Anthem of the Republic of Macedonia

History of Macedonia - in a nutshell!

More then 100 years ago Macedonia, the ancient land of Alexander the Great, still lay at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish conquerors.  Its Balkan neighbors Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria, had recently won their independence from the Turks, but not long afterwards all three newly formed countries laid their claims on Macedonian land, actively conspiring for its new occupation.  The three countries launched immense propaganda justifying their claims on Macedonia and so emerged the so-called "Macedonian Question", which is nothing but three conflicting and contracting views: (1) that the Macedonians were Greeks (the view of Greece), (2) that the Macedonians were Bulgarians (the view of Bulgaria), and (3) that the Macedonians were Serbs (the view of Serbia).   The strategic location of Macedonia drew the attention of the world powers who now also begun actively involved by siding on the side of their particular Balkan allies and supporting their views which aligned with their own interests. 

The Macedonians, who were already organizing and fighting against the Turkish occupation for the liberation of Macedonia under the slogan "Macedonia for the Macedonians", were now facing three new enemies that would do anything to disrupt their struggle for freedom and independence.  The Macedonian uprisings in the 1870's and 1903 were suppressed and with the Balkan wars (1912-3), Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Albania, succeeded in partitioning and occupying the territories of Macedonia. The Macedonian nation found itself divided by the new borders, and now, almost a century since that partition, the Macedonians in Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania are still not given their basic human rights.  The three countries have repeatedly been condemned for their oppression of their sizable Macedonian minorities. 

This website is dedicated to this struggle of the Macedonian nation and its documented 25 centuries of history.   We are Macedonians, not Greeks, not Serbs, not Bulgarians, not Slavs.  We are Macedonians just like our Macedonian forefathers who more then 100 years ago fought for free and independent Macedonia, and struggled against the Greek, Serbian, and Bulgarian propaganda, and we are Macedonians just like our ancestors who conquered the Persian Empire and ruled the known world for centuries before Rome was even a power.  We proudly present you, the reader, with our rich history beginning with its roots in Ancient Macedonia.  The Macedonians are the oldest European nation who had continuously existed for more the 2,500 years, and "Macedonia was the first large territorial state with an effective centralized political, military and administrative structure to come into being on the continent of Europe". 

Ohrid is unique, beautiful and well worth the effort to visit. Clustered in the north - east shore of Lake Ohrid at an altitude of 695 m/2280ft. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful and most attractive Macedonian town, with a pearl of old architecture and a treasury of valuable cultural and historical monuments. It is the town which is always in the focus of interest with every visitor of Macedonia.

This town and the lake will delight not only the recluse and natural lover, but also the historian and antiquarian. In the 10th and 11th century's, Ohrid became the capital of the Macedonia Tsar Samuel, the walls of the fortress, 16 meters high, still survive, and now concert operas and plays are given within them each summer. Situated under Samuel's fortress are the remains of an old classical theatre from the second and first centuries B.C. There also is the Polyconhous Basilica with its valuable mosaics dating from the second half of the 5th century A.D. The monastery of St. Kliment is located in the old part of the town. Its church houses the tomb of St. Kliment of Ohrid. In addition to the beautiful frescoes in the church, there is a rich collection of many Ohrid icons. The church of St. Jovan of the Kaneo was erected in the 13th century on the cliff overhanging lake Ohrid. In the old town centre, also near the lake, is the famous Cathedral of St. Sofia, containing some magnificent frescoes from the 10th century.

Today St. Sofia is the venue for the Ohrid Summer Festival concerts, and its courtyard is used for theatrical performances in the same festival. The House of Robevi, an exquisite example of old Macedonia architecture, houses the museums of the town of Ohrid. The monastery of St. Naum
(9th century) is situated at the southern end of the lake, in the striking natural environment.

Especially during the summer, Ohrid is a centre of several cultural events. The most widely acclaimed is the International Ohrid Summer festival of music and drama, in which large numbers of famous artists from all over the world participate each year from 12th July to 20th August. The Balkan Folklore Festival and the Festival of Macedonian Old Town Songs are also held here. Ohrid has been host to the participants of the Macedonian Language, Literature and Cultural Seminar for more than 25 years.