Bogdanci (Богданци) - a town in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia. It is located in the eastern part of the Gevgelija-Valandovo Valley, ie the area Bojmija, on the road between Gevgelija and Dojran. It has the role of an administrative center of the Municipality of Bogdanci.
The area of Bogdanci has been inhabited since Roman times, as
evidenced by the Bardanov Kamen deposit 500 m west of the village.
In the 19th century, Bogdanci was a large village in the composition
of the Gevgeliska kaza in the Ottoman Empire.
A VMORO committee
was founded in the village in 1895-1896, headed by teacher Atanas Todev
from Machukovo, followed by teachers Ivan Bardarov from Shtip, Sava
Mihailov, Hristo Trajkov Lisichkov, Stefan Popivanov and Hristo Gonov.
The then village was badly damaged during the Valandovo earthquake
in 1931.
On June 11, 2017, the citizens of the Municipality of
Bogdanci voted in a referendum against the opening of mines and mining
complexes for metallic mineral resources.
The town of Bogdanci is
located in the area of Bojmija, at the eastern end of the
Gevgelija-Valandovo valley, on the right side of Stara Reka, at an
altitude of about 80 m. A regional road leads through Bogdanci,
which connects it with Gevgelija (11 km) in the southwest, and with
Nov Dojran and Dojran Lake in the northeast. The climate has changed
Mediterranean.
The area of Bogdanci covers an area of
6,700 ha, of which 1,561.4 ha are under arable land, pastures
cover 2,107.7 ha, and forests account for 2,719.5 ha.
Church "St. Athanasius "
Saint Athanasius - the main church in
Bogdanci and the seat of the Bogdanci parish. The church is located
in the center of the city. The original church was built in the
first half of the 19th century, which has been renovated several
times throughout history, mainly with monetary contributions from
the local Christian Orthodox population.
Fire
The church
was damaged in a fire that broke out on the morning of December 26,
2014. The fire affected the interior of the church and the roof,
while the icons were repaired thanks to the priests and the local
population. Firefighting vehicles from Gevgelija, the local
population and students from the high school near the temple took
part in extinguishing the fire.
On January 20, 2015, the
cornerstone of the new church was consecrated, which is being built
on the site of the fire. The new church is being built according to
the project of the architect Blagoj Zdravev from Stip, who donated
the already prepared project to the diocese for faster construction
of the new church, and the construction activities are performed by
the company GE-GE Professional from Bogdanci. The church is being
built with funds from the Povardarie diocese, as well as with
voluntary contributions of the faithful.
Architecture
The
building of the church is three-nave, and its arches are covered
with flat wooden ceilings, with the middle nave exceeding the side
ones. The roof structure is built on two waters. The interior of the
church is partially painted, which is most noticeable in the upper
parts of the central nave, whose frescoes date from the XIX century.
The iconostasis has old royal doors, made in carving with motifs
from flora and fauna, as well as old icons dating from the 19th
century. In 1983/84 a new bell tower with a city clock was built in
its upper part, and in 1986/87 a baptistery was built, consecrated
with the blessing of the then head of the MOC gg. Gabriel.
The town of Bogdanci is located in the Bojmija area, at the eastern
end of the Gevgelija-Valandovo valley, on the right side of the Stara
Reka, at an altitude of about 80 m. A regional road leads through
Bogdanci, connecting it to Gevgelija in the southwest (11 km), and to
Nov Dojran and Dojran Lake in the northeast. The climate is modified
Mediterranean.
The Atar of Bogdanci covers an area of 6,700 ha,
of which 1,561.4 ha are under arable land, pastures cover 2,107.7 ha,
and forests account for 2,719.5 ha.
According to the statistics of Vasil K'nchov ("Macedonia, Ethnography
and Statistics") from 1900, 3,560 inhabitants lived in Bogdanci, of
which 2,540 Macedonians, 900 Turks and 120 Roma. According to the
exarchate secretary Dimitar Mishev, in 1905 there were 3,184 Macedonians
in Bogdanci, who were divided into 1,400 under the rule of the Bulgarian
exarchate, 1,480 patriarchal Greeks, 144 patriarchal Serbians and 144
unionists.
According to Dimitar Gadzhanov, in 1916 there were
3,247 inhabitants in Bogdanci, of which 2,510 were Macedonians and 737
were Turks.
According to the 2002 census, the city had 6,011
inhabitants and belonged to the group of small cities.
According
to the last census of 2021, 5,244 inhabitants lived in the city.
Dimitar (Mito) Temenugov - Zhelezni (1919 - September 17, 2001) -
participant in NOB and delegate to the First Session of ASNOM
Atanas
Vangelov (b. 1946) — Macedonian writer
Gjorgi Kolozov (1948 - 2003) —
Macedonian actor
Deljo Kalchev (1877 - 1917) — Macedonian
revolutionary
Kiril Petrushev (1885 - 1980) — Macedonian and Yugoslav
politician, member of ASNOM, minister of NRM
Kosta Bojadzievski (1930
- 2006) — one of the founders of the publishing activity in Macedonia.
Mihail Sionidis (1870 - 1935) — Andarski captain
Gjorgji
Bogdantsaliata (? - 1910) — Andarski captain
Petar Karkalashev (1874
- 1905) — Macedonian revolutionary
Stojan Bogdantsaliata — Macedonian
revolutionary
Petar Musev – Fidin (March 15, 1910 - August 28, 1944)
— participant in NOB
Ratko Janev — world-renowned scientist in the
field of atomic physics, member of MANU, professor, lecturer and
consultant at several world-renowned universities and institutes
Mitko Karadelev — Macedonian university professor, publicist and
president of the Macedonian Mycological Society
Sofia Semenpeeva (b.
1982) — Macedonian painter
Jova Radevska — Macedonian and British
singer