Krushevo, 25 December 2023 (MIA) - We will need foreign support in quality restoration of the stained glass windows of the Krushevo Makedonium, i.e. the Ilinden monument, said Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska during a visit to Krushevo on Monday, adding that due to the complexity of the process, documentation on full and quality restoration is expected to be completed in January. 

"Restoring the stained glass windows of the Ilinden monument, i.e. the Makedonium is a very specific task. We invited experts from Poland to make a preliminary design, however due to the complexity of the issue, the response we received was not satisfactory, i.e. we did not receive a confirmation that they could continue with reconstruction, or complete restoration of the monument itself. The Ministry makes investments every year, both for landscaping and maintenance, but largely for its construction. This is something we also discussed with the Mayor of Krushevo. In the first half of January we are planning on completing the project initiated by the Institute and Museum in Prilep, so that we can also ask for foreign aid, and allocate enough funds from the 2024 Budget to completely restore the Makedonium. The goal now is to see what kind of documentation we would need, a basic or conceptual project. Annual investments so far were based on other reasons, not a complete reconstruction," Kostadinovska-Stojchevska said.

When it comes to protecting cultural heritage, the Makedonium is one of the top ten most unique buildings in the area of cultural monuments on an international level. We need to be sure we are taking the right approach.

"We need to be sure that whatever we work on will be of high quality. We have experts here, but we also need foreign support. We want to complete the documentation, and ultimately have permanent restoration of the Krushevo Makedonium," Kostadinovska-Stojchevska pointed out. ssh/nn/

Photo: MIA