Skopje, 2 August 2023 (MIA) - North Macedonia marks on Wednesday the Day of the Republic - Ilinden. This year's celebrations will be held under the slogan "120 years of Ilinden, the Hearth of the Motherland." Top state officials will pay their respects as part of several Republic Day observances across the country, including President Stevo Pendarovski addressing a gathering at the ASNOM Memorial Center in Pelince, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi delivering a speech at the Mechkin Kamen Monument in Krushevo, and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski addressing a ceremony at the Kale Fortress in Skopje. 

The celebrations kicked off in Krushevo on Tuesday, with an event titled "Ten Days of the Krushevo Republic" during which PM Kovachevski gave a speech.

"To mark Aug. 2, Ilinden, the Day of the Republic, Government delegations will participate in events as part of the program on the occasion. On Aug. 2 in Skopje, Kovachevski will address a gathering at Kale while government delegations will lay flowers at several locations in the city," according to an official press release.

A delegation consisting of Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski, and Deputy Minister of Justice Viktorija Avramovska Madikj will lay flowers at the ASNOM Memorial in the Woman Warrior park, at the Nikola Karev Memorial in front of Parliament, and at the Metodija Andonov Chento Memorial at the City Square.

PM Kovachevski will address a ceremony at the Kale Fortress in Skopje, joined by a government delegation led by First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi, Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Bytyqi, and Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska.

In Krushevo, Parliament Speaker Xhaferi will lead a delegation that includes Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska, and Minister of Education and Science Jeton Shaqiri.

The delegation will lay flowers at the Nikola Karev tomb inside the Makedonium monument at Gumenje, at the Monument to Fallen Fighters on Sliva Hill, and at the Mechkin Kamen Monument. Xhaferi will also give a speech.

President Stevo Pendarovski will address a gathering at the ASNOM Memorial Center in Pelince, honoring the First Assembly of ASNOM, the Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia. Pendarovski will lay flowers at the ASNOM Memorial Plaque in the monastery “St. Prohor Pchinski”, where he will be welcomed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The two will hold a bilateral meeting followed by media statements.  

President Pendarovski will be joined by a government delegation including Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Kaja Shukova, and Minister of Information Society and Administration Azir Aliu.

In Smilevo, a delegation consisting of Deputy Minister of Finance Filip Nikolovski and national coordinator Robert Alagjozovski will lay flowers at the Dame Gruev tomb, at the Monument of the Smilevo Ilinden Fighters, and the Memorial plaque of the partisan detachment “Dame Gruev” and attend the traditional Ilinden celebration organized by the Municipality of Demir Hisar. 

To Mark Republic Day - Ilinden, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski will lead a party delegation in Krushevo. The delegation will lay flowers at the Nikola Karev tomb.  

Ilinden Uprising was announced by church bells in Krushevo on the eve of St. Elijah Day in 1903. Around 800 insurgents liberated the town. Two days later, Nikola Karev declared himself the president of the Krushevo Republic. The republic was free for ten days before being quelled by Ottoman troops.

Pitu Guli, one of the most prominent fighters, was killed during shootouts with the Ottoman army. It ultimately marked the end of the Krushevo Republic.

Forty-one years after the Ilinden Uprising, 115 delegates held the first session of the Antifascist Assembly of the Macedonia’s National Liberation (ASNOM), whereat the social and legal status of Macedonia was determined as a constituent country as part of the future Yugoslav federation. Members of the ASNOM presidency were elected with Metodija Andonov-Chento as its president.

The first ASNOM session saw the passage of several documents of constitutional importance, including resolution on the introduction of Macedonian language as the country’s official language and the Declaration of the Basic Rights of Men and Citizens of Democratic Macedonia.