11 Oct - MACEDONIAN Anti-fascist Uprising day

The Republic of Macedonia marks an anniversary since the start of the Day of People's Uprising against Fascism and National Liberation War, on October 11th 1941.

The Macedonian people responded to the fascist occupation by organizing an insurrection. At that time the first sabotage units were created. Kumanovo and Prilep detachments were founded, their actions started on October 11 being the beginning of the Macedonian people uprising. During 1942 the partisan movement were also in ascent. Nine detachments were founded acting on a large territory.

During the winter and the spring in 1944, the Macedonian Army has taken important military actions (the February march, the Spring offensive), causing great damage to the Bulgarian occupiers.

During the period of 1944 the network of governmental organs in Macedonia has been spread, over 800 in number. The preparations for convocation of the ASNOM have been taken by the Headquarters General and the Initiative Board.

Thus, by the end of the war, the Macedonian National Liberation Army numbered over 56,000 soldiers, and this part of Macedonia alone provided about 25,000 victims.

The liberation of Macedonia by its own forces was an outstanding military and political accomplishment of the Macedonian people and at the same time it was a significant contribution by a small people to the anti-fascist struggle in the Balkans and Europe.

On holiday's occasion, October 11 Award for special and eminent achievements in the areas of science, culture, art and journalism was presented Sunday at the Macedonian Parliament.

Fresh flowers at partisan graves and tomb of General Mihajlo Apostolski.

Ohrid-Living History exhibition opens at Chelsea Town Hall

An exhibition, dedicated to the natural beauties and cultural heritage of Ohrid region, was opened late Monday at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London.
The exhibition, that will be opened for public by May 28, displays about 60 photos, pearls, folk dresses and copies of artefacts, originating from the Ohrid region. The photos, works of art of Petar Boev, Dimce Korunovski, Angel Sitnoski and Aleksandar Kovacevski, are part of a collection of the Ohrid municipality.
The event is organized by PRO ART & Co in Association with Mag Culture and Experience and the City of Ohrid. The opening ceremony was attended by many local citizens, friends of Macedonia, as well as Macedonian nationals that live and work in London.
In addition to the exhibition, Chelsea's main street 'Kings Road' is decorated with posters of Ohrid, presenting the city as a 'Living History' - one of the most beautiful towns in Macedonia, settled by the Ohrid Lake. It boasts with rich cultural history and unique natural world. Inhabited in early times, the town once had 365 churches - one for each day in the year - a large number of them are still preserved. Within them, they protect an immeasurable treasure of frescoes, icons, woodcarving and other sacred objects.
Promoting the exhibition, organizers say that every summer Ohrid hosts the internationally renowned Ohrid Summer Festival and other important cultural events. Many artists, from around the world, have chosen Ohrid as their open-air atelier and regard the town and its surroundings as an endless inspiration.It was also a place where St Clement, a student of the famous Byzantine brothers Saints Cyril and Methodius, revised their Glagolitic Alphabet and simplified letters thus created a new Cyrillic Alphabet, which most of the Eastern European Slavs use even today. Ohrid is the soul of Macedonia and the UNESCO’s World Heritage site.
The exhibition will be also presented in Endiburgh - Scotland, Lithuania and Romania.

Macedonian royal tomb found

A monumental round-formed Macedonian royal tomb belonging to the 4th century B.C. has been discovered at the Pavla Cuka site between the villages of Bonce and Podmol, Prilep area.
The tomb was erected with a ring of monolith stone blocks weighing up to 2 tonnes which have remained intact despite their 2.5-millennia age. According to archaeologists, the tomb is the only of the kind unearthed in the Balkans and it belonged to a great ruler. The finding has resulted from three-year excavations by Prof. Viktor Lilcic of the Institute of Art History and Archaeology of the Faculty of Philosophy, who presumes that the tomb belonged to the Pelagonija royal dynasty. A finding or an inscription will reveal which emperor the tomb belonged to.
Pasko Kuzman, Director of the Directorate for Protection of Cultural Heritage, who visited the compound yesterday afternoon, said an adequate infrastructure needs to be built if one wants to reach to pre-history.
He announced restoration, conservation and protection of the site. “This is of exceptional value for the Macedonian archaeology because such monumental structures are rare in the Balkans. It will attract much attention in the scientific archaeological community,” Kuzman said.
Archaeological excavations will continue next year as well with the support of the Ministry of Culture. Field examination is led by Antonio Jakimovski of the Institute of Archaeology and archaeologist Dusko Temelkoski of the Institute and Museum in Prilep.