Skopje, 17 January 2024 (MIA) - Culture Minister Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska and European Union Ambassador David Geer attended Wednesday the conservation and restoration process of artworks by Lazar Lichenoski, the founder of modern art in North Macedonia.

"We are protecting a century-old artistic heritage, and leaving it as a legacy for future generations. By conserving and restoring the works of one of the most important founders of Macedonian contemporary art, Lazar Lichenoski, we are ensuring the longevity of the most valuable part of Macedonian culture," said Minister Kostadinovska Stojchevska.

Expert teams from the National Conservation Centre and National Gallery noted that last year they conserved and restored 12 pieces from Lichenoski's collection of 122 paintings, drawings and watercolor paintings. With support from the Ministry of Culture, by the end of June, they will restore 13 more painting from the collection, the Ministry of Culture said in a press release.

"With the help of competent institutions and experts, the Culture Ministry dedicated itself to the restoration and conservation of the Lichenoski Memorial House and his collection. Experts continue adding to his legacy so that new generations and tourists can have the opportunity to authentically experience the environment in which the great artist lived and worked," Kostadinovska Stojchevska noted.

Expert teams have managed to protect the mosaic cultural heritage at the Memorial House, and last year they also conserved and restored the ethnological material from the house. Lichenoski's house has been partly rehabilitated and turned into a memorial house "Lazar Lichenoski Museum," under the auspices of the Conservation Center - Skopje.

Minister Kostadinovska-Stojchevska thanked EU Ambassador Geer and the EU delegation for supporting the professional and logistical plans and solving future challenges in the creation of more such stories, reads the press release. ssh/ik/

Photo: Ministry of Culture