In my last column, Are you comfortable, Macedonia? I asked this question because I wanted to know if Macedonians are comfortable, perhaps even happy, with the current situation in the country. I deliberately phrased it that way knowing that the answer which should be obvious to all is “no” but in my analysis, it seemed to me that Macedonians are at least comfortable with the situation to the point of not really doing much about it.
But then I also wrote that “Macedonians have risen to the occasion in the past. I know this to be true because of history and because I have read that history. Macedonian heroes and heroines have stood up, fought for what is right. Sometimes they have prevailed, and sometimes they have failed. Sometimes, in standing up and fighting, they have laid the groundwork for future generations to come along and seize victory. Sometimes they have made only incremental gains, but enough to continue making gains until a victory is secured.”
I wrote about the fact that most Macedonians (I hope) know the names of the major leaders of the Ilinden Uprising but then asked, “do you know the names of the thousands who participated in that uprising?” Of course, no one can possibly know all of those names but there is a window to them and to their world: the Ilindenci, those men and women who fought in that uprising and then were finally recognized – decades later – by the-then Macedonian government.
After reading my column, a friend asked me what I would reveal. I wrote back telling him that I won’t reveal anything spectacular other than the fact that these people – the Ilindenci – who were not otherwise spectacular or remarkable in their lives, were able to accomplish spectacular and remarkable things.
And that is the whole point: ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things for Macedonia, for each other, for their families, and for future generations.
The Ilinden Dossier is a compilation of over 2,000 applications of men and women who fought in the Ilinden Uprising. They applied, at the government’s invitation, between 1948 and 1953. As part of their application, they included some biographical information about themselves and what they were fighting for. The government reviewed these, and, to those successful applicants were awarded a pension and the title of Ilindenci, members of a select group of national revolutionary war heroes. And, per author Keith Brown, “As a tangible marker of this status, they received a heavy metal badge about four inches square (about 26 square centimeters), depicting an armed individual backed by many others, encircled in a wreath of victory and bearing the text “Ilinden 1903.” This was the Ilinden commemorative medallion, or spomenica, and the campaign to put it into the hands of men and women across the republic set in motion the large-scale production of texts recounting past and present.”
A Macedonian friend of mine here in America has shown me the medallion his grandfather was awarded, and it is a real-life reminder of those who came before us and helped to pave the way for an independent and sovereign Macedonia today. The voices of these long-dead men and women tell a beautiful story of otherwise unremarkable people doing remarkable things:
Mate Petrov Boškoski of Krusevo affirms, regarding many of the patriots, “all of them were active members of the movement for the liberation of Macedonia and involved in the preparations of the Ilinden Uprising.” Donka Bučakovska, also of Krusevo, testifies “Our goal was liberation from the grave oppression of the Turkish authorities, under which Macedonia and the Macedonian people had groaned for centuries….[The promise of] the first People’s Republic and the glorious Ilinden Uprising of the Macedonian people, as well as my anger toward our age-long oppressors, prompted me to take up this cause.” Božin Stefanov Ilievski, of Bitola, confirms “Before, during and after the Ilinden Uprising I assisted the cause of liberation of the Macedonian people.” Riste Kolev Stamboldžijovski of Smilevo admits “Hatred grew inside me, and I craved freedom for our enslaved Macedonian people.” Finally, Velika Hristova Dimitrova of Bitola asserts “…my husband’s family was a revolutionary one and participated actively in the struggles for the liberation of the Macedonian people.”
As 2022 ends and as we look, some of us anxiously, some of us with great anticipation, my hope for you, my Macedonian friends and family, is that you look first, to God, for peace, love, and hope, and then to your family and friends, for love, encouragement, and support. And I think you will be encouraged, too, if you look to these remarkable Macedonians from the past who overcame hardship, and in some ways, slavery, to build a better future for each other, for their families, and for generations to come.
The west has never been a friend of Macedonia 🇲🇰 or Macedonians over 113years have past greek genocide commitment against Macedonians, Bulgaria committing crime's against humanity against Macedonians in occupied Macedonia in Bulgaria and Macedonia under nazi's fasizim, Albanian puppets of America shaping the Balkans to there imperialist foreign policy at the expense of Macedonia 🇲🇰 and Macedonians. The west only talks empty words human rights, equality, fairness, equal only words that come from EU,Washington regime let's never forget or forgive CIA's George soros installed criminal Macedonian Coup government