Treskavec Monastery gets 615,000 Den help from Government

The Government has granted one-time financial support of Denar 615.000 as first aid for renovation of the Treskavec monastery complex, damaged by fire this Monday. 

The Government entrusted the Ministry of Culture to design a complete project  for the monastery's reconstruction and restoration for one month at latest, Government spokesman Aleksandar Gjorgiev told reporters on Tuesday.

According to the project and cost-assessments, the Government will offer additional financial support for reconstruction of the damaged parts of the monastery complex.

A team of the Ministry of Interior is on the location to investigate the cause of the fire, Gjorgiev said.

Treskavec is one of the largest blocks of monasteries in Macedonia and a world-renowned monument of culture.

It has been caught by three massive fires in the past. The most recent one took place in 1990 when the monastery dormitories were completely damaged.

The monastery is situated on Mount Zlatovrv, 8 km north of Prilep. Built in the 12th century, it is known for being very inaccessible and has only one monk. The monastery possesses a large collection of Byzantine frescoes.

Bitola and Thessaloniki based theatre with a joint play

Small Drama Theatre-Bitola and Solun-based theatre "Andreas Voutsinas" have launched the preparations for play "Rhesus" by Euripides, along with a joint exhibition of antique masks from comedies and dramas.

Project "Interacting through Acting: From drama to contemporary arts", funded by EU's IPA cross-border cooperation programme, started in Solun on January 26.

Seminars tackling educational and social themes will be held in Bitola and Solun within the project, along with other accompanying activities.

Idylic skiing resort Popova Shapka

Another beautiful day in Popova Shapka, NW Macedonia. Even though it's a working day, lots of people showed up to enjoy the pristine ski trails ....

Because of its altitude, the temperatures are always lower during the day, and significantly lower during the night.

Occasional snowfalls and frost across Macedonia

Mainly cloudy and cold weather will prevail on Saturday in Macedonia with occasional snowfalls especially in the morning. Frost is possible due to below zero temperatures. Moderate north wind will blow.

Temperatures are forecast to vary between -8C and 2C.

Similar weather is expected in Skopje with temperatures as low as zero degrees.

NORMAK Investment Group to manage Tetovo free economic zone

Norwegian consortium Normak Investment Group is the consortium that will manage the Tetovo-based free economic zone, said Economy Minister Valon Saraqini at Friday's press conference.

An agreement for public-private partnership is to be signed 30 days upon publishing of the decision.

According to NORMAK's business plan, the company is obliged to build 40 percent of the zone within the first three years, whereas the projected activities should be completed in seven.

The minimum capital investment is EUR 7 million, while additional projected investments should reach EUR 150 million.

"The decision for management of Technological Industrial Development Zone Tetovo is of exceptional significance, not only for development of the Polog region, but also for Macedonian economy in general. This will not only open new jobs, but also enable the entry of new technologies", stressed Minister Saraqini.

Indian businessman promises Ohrid Complex to be in World's top 10

Indian businessmen Subrata Roy said Thursday the tourism complex set to be built at the Ohrid Lake shore would be among the world's top ten.

"The entire project is primarily initiated from a business aspect. We do not want it to be an average complex, but one of the top ten destinations of this type in the world", Roy told reporters on Ohrid.

He emphasized that the ambitious project would be beneficial for both parties - Macedonia and Sahara Group.

I see the project's economic justification by targeting elite clientele from the whole world, in particular from India, Russia, China, Europe, he said.

"I believe that millions of India's citizens will come here as tourists. It is also the case with people from China, Russia, Europe. I don't expect a great number of guests from Canada, US. Its hard to predict who would our guests be, but I am certain that this project will improve the economic situation in your country," Roy said.

His host, Vice Premier and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski said a coordinating team of about 30 experts, as well as representatives of competent institutions and the Sahara Group, has been established towards regulating all legal, economic and environmental issues, as well as the Ohrid Lake protection as a UNESCO heritage site.

This is a large investment, which will substantially affect on Macedonia's economic growth during its construction and exploitation, i.e. the expected large number of tourists, Stavreski said.

It will be even more significant for Ohrid and its region, as the new complex will attract visitors at all times, which means thousands of new jobs and more work for small businesses (markets, restaurants...), Stavreski said.

The complex, considering its exquisite quality, will be promoted across the globe, which means a lot for Macedonia, Stavreski said, pointing out that it is an additional motivation for the Government to keep working on attracting foreign investments and making the country a better place for living.

The 'Saharayan Macedonia' complex, located near village Ljubanista, will include world class hotels, casinos, residential and recreational facilities and an international standard gold golf course.

Project 'Saharayan Macedonia' was designed by Atkins – a multinational engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The design bears the signature of architect Tom Wright, who on his list of works of art also has the Burj Al Arab in Dubai - the world's only seven-star hotel.

