The KKE honours Kostas Varnalis

On Saturday and Sunday 16-17 April the CC of KKE organised a scientific conference in the congress hall of its headquarters on the work of Kostas Varnalis, of the poet that served the struggle of the working class with his work.

Kostas Varnalis was born in Bourkas (Bulgaria) in 1884. He finished school in Plovdiv and later he went to Athens to study Philology. He graduated in 1908 and began to work in education. In 1919 he went to Paris on a scholarship and took courses in philosophy, philology and sociology. It was in this period that he began his adherence to Marxism and dialectical materialism and revised his previous views concerning poetry, on both a theoretical and practical level. Varnalis appeared as a socially oriented poet in 1922 with his work “The Burning Light”. It had been preceded by the Balkan wars, the slaughter of the First World War and also by the Great October Socialist revolution which was a massive source of strength for the peoples all over the world; it lit a fire in the hearts and minds of the people. In the period when the poet was writing this stunning piece of poetry, Greece was in the midst of the Asia Minor campaign which was soon to end in disaster.

Varnalis turned to socially-oriented poetry in Paris, where as in the rest of Europe revolutionary movements had broken out and the anti-imperialist peace movement was on the rise.

His revolutionary attitudes were reflected in his collections of satirical poetry.

“The Pilgrim” (O Proskynitis 1919), “The burning Light” ( To fos pou kaiei 1922, which was published in Alexandria under the pen-name Dimos Tanalias, and which was republished in Athens in a new edition in 1933). “Besieged Slaves” ( Sklavoi Poliorkimenoi, 1927). Poetry is transformed into a criticism of power, in protest against war and violence. He turned to satire in his later collections of poetry as well: “Free World” (Eleftheros Kosmos 1965), “The Wrath of the People” ( Orgi Laou, which was published posthumously in 1975). At the same time Varnalis began to write prose along the same lines: satirical articles, pamphlets and narratives on political issues, “The Eunuch People” ( O laos ton mounouchon, 1923, under the pen-name Dimos Tanalias), “The True Apology of Socrates” (H alithini apologia tou Sokrati, 1931), later the “the Diary of Penelope” ( To imerologio tis Pinelopis, 1947), a collection of pamphlets “the Dictators” ( Oi diktatores, 1954).

His most important work of poetry is considered to be “The Burning Light”, a unified text without a clearly defined genre. Its form is chiefly dramatic, while its monologues and dialogues are both in prose and verse form. The basic content is the discussion between Prometheus, who represents ancient Greek Mythology, and Jesus Christ, who represents Christianity. The controversy is centred on the issue of who was the greatest benefactor of humanity, and which tradition should be preferred. The personification of the writer in this work, the ancient Greek god of parody Momus, rejects all the traditions. But at the end a person appears, who is called “The Leader”, who acquires the approval of the writer. Many years after the completion of this work, Varnalis admitted in a letter to the Soviet newspaper Izvestya that he wanted to this character to represent Lenin.

Varnalis was a communist with a longstanding contribution to and participation in the struggles of the working class. Due to this activity he was exiled in 1935 to Mytilene and Ai Stratis. The working class and its party, the KKE, treated the poet, to the extent that it was possible in those conditions, with particular care and love. Amongst other things, we will mention the following: after his release, Varnalis worked at “Rizospastis”, something which ensured him a livelihood but which created obstacles and deprived him of the necessary time to dedicate himself to his artistic work. When N. Zachariadis realized this, the situation was dealt with immediately. Zachariadis- according to B. Georgiou in his memoirs- “unquestionably valued intellectual work and immediately accepted our proposal that Varnalis be given 6 months paid leave to write “the Diary of Penelope”…

In 1956, in Greece there were nationwide celebrations to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the publication his brilliant satirical novel “The True Apology of Socrates” in which he presented a contemporary version of the events which are described in the work of Plato, which bears the same name. A similarly modern rendition of a traditional tale is the narrative-pamphlet “the Diary of Penelope”. Nevertheless, in the case of the work on Socrates the writer hardly deviates from the Plato’s text, the only difference is that at the end he has the hero address a modern appeal to the slaves in order that they revolt and overthrow the unjust social system, but in the “Diary” he does not orient the narrative to the classic tale of the “Odyssey” but to the non-traditional legend which presents Penelope as an unfaithful and unprincipled woman.

Varnalis also wrote literary-critical and aesthetic essays: “Solomos without metaphysics” ( O Solomos horis metafysiki, 1925), “Aesthetical Critical Works” ( Aisthitika Kritika, 1958) and others. As well as this he also penned the drama “Attalos the Third” ( Attalos o Tritos, 1972) and translations of Aristophanes, Euripides and Moliere.

