MACEDONIA: ART AND LITERATURE

Early art in Macedonia was highly influenced by the styles of the Greeks and later the Ottomans, but it was also influenced by the Romans as well. Many examples of religious iconography have been found, and many of these are portrayed on the walls of cathedrals across the country. Mosaics of the Christian icons on walls and floors were also created during this time. Fresco painting was also a popular art form during the pre-Medieval period. Some of the best-known examples of Byzantine frescos are found in Macedonia. 

From about the 13^th century, portrait painting started to become a popular style of painting, especially among royalty and the leaders of the church. Intricate and highly decorated woodcarving is one art that has its roots in this early period. Many designs were either Biblical scenes, folklore stories, or historical events. While many examples were used in the church, the artistic styles and functions varied. And the influence from the Middle East certainly left its mark in both its art, sculpture, and architecture.  

I'm fairly certain this is a scene of someone finally telling their jerk boss what they really think.

Macedonia has a strong painting scene thanks to four painters who acted as the founders of modern painting in this country: Dimitar Avramovski-Pandilov, Vangel Kodzoman, Lazar Licenoski, and Nikola Martinoski. These painters emerged during the early part of the 20^th century, embracing movements that were popular in other areas of Europe like expressionism and impressionism. They paved the way for other painters to step up to the plate after they passed on.

 

Sculpture at Mechkin Kamen

Sculpture is also an art form that Macedonians embraced. Several years ago, many terracotta icon statues were discovered (or rather, rediscovered) near the city of Vinica. The father of modern sculpture is often attributed to Dimo Todorovski. He was also a painter, but it was his memorial at Mechkin Kamen in commemoration of the battle of the same name (located in Krushevo) that put him on the map. That monument alone became a national symbol. His work led the way for other sculptors such as Tome Serafimovski and Petar Hadzi Boskov. 

Much of the early architecture of Macedonia came from the Bulgarians. Several of its early churches have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Most of them are located in and around the city of Ohrid. In fact, there were so many in that city that UNESCO just declared the entire city and the nearby lake to be on the list due to its historical significance. (“You know what? I’m not writing reports for all these buildings. Seriously, it’s 4:30pm on a Friday. Just put the entire city down and be done with it. Now, let’s go get a beer.”) There are also several architectural styles that can be contributed to the Ottoman Empire. Mosques, baths, and other buildings that were built during this time have been found in many of the old sections of towns and cities. 

Literature in Macedonia is primarily written in the Macedonian language, which wasn’t even officially acknowledged as a language until 1946 when Yugoslavia was formed. (Maybe it was viewed more along the lines of a dialect, perhaps?) There are generally three large literary periods: Old Macedonian Literature (which ran from the 9^th—18^th century and included the introduction of Christianity and the Ottoman invasion), New Macedonian Literature (from 1802—1944 and included a period of national awakening, a revolutionary period, and an inter-war period between the world wars), and a Modern Literature period (from 1944—present). 

Blaze Koneski. I think he looks a little like a cross between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Harry Caray.

Although the earlier literary eras laid the groundwork for the modern movements, Macedonian literature really didn’t gain momentum until after WWII. A group of scholars led by Blaze Koneski were given the task of standardizing the Macedonian language for usage in the government, in education, and as a language for literature. During the time after the war, authors starting using it as a means to write and publish freely. Several poets emerged on the scene like Gane Todorovski, Blaze Koneski, Aco Shopov, and Slavko Janevski. Many poets also ventured into short story and novel writing as well. Theatre and cinema is also highly popular in Macedonia. Dramatists such as Tome Arsovski, Goran Stefanovski, and Kole Cashule have been entertaining people for decades on the stage. Of course, they also wrote works in prose as well. 

One well-known author is Zivgo Cingo. A few of his stories have been translated into other languages including English. His most famous work is his novel Golemata Voda (The Great Water), which was also made into a movie. (Unfortunately, it's not available on Netflix, at least not in the US. However, it looks like you can buy a used copy on Amazon for $3.84, and it's a Region 1 DVD too!)

Up next: music and dance

MACEDONIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

When I first started doing this blog, I was really interested in my statistics. I decided to keep a list of the countries that viewed my blog. I’m kind of a nerd like that. I have a note in my iPhone where I keep an updated number of pageviews and a list of countries where at least one person has read my blog (ok, at least landed on the page. I don’t know if they actually read it or not.). I did get a hit from Macedonia, but I could never figure out why it had [FYROM] in brackets behind it. (Is it like CD-ROM?) But then I looked it up (thanks, Wikipedia) and found out it stood for Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia. But, why? (Hint: keep reading.) 

