. Three times the platoon of students advanced a few dozen metres towards the militiamen, chanting:
‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE MARTYRDOM.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE MARTYRDOM.’
It was noticeable that the Greens and oppositionists preferred not to take up this cry, waiting for the Commando to rejoin them before calling once more in favour of price rises and food shortages. The TV crew were by this time in position and filming.
Ganin received the order from a stranger in a leather coat, who emerged swiftly from a side door of the party headquarters, mentioned a name and security rank, and instructed him, as a direct order from the party chief, to fire over the heads of the demonstrators, and if that did not disperse them, to fire at their feet. His message imparted, the man disappeared back into the building, though not before his presence had been noted by the students.
‘PLEASE MAY WE JOIN THE SECURITY FORCES,’ they bellowed, then, ‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS. PLEASE MAY WE JOIN THE SECURITY
Had the security police investigated the Devinsky Commando, they might have discovered that the poet had a reputation as an ironist and provocateur; and that in 1929 his ‘loyal sonnet’ entitled ‘Thank You, Your Majesty’ had led immediately to a three-year exile in Paris. The membersof the student Commando identified themselves by wearing the red bonnets of Junior Pioneers: headgear for ten-year-olds, which was either ludicrously stretched or else satirically attached to the crown with a girlfriend’s hair-clip. The other protesters, like the security forces, had never heard of the Devinsky Commando, and were irritated by what looked like a group of pro-communist infiltrators. Their suspicions were confirmed when the Devinskyites unfurled a banner reading WE, LOYAL STUDENTS, WORKERS AND PEASANTS, SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT .
Pushing their way to the front of the demonstration, the Commando took up a position close to the bank of dirty snow and began to chant. ‘LONG LIVE THE PARTY. LONG LIVE THE GOVERNMENT. LONG LIVE THE PARTY. LONG LIVE THE GOVERNMENT. ALL HONOUR TO STOYO PETKANOV. LONG LIVE THE PARTY.’
After a couple of minutes, the tall french windows on the reviewing balcony opened, and the local party chief emerged to witness for himself a display of support rare in these counter-revolutionary days. Immediately the students widened their repertoire of chants. With fists patriotically raised and red bonnets forming a loyal phalanx, they acclaimed the smiling boss of Sliven:
‘THANK YOU FOR THE PRICE RISES.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES.’
‘GIVE US IDEOLOGY NOT BREAD.’
The students were well drilled and had loud voices. Their fists punched the air, and there was no hesitation as they switched from one slogan to another.
‘THANK YOU FOR THE PRICE RISES.’
‘STRENGTHEN THE SECURITY POLICE.’
‘LONG LIVE THE PARTY.’
‘HONOUR TO STOYO PETKANOV.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES.’
‘GIVE US IDEOLOGY NOT BREAD.’
Suddenly, as if they had taken a silent vote, the rest of the crowd joined in. ‘THANK YOU FOR THE FOOD SHORTAGES’ began to echo furiously round the square, the party chief banged shut the french windows, and the demonstration suddenly acquired a hysterical edge which Ganin knew to be dangerous. His men were drawn up at the side of the building, and they now caught the attention of the Devinsky Commando. Three times the platoon of students advanced a few dozen metres towards the militiamen, chanting:
‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE MARTYRDOM.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS.’
‘THANK YOU FOR THE MARTYRDOM.’
It was noticeable that the Greens and oppositionists preferred not to take up this cry, waiting for the Commando to rejoin them before calling once more in favour of price rises and food shortages. The TV crew were by this time in position and filming.
Ganin received the order from a stranger in a leather coat, who emerged swiftly from a side door of the party headquarters, mentioned a name and security rank, and instructed him, as a direct order from the party chief, to fire over the heads of the demonstrators, and if that did not disperse them, to fire at their feet. His message imparted, the man disappeared back into the building, though not before his presence had been noted by the students.
‘PLEASE MAY WE JOIN THE SECURITY FORCES,’ they bellowed, then, ‘THANK YOU FOR THE BULLETS. PLEASE MAY WE JOIN THE SECURITY
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