Gostivar (Гостивар) - a city in western Macedonia in the southern part of
the Polog Valley. Gostivar is the center of the municipality of the
same name which covers an area of about 650 km2. The city is an
administrative, political, business and cultural environment for
about eighty thousand inhabitants, of which in the core of the city
live almost 36,000 inhabitants.
The city is a typical
multicultural environment, inhabited by almost all nationalities in
Macedonia (Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Roma and others).
There are several assumptions and
folklore and legends about the origin of the name of the city of
Gostivar. However, the claim that the name Gostivar is of Macedonian
or Slavic language origin can be accepted as the most credible. As a
proof of the Slavic origin of the name Gostivar can be taken the
fact that in the Czech Republic within the capital Prague (districts
Prague 10 and Prague 15) there is a settlement and a whole region
called Hostivar ((in Czech: Hostivař, pronunciation: ( D) hostivar
(h)) which in the past was a separate settlement, and in German
records from the 12th century is found under the name Gostiwar.
Considering that in the Czech language the soft x is a substitute
for the sound d (eg Praha - Prague) the name of this large
settlement in the southeastern part of Prague is actually Gostivar,
and the knowledge of the words is almost the same (the Czech guest
noun is: hoste) It can be freely concluded that the name Gostivar,
which is found in both Macedonia and the Czech Republic, is of
Slavic origin.
In the Middle Ages, the city was visited by
guests from all over, and in the summer days, traditionally, a large
trade fair (fair) was held every year. This tradition continued
during the Ottoman Empire. Due to the large attendance of the
settlement by people from other parts, guests, the Turks among
themselves, in Turkish, often called "Gostivar" (there are guests).
At that time there were many inns in the city, so it is assumed that
the "hospitable city" or "guest city" became - Gostivar. The
etymological meaning of the toponym in science has not yet been
determined. During the Turkish rule, the settlement began to develop
into a significant seat of Gorni Polog, also called Gorna Nahiya.
The population from the surrounding lowland and hilly-mountainous
villages began to move to the central settlement, which began to
grow. In 1659, the rich Mehmed Pasha built a mosque in the middle of
the settlement, and around it he built a school and a bath, and
later a caravanserai and shops. The rich Agu Beqir-bey also built a
mosque and a school in Gostivar, which were located on the site of
today's Clock Tower.
According to Marko Cepenkov, Gostivar
was a destination for the monasteries from Suva Gora (mountain east
of the city) where many priests, travelers and pilgrims were guests.
Due to that rich feast, the mat got the name Gostivar. There is also
a legend that says that it comes from Turkish times where Gostivar
means "a place where guests always come". According to the Turks,
the city was named so because in Turkish the word VAR means "there",
so there were always guests at that place. Also the word VAR or Vari
in all Slavic languages means a spring or a place from where a
large amount of water springs - boiling, and also meant a bath. In
support of this we will add as an example the town of Karlovy Vary
in the Czech Republic which is translated. Which in Old Slavonic
translation would be "Guest Bath". Some scholars, such as the
Russian professor Afanasi Selishchev, believe that the Slavic name
of the city was Kostovo.
Based on the records of Abdulaqim
Dogani, Gostivar gets its name from the girl who came from Bar who
has chosen this city as her place of residence. In the local
language, the girl is a girl from Bar (Tivat in Montenegro), that is
why the name Gostivar comes from the girl from Tivat. The
probability and truth of this claim is very small, and is primarily
in the context of Greater Albanian nationalism, ie to confirm the
thesis of autochthony of Albanians in Gostivar and other settlements
in Macedonia, and the anecdote itself has very little logical
meaning.
According to another legend, the current one in the
city of Gosti-Gosti, was created during the reign of the ruler
Volkashin. Because a large number of visitors came, guests through
these areas, during the Turkish rule in Turkish they called it
"Gostivar" which means (there are guests). The name itself, ie
Gostivar was called the place of gathering of guests, ie "The city
of the guests". Volkashin built "cities" (fortresses) for all his
children. For example, he built a fortress for his daughter Kita in
Kicevo, called "Kitin Grad" (Kitinggrad), and for Cveta he built a
fortress on Suva Gora called "Cveta Gora", where there were many
churches and monasteries. The monasteries in "Cveta Gora" had their
own farms in Gorni Polog (Gostivar region). The city of Gostivar was
then the site of the Suvogorski monasteries. The people of the
monastery often visited the farms near Gostivar, where they were
well entertained. The legend says that after the "visit" the
settlement was called Gostivar.
