North Macedonia marks Ilinden with ceremonies in Kruševo, Skopje and Pelince
Ceremonies in Kruševo, Skopje and Pelince mark the 123rd anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising and the 82nd anniversary of ASNOM’s first session.
North Macedonia marks Ilinden today with official ceremonies in Kruševo, Skopje and Pelince, commemorating two cornerstone moments for Macedonian statehood: the 123rd anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising and Kruševo Republic, and the 82nd anniversary of the First Session of ASNOM.
The central observance will take place in Kruševo, where the parliamentary delegation will be led by Vice President of the Assembly Antonio Milososki. Speaker Afrim Gashi is on an official trip to Egypt, and Milososki is scheduled to address the public gathering at Mechkin Kamen.
President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova will mark Ilinden in Skopje with remarks at the ceremony in front of the monument to Metodija Andonov-Chento on Macedonia Square.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski will speak at the memorial in Pelince during the event remembering the 82nd anniversary of the First Session of ASNOM.
Historical milestones remembered
The Ilinden Uprising began at midnight before Ilinden in 1903, when insurgents liberated Kruševo and proclaimed the Kruševo Republic under the leadership of Nikola Karev. The republic lasted ten days before it was crushed by the larger Ottoman force; the stand at Mechkin Kamen and the death of Pitu Guli marked its end.
Forty-one years later, on 2 August 1944, the First Session of ASNOM at the monastery of St. Prohor Pchinski laid the foundations of modern Macedonian statehood. At that session the social and legal status of Macedonia was confirmed, a Presidium led by Metodija Andonov-Chento was elected, and key acts were adopted, among them provisions introducing the Macedonian language as an official language and the Declaration on the Basic Rights of Man and Citizen.
Photo: press material from the event
