Skopje, 28 July 2024 (MIA) - August 2-Republic Day will be observed this year under slogan "The Fight Goes On", with the main event taking place at the Mechkin Kamen site in Krushevo.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski will address the Krushevo celebrations that will pay homage to the heroes who have left an indelible mark in the country's history, the Government said in a press release.

President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova is set to visit the Prohor Pchinjski monastery and address an event in Pelince, referring to the historic significance of the day and the importance of preserving the national identity and traditions.

Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi will lay a wreath at the monument of Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM) president Metodija Andonov-Chento at Skopje's main square and deliver remarks at an event in front of the Parliament building that will commemorate the predecessors who laid the country's foundations.

Slogan 'The Fight Goes On' conveys the message that the aspiration for progress, freedom and well-being of the country continues, relying on the history and struggle of our ancestors, reads the press release.

This year marks the 121st anniversary from the Ilinden Uprising and 80 years from the first ASNOM session.

The Ilinden Uprising was announced by church bells in Krushevo on the eve of Ilinden [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 ASNOM session, where 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 a 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.

Photo: Government, MIA