The city lies in the valley Polog (Upper Polog) at an altitude of 510 meters. Near Gostivar in the village of Vrutok (5 km southwest of Gostivar) is the source of the largest Macedonian river Vardar which flows through the city which divides it into two parts, and also near it is the largest Macedonian national park and ski center. Mavrovo. Gostivar is 67 km away from Skopje, and neighboring cities are Tetovo 27 km north and Kicevo 46 km south. Gostivar is a city that is being built with great speed and is becoming one of the most beautiful cities in Macedonia.
Stone Age
According to the latest data obtained through the archeological
excavations of the Neolithic sites Tumba near the village Dolno
Palchishte (1987/88.) And Pod selo tumba near the village Stenche
(2000), the oldest traces of life in the Polog Valley (Tetovo and
Gostvar region) date from 8000 years ago or more precisely from the
year 6100 BC. From these sites originate a large number of excavated
fragments, but also fully preserved pieces of pottery, as well as
altars and statuettes dedicated to the female cult. In the area of
Tetovo, many important representations of rock art have been found
as artistic compositions related to ritual rituals.
This area
throughout the Neolithic was inhabited by the bearers of the
cultural group Anzabegovo-Vrsnik, which was also present in the
Skopje region and Eastern Macedonia. In the early Neolithic,
however, this area was strongly influenced by the Neolithic culture
Velushina-Porodin from Pelagonija south of here, which can be seen
through the form of the oldest preserved altar type 'Big-Mother'
(lat. Magna Mater) found in this area. , and discovered near
Stenche. The Late Neolithic is characterized by the influence of the
Vinca culture from the north.
Metal age
At the end of the
4th millennium AD, the first incursions of new settlers began,
steppe peoples from Central Asia - Indo-Europeans, who by destroying
and assimilating the old Neolithic culture created a new Eneolithic
cultural complex in the Balkans, called Salkuca-Buban-Krivodol.
Traces of this new population were also found in Polog (in
Palchishte, Zelino, etc.). This situation stabilized in the Middle
Bronze Age when the first beginnings of the Balkan proto-ethnic and
later pre-ethnic communities appeared. In this period begins a
strong penetration of material features from the south of the
developed Mycenaean culture, which can be seen through a parade of
luxury bronze sword found in Tetovo, imported from those Mycenaean
centers. Although the next epochs will be marked by mass migrations,
the Iron Age is still characterized by stabilization, which led to
the development of trade. The ceramic large pitos for cereals, found
near the village of Larce, also date from this period.
During
this period, according to Strabo's records relating to the mint at
Damastion, and especially to the preserved onomastic traces of later
times, it can be seen that Polog was inhabited by Briges (Briges,
Brigoi). The Brigids were an integral part of the later ethnic
communities of the Paionians, the ancient Macedonians, the
Desaretes, the Edonites and the Migdons. Even the Paionians,
although an ancient Bronze Age population, had indisputable ties to
the Brigids in this part of the Balkans. Paeonian and ancient
Macedonian linguistics and onomastics show a number of glosses and
names with Brigid roots, which points to the fact that the Brigids
were a substratum or base in the Paeonian and ancient Macedonian
ethnic formation.
Early antiquity
In 1932. A bronze statue
from the Agrian period, 4th century BC, was found near the place
called Balezova Cesma, and is a valuable archeological find, found
in the Tetovo district. The statue measures 9 cm long and 4 cm wide,
and is located in the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje.
The
influences of the Greek craft centers on this part of the Balkans
will actually lead to an additional change in the culture and way of
life of the local populations. It is these changes that herald the
new, archaic period and the transition from the epoch of prehistory
to the epoch of history and antiquity. Archaeologically, these
transformations are visible through new material (new types of
pottery, jewelry and other handicrafts), and spiritual (new way of
burial: cremation instead of inhumation, acceptance of cults of
Greek deities) and other features, which were initially accepted as
prestige from the most elite social strata, and then from the rest
of the population, which is best seen from the so-called princely
tombs, the most famous of which is the one from Tetovo, in which the
famous statuette of Menada was found.
In the past there were various theories as to which ancient tribe
inhabited this area. However, according to the latest information,
the entire area of Southern Serbia, Eastern Kosovo and Northern
Macedonia, including Polog, in this period, until the 3rd century
BC. was inhabited by the northernmost ancient Macedonian (Paeonian)
tribe Agrianes. This is seen in the continuity in the archeological
horizons, the developed ceramic import