Isar memorial in Shtip intact for three years after 2023 restoration
Since the 2023 repairs and a joint cleanup, frequent municipal patrols and cleaning have prevented new deliberate damage to the Isar memorial.
For the third consecutive year the monumental Isar memorial in Shtip has not suffered deliberate damage, municipal officials say, as regular inspections and cleaning keep the complex in good condition. Since the last major restoration in 2023 the city has been able to mark the 8 November Day of Liberation and other commemorations by laying wreaths at intact monuments.
Cleanup and repairs in 2023
In April and May 2023 the Institute and Museum in Shtip together with the Museum of Macedonia carried out a comprehensive cleaning of the memorials on Isar. Workers removed obscene graffiti that had covered entire surfaces and repaired several damaged marble plaques.
Earlier in 2023, ahead of the Ilinden holiday, some of the memorials on Isar were found damaged and desecrated. That year, as a result, official tributes were held at other memorial sites in the town while the repairs were undertaken.
Since the restoration, the Municipality of Shtip and the municipal communal enterprises have increased the frequency of patrols and condition checks across the monument complex and have continued routine cleaning of the area.
Officials attribute the absence of new deliberate damage over the past three years to heightened vigilance and improved security measures at the site, which have allowed commemorations to take place at the original memorials.
The monuments on Isar remain part of Shtip's calendar of remembrance, with local authorities maintaining regular upkeep to prevent repeat vandalism.
Photo: SDK.MK)
