Vice Prime Minister Ljupcho Dimovski visits Bitola to assess Partisan Cemetery

Vice Prime Minister Ljupcho Dimovski visited the Partisan Cemetery in Bitola today to inspect its neglected condition and discuss possible repairs. The visit was held at Dimovski’s request and took place in the presence of Stefan Boshkov, president of the Union of Fighters of Bitola, and Margareta Spasov, director of the Institute and Museum – Bitola.

Assessment and next steps

Representatives of the local veterans’ union told reporters that the group and Dimovski jointly reviewed the need ‘‘for repair and renovation of these graves, and we also acquainted Dimovski with short biographies of several of our heroes from the National Liberation Struggle. He also visited the headquarters of the Union of Fighters in Bitola, where, after the recent flood in our premises, we are now in the phase of carrying out repairs. Dimovski showed great interest in the rich library of historical books related to events and personalities from the National Liberation Struggle (NOAVM), as well as in the documents and recognitions that we proudly preserve,’’ and that the issues of cleanup and restoration were placed on the agenda.

The delegation inspected monuments and grave sites that have fallen into disrepair. The Partisan Cemetery in Bitola contains the graves and memorials of dozens of partisans who fought in the National Liberation Struggle; among the burials are Stiv Naumov, Elpida Karamandi, Estreja Ovadia-Mara, Trifun Panovski, Kole Kaninski, Taki Daskalo, Gjorgi Naumov, Sterjo Gjorgiev, Todor Angelevski and Jonche Murdzevski, as well as many other fighters.

The veterans’ union also said Dimovski visited their offices in Bitola, which are undergoing repairs following a recent flood. Union representatives highlighted the library and archival material they hold and said Dimovski expressed strong interest in preserving that collection.

Local officials did not announce a concrete timetable for restoration during the visit; the talks focused on documenting the damage and identifying the scope of necessary work. The delegation said the next steps should include a detailed survey and proposals for funding and execution.

The visit followed a report published on October 20 that highlighted the cemetery’s neglected condition and renewed public calls for intervention to preserve the site and the memory of those buried there.

Photo: SDK.MK)