Yiannis Ritsos: poetic representative of the vanguard class in the struggle for social liberation

On Saturday and Sunday November 20-21 the CC of KKE organised a scientific conference on the occasion of the 100 years since the birth of the communist poet Yiannis Ritsos.

The conference included thematic presentations on the life, the work and the contribution of the communist poet.

Aleka Papariga general secretary of the CC of KKE opened the conference titled “Yianis Ritsos always present to the call of times” stressing:

“We intend, and hope to achieve or at least approach a major goal of ours: to contribute to the appreciation, hence the wider understanding, of the whole of Yiannis Ritsos’ work, thought and deeds. Yiannis Ritsos contributed by his innate talent to the clearing of the notion “partisan” (partisan communist artist, poetry, art) from all kinds of slandering, narrow-minded and mechanical approach. His work provides brilliant proof that the ideological communist partisanship has nothing to do with one-sidedness or fanaticism as even the well-meaning opponents claim. Moreover, fanaticism has nothing to do with ideological consistency. On the contrary, ideological consistency requires all the above mentioned. It requires deep and wide knowledge and observation, analysis of the developments, deep critical observation of the facts. All of his work, including the non evidently or purely political, provides proof that partisanship has no relation to the superficial perception of social reality and developments, with the dangerous preconceived stance hindering the critical and self-critical examination.

The ideological commitment and partisanship serving the liberation of the working class have nothing to do with the distorted image the enemy devises about KKE. Yiannis Ritsos has proved in practice that through his work and stance a communist artist and intellectual can evolve into a powerful factor forming revolutionary consciousness in periods of decline and temporary defeat of the movement as well as in periods of upraise namely at the threshold of a revolutionary change”.

Isa Paape, member of the German Communist Party and member of the cultural department of the CC, and Andy Croft, poet columnist for culture of the British newspaper Morning Star, also delivered speeches in this scientific Conference.