At the same time he worked for many years as a secondary school teacher, and also as a journalist in order to survive.

In 1934 he was invited to the USSR, where he participated in the First Congress of Soviet Writers, while in 1959 he was awarded the International Lenin Prize “for the strengthening of peace amongst the peoples”.

He died on December the 16^th 1974.

Artists, scientists and representatives of the people’s movement participated in the conference. The conference began with a greeting of the GS of the CC of KKE, Aleka Papariga, who mentioned amongst other things:

“I feel the need to concentrate on something which is particularly timely and interesting today, amazing and moving, how this man at a relatively late age, over 30 years old, at the beginning of the previous century, someone from quite a prosperous family by the standards of the day, escaped from the world of idealism, metaphysics, the worship of the ancients, nationalism, mysticism, linguistic conservatism, the elaborate verse which extols nevertheless limited personal experiences and how he crossed over to the world of the working people, historical materialism, internationalism, demoticism, to the world of art with a social and political point of view for the people, for the worker. How he managed to shed himself of the well-known and pervasive – up to the present day- view “art for art’s sake” and adopt the view of art for the people, the struggle, society, and socialism-communism.

This was not something that happened by accident. Because this great poet and literary figure experienced very directly the character of our era, which is the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism; this is the character of our era today, despite the fact that for very specific reasons, the first attempt to construct socialism was unexpectedly and savagely reversed.”

In addition, the Secretary of the CC of KNE, Thodoris Chionis addressed a brief greeting at the conference.

The introductory speech at the conference was delivered by Eleni Miliaronikolaki, member of the CC of the KKE and responsible for the Cultural Department. The congress highlighted amongst other things the international dimension of the work of Kostas Varnalis through the contributions of the foreign guests who attended and participated in the congress. Thomas Simeou, representative of AKEL and General Secretary of the Union of Cypriot Writers spoke of the impact of Varnalis on the Cypriot poets. The representatives from Bulgaria, the country where Varnalis was born and brought up had also a significant contribution. Lchezar Elenkov, poet and representative of the CP of Bulgaria and the Union of Bulgarian Writers, referred to the timely character of the work of Varnalis while Vasil Ivan Petkov from the Party of the Bulgarian Communists, editor of the newspaper “Novo rabotnichesko delo” spoke about the impact of the work of Varnalis in his country. In addition, Olga Kazarian, journalist and representative of Communist Worker’s Party of Russia highlighted the international dimension of the work of Varnalis.

Speech of the General Secretary of the CC of KKE, cde Al. Papariga

"We are making good on our promise today to hold a second scientific symposium, the first was dedicated to the work of Giannis Ritsos, today’s to Kostas Varnalis, the poet, the prose-writer, the man who through his work placed emphasis on critical philosophical thought and had as his source of inspiration, the problems of the working class and the level of its consciousness, poverty, illness, tuberculosis, those who died in the struggle and due to exploitation.

We will not stop here. With the help of friends and associates, and all those who wish to contribute, we are determined to continue, to highlight in a systematic way the work of important intellectuals, artists, and militants who dedicated their lives to cultural awakening and creation, in order to provide depth, meaning, ideals, courage and soul to the people in struggle, to the worker tormented by class exploitation, to the oppressed worker, to the protagonists in the production of wealth. To those who even if they themselves are alienated from cultural wealth, are the inspiration of great works which will endure for many more years, forever.

I have no intention of analysing the contribution and work of Kostas Varnalis to the rising path of our people, to its glorious struggles, and its major historical junctures. This will be done by all those who will speak from this platform, as they have more expertise and are more suitable for this task than me.

I feel the need to concentrate on something which is particularly timely and interesting today, amazing and moving, how this man at a relatively late age, over 30 years old, at the beginning of the previous century, someone from quite a prosperous family by the standards of the day, escaped from the world of idealism, metaphysics, the worship of the ancients, nationalism, mysticism, linguistic conservatism, the elaborate verse which extols nevertheless limited personal experiences and how he crossed over to the world of the working people, historical materialism, internationalism, demoticism, to the world of art with a social and political point of view for the people, for the worker. How he managed to shed himself of the well-known and pervasive – up to the present day- view “art for art’s sake” and adopt the view of art for the people, the struggle, society, and socialism-communism.

This was not something that happened by accident. Because this great poet and literary figure experienced very directly the character of our era, which is the era of the transition from capitalism to socialism. This is the character of our era today, despite the fact that for very specific reasons, the first attempt to construct socialism was unexpectedly and savagely reversed.

