Kosta “Koste” Kusakovski

Military Figure. He gained recognition for his political views during World War II. Coming from a poor farming family, he became involved with a revolutionary movement, the People's Liberation Movement, after witnessing numerous injustices at the hand the Yugoslav government.   As a result in his devotion to the cause, he was admitted as a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in September of 1941 and shortly afterward became the secretary of the Third-Party Cell.  During World War II, his home was the gathering place for the progressive revolutionaries and illegals, seeking sanctuary. In February of 1942, he was admitted a member of the regional military committee and collected weapons and other warfare materials. On August 23, 1942, he was one of the first volunteers to join the ranks of the Party of Comrades. During a raid, he was capture by the spy Trajko Kazanovski and was wounded in the mouth. Not wanting to fall in the hands of the enemy, he attempted suicide. At that point, he was tortured by the Italian police. On November 22, 1942 he was publicly executed by gunfire. His fight has been remembered for decades. Besides his grave site, he has a bust memorial.