Republic of Macedonia is celebrating on August 2 two of its most important historic events that mark 112 years from the beginning of the Ilinden uprising in 1903 and the First assembly of ASNON in 1944.
The central manifestation for observing the holiday will take place in Krushevo, at the place called Mechkin Kamen, where the guests will lay fresh flowers at the tombstones of the defenders of the Krushevo Republic. The President of Macedonia, George Ivanov, will address the visitors.
The President of the Assembly, Trajko Veljanovski, will give a speech at the Memorial complex ASNOM in Pelince, in the Kumanovo region. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski will speak at the commemoration of the events in Skopje, in front of the monument of Metodija Andonov – Chento, who was the President of the ASNOM Presidium.
The Social Democrats will send their own delegations to commemorate the holiday. The President of SDSM Zoran Zaev will attend Pelince, while the party’s deputy president Radmila Shekerinska will take a delegation to Krushevo. The vice president of SDSM Damjan Manchevski will head the delegation in Skopje.
The Ilinden uprising began on August 2 at midnight, when 800 people freed the town of Krushevo from the Ottoman army that had been station there. Two days later, the uprising’s committee proclaimed a free Republic in Krushevo- the first republic in the Balkans with Nikola Karev for its President. The Krushevo Republic lasted only ten days before it was violently extinguished by a large number of Ottoman soldiers.
Forty one years later, on August 2, 1944, in the Prohor Pcinski monastery, took place the first Presidium of the Anti-fascist assembly of the national liberation movement of Macedonia – ASNOM. The assembly was announced open by the oldest of the delegates, Panko Brashnarov. The assembly choose the first Presidium of ASNOM and its first President, Metodija Andonov – Chento.
The first assembly brought documents of great historic importance for Macedonia. These documents reaffirmed Macedonia as an equal part of the Yugoslavian federation. On this day, Republic of Macedonia is celebrating two of its most important historic events – 112 years from the start of the Ilinden uprising in 1903 and the first Assembly of ASNOM in 1944.
The central manifestation in commemorating the holiday will take place in Krushevo, at Mechkin Kamen, where Government delegates will lay flowers on the monument of the guardians of the Krushevo Republic. President George Ivanov will address the attendees.