One might say that the leap Varnalis made was easier in his period, while today when humanity is tragically experiencing the huge loss of the socialist system, it is not possible for such minds, artists and intellectuals to come to the fore, that it is not possible for such a radical conversion to occur.

Without underestimating the burden of this temporary reversal, because that’s what we are talking about, we assure you that we do not gaze at reality pessimistically and fatalistically. On the contrary, we believe that today’s phase can awaken and consciously change the choices of important artists, scientists and intellectuals, and transform their work into a clarion call and driving force for a counterattack. Because today there are people, working men and women, who suffer and today there are important working class and popular struggles. There is more knowledge and experience.

Let us not forget that then in first decades of the 20^th century, during and after the First World War, in the years between the wars, many talented and inspired people in parallel to or with Varnalis created works, but remained static, retreated, lost heart, did not want to take on the messages of the era, and the torments of the people, despite the fact that they experienced and felt them. In the end, they preferred to remain big names in a small world, far from the people, and even unknown to the people. To the extent to which their work was of merit, promoted positive values, in the end it remained unknown to most people.

Militant poets and literary figures existed before Varnalis and his peers. There were several who castigated war and the occupier, either in Greece or elsewhere. The greatness of Varnalis was that he did not only see the occupier, although he quite correctly took this enemy into account. But he went much deeper with a broader perspective and horizon. He declared as his enemy the greatest enemy of the people, the capitalist and capitalism, as it produces both poverty and war, and it is from capitalism that the occupier, the colonialist and the tyrant of the peoples emerge.

The poet, the man of letters who wishes to pass on philosophical, theoretical and radical ideas, which are not to the liking of intellectuals unable to go beyond the ideas of the French bourgeois revolution, is punished harshly by his colleagues, either by open warfare, or by conscious silence so that his work remains far from the people, far from those who are thirsty for something progressive and revolutionary.

The unforgettable Michalis Papaioannou in order to demonstrate how deep and ceaseless the struggle between the bourgeois and working class was, as expressed in poetry and art, quoted two quatrains, one by Kostis Palamas and one by Kostas Varnalis, from the period between the wars, after the October Revolution and the Asia Minor Disaster.

In 1935 Varnalis wrote “All over the world the so-called socialists are the dangerous enemies of the proletariat. Why? Because under the pretext that they are the friends of the masses, the trick it and subjugate it softly and sweetly to the interests of capitalism.”

Kostas Varnalis experienced the persecution of silence, slander, and prejudice concerning his work, but he did not bend his knee. He was accused of intransigence, but this censure was a title of honour for him, an award and a trophy. His firm adherence to radical ideas, to the principles which govern the struggle against class exploitation, that is to say consistency, loyalty, fearlessness, love and sympathy for the working people, for those who suffer.

Varnalis did not receive such hostile fire when he consciously and voluntarily changed sides. He was treated as an enemy when the first steps for the liberation of the working class started to be made, in a period when the workers globally felt strong excitement about the first workers’ state in southern Russia.

In the first stage Giannis Kordatos stood with him and later Glinos, Golphis, Karthaios, Paroritis and Tagopoulos.

They later fought him again both with silence and persecution after the war, at the beginning of the 1950s when the popular movement was in the downturn phase, in conditions of the outlawing of the KKE with extensive persecution, executions and torture. There was an attempt even by progressive people, who were afraid, for Varnalis to be wiped off the map of the great poets.

In the end Varnalis remained the guide, the popular poet and the man of letters at the side of the people.

Allow me to end with these words on a matter which personally affected Varnalis, in his life and work. This is an issue which is both deeply political and cultural. Kostas Varnalis, the archaist and supporter of the katherevousa dialect, who had been initiated essentially in ancient and classical letters which he creatively reproduced in his work, became a combative supporter of the demotic dialect, along with others who conducted the struggle on the language question with substance and political depth.

As a party, for a series of mainly objective reasons, despite the fact that we have made a great historical contribution to the language question, we have not been able to deepen our thought on an important question. Of course the archaistic, katherevousa dialect as a language in the end lost the battle to the demotic dialect-something which certainly was settled rather late. How clear, however, was this victory?

Today the language problem of the development of the Greek language after the establishment of the demotic dialect as the official language is massive and sharpening. I hope as a party in the next years that we can do something, that we have something to say, that we think deeply about it. It is an issue connected both to education and to art and culture.

I do not wish the proceedings of the meeting be successful as I am sure that they will be".