Ohrid tries to enter Guinness Book of Records with 3.3 tons of fish stew

After Saturday’s blessing of Ohrid Lake on holiday Epiphany, the traditional winter bathing of the fishermen takes place Sunday in Ohrid on the occasion of the holiday John the Baptist.

As previous years Fishermen Day will include music and entertainment programme, hot brandy, wine, fried fishes and three barrels of wine for most skilled swimmers.

This year’s attraction is Ohrid’s attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records by cooking 3 tons and 300 kilograms of fish stew. The fish stew is cooked by teachers and students of secondary catering school "Vanco Pitoseski" in Ohrid.

35 year old Dracevo man catches Holy Cross

Dejan Arsovski from Dracevo, Skopje caught Saturday the Holy Cross that the Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church HH Stefan threw in the waters of river Vardar on occasion of Epiphany in Skopje. 

Thirty-five years old Arsovski participated for the first time at cross-throwing ceremony in Skopje. He said that he jumped today for his son who is one year old and he expected the Holy Cross to bring him happiness, health and success in the work.

HH Stefan, PM Nikola Gruevski and Skopje Mayor Koce Trajanovski congratulated Arsovski who was given household appliances, golden coin and blessed icon.

Epiphany liturgy began Saturday morning in “St. Dimitrija” church in Skopje. The Head of Macedonian Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia HH Stefan performed the Great Theophany Blessing of Water, dipping the Holy Cross and blessing the water of the river Vardar after that 173 believers jumped into the river and tried to catch the Holy Cross. The youngest participant in the ceremony was the 15-year-old Filip Lazarevski.

It is considered that the one who catches the cross will enjoy happiness, health and welfare all year long.

The traditional ceremony of throwing the Holy Cross was held throughout Macedonia, with the largest event in Ohrid.

The holiday marks two events in Jesus Christ’s life, according to the Christian Bible. The first event was when the three wise men, or kings, visited infant Jesus. The second event was when St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

Vevcani Carnival kicks off

The traditional masks of groom, bride and August the Fool will parade in Vevcani on January 13-14 at the carnival celebrating the departure of old and arrival of the new year according to the old calendar. 

The carnival honoring Saint Basil the Great is known for its archaic spirit and unique masks mixing pagan rituals and modern celebrations. The carnival takes place in the village of Vevcani, which is magically transformed into a theatre in its own right, free of borders, where every house, street is a stage for those behind the masks to perform their roles and play their games as true actors.

The event will unofficially kick off on January 12 with a concert that will include performances by musicians from Macedonia and neighboring countries. 

The main parade will take place on January 13, where the old new year will be welcomed outdoors in the center of Vevcani. The next day, masks will be set on fire as a ritual.

Come to Vevcani to see how tradition and predecessors are being honored, Pero Ilieski - the mayor of Vevcani municipality - told a press conference last week. The Vevcani carnival has been supported by the Ministry of Culture for the last three years. It is a great pleasure to be part of this event, Deputy Culture Minister Dragan Nedeljkovic said at the press conference.

For over 1,400 years the Vevcani Carnival has been an interesting mix of paganism and modernism. The main characteristics of the event are: archaism, secretiveness, and improvisation. Its particular features distinguish it from any other carnival worldwide.

During the carnival, the disguised participants enjoy every freedom and passion to 'place the world upside down' -- a freedom of spirit, creativity and a sense of improvisation, criticism, and sarcasm. Officially, women do not participate in the carnival -- they do disguise, but unlike men, do not take off their masks in the end.

In 1993, the Vevcani carnival, or more precisely, the municipality of Vevcani, joined FECC - the Federation of European Carnival Cities.

Number of passengers at Macedonian airports continues to rise

A total of 906,871 passengers were registered last year at the airports in Macedonia, which is a rise of 8.7% compared with the number of passengers in 2011, the Ministry of Transport and Communication says Friday.

An increase in the number of passengers was reported at Alexander the Great airport in Skopje - 828,831 passengers were transported in 2012, which is a 9.1% rise compared with the number of passengers in 2011. At the same time, a 5% increase in comparison to last year was recorded at St. Paul the Apostle airport in Ohird, which was used by 78,040 passengers.

There has been a boost in the number of passengers using regular lines as a result of introducing new direct destinations. 715,183 passengers were registered using regular lines in 2012, thus being an increase of 13% compared to 2011.

"After completing the project to modernize Macedonia's airport system, a continuous increase has been recorded in the number of passengers, flights and companies with direct flights to new destinations. Moreover, the rise in the number of passengers came as a result of the government-run project for financial support to stimulate and develop air traffic," the ministry says in a press release.