The name of Macedonia is kind of confusing. The neighboring country of Greece to the south has a region called Macedonia that once included the country of Macedonia. The word in and of itself is of Greek origin, meaning “tall” or “taper,” possibly in reference to the height of the people. 

Macedonia is a landlocked country located in southern Europe. It borders Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the east. The country is mountainous, and there are several rivers and lakes that dot this area. The summers are hot and dry, but the winters are fairly cold. It’s certainly colder the higher in the mountains you go. 

In ancient times, this area was originally the kingdom Paeonia. The Persians moved in during the 6^th century. Later, Philip II of Macedon —Alexander the Great’s father—took over the southern part of the region and Alexander the Great took over the rest of it. Then the Romans moved in and established the Province of Macedonia. The Slavs later began to settle into this area along with the Bulgars. The Byzantines invaded Bulgaria and proceeded to take over most of the Balkans, Macedonia included. The Bulgarian Empire rose to power during the 13^th century and took back the region. But a century later, it was passed back to the Byzantines and then it got handed off to the Serbian Empire. Eventually, it all fell under the reign of the Ottoman Empire. There were several movements during the 19^th century calling for more autonomy for Macedonia. After the Ottoman Empire broke up, the area was essentially divided between Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria; Macedonia was annexed to Serbia. However, this area was renamed as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (specific, but man, what a mouthful). It was later changed to Yugoslavia in 1929 (which is what I knew growing up). Greek and Bulgarian communists denied a free Macedonia; however, Macedonia was known as Vardar Macedonia back then and a special resolution acknowledged this separate nation and its own Macedonian language. There were a lot of struggles between different powers and parties, and it remained part of Socialist Yugoslavia until 1991 when Yugoslavia broke up. There have been some conflicts with ethnic Albanians living in Macedonia. Today, Macedonia is working toward gaining entry into the EU. 

Originally called Scupi when it was under Roman rule, the capital of Skopje is also Macedonia’s largest city. Located along the Vardar River in the northern part of the country, the city has roughly a half million residents. It’s located in the middle of several mountain ranges and surrounded by several lakes, rivers, and cave systems. Skopje serves as the nation’s capital for finance, government, media, and commerce. With several hospitals, universities, sports venues, theatres, museums, a nightlife scene, and several festivals held throughout the year, Skopje is every bit of a modern city. Mother Teresa was probably the city’s most famous resident. 

Since the mid-1990s, Macedonia has seen gradual, steady growth economically. The government has worked to fight against inflation and has experimented with a flat tax system in order to attract more foreign companies and investment. They have brought in some multinational companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Lear Corp, and Visteon Corp. However, even though these measures have proven moderately successful, Macedonia still has a really high unemployment rate at nearly 27%. Their main export is chemicals and other related products as well as machinery. Of the former Yugoslav countries, Macedonia has a much smaller economy in comparison to the others. Although they are less developed than other Balkan countries, Macedonia’s IT market has made significant increases, making it one of the fastest growing markets in this region.

Church of St. Clement of Ohrid, Skopje

About two-thirds of Macedonians follow Eastern Orthodoxy religion. Other Christian denominations and Jewish populations are also found here but make up a scant number of people. The remaining third of Macedonians are Muslim and are mostly of Albanian, Turk, or Romani ethnic origins. 

The official language is Macedonian, part of the South Slavic language family. Macedonian is actually closely related to Bulgarian and uses the Cyrillic script. However, because of Macedonia’s diverse ethnicity, there are several other languages spoken in areas where there are a large number of speakers (and in some cases, carry a co-official status in certain communities): Albanian, Turkish, Romani, Serbian, Bosnian, and Vlach.  

And finally what you’ve been waiting for: the TV Guide version of its naming dispute. When Yugoslavia broke up in 1991, officials wanted to call itself Macedonia. However, Greece held their hand up, saying it would be confusing because of the region in Greece of the same name. There are millions of people in Greece who identify themselves as Macedonians but are ethnically unrelated to the Slavic people living in Macedonia who also call themselves Macedonians. And they’ve gone round and round about the name. However, the UN had to call them something when they declared their independence. So, for right now, the compromise is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, often shortened to Republic of Macedonia. Even their flags have been disputed. (Man, they can’t catch a break.) To make matters even stranger, Greece and Macedonia have even brought in Alexander the Great and Phillip of Macedon to argue who’s more ethnically tied to the name of Macedonia. The problem is that these arguments are stalling Macedonia’s application to the EU and NATO. So, regardless of who’s called what and who came from where back in antiquity, one thing for sure is that they all have great food. Perhaps they should just have dinner together and talk it out over a bottle of wine: in vino veritas.

Up next: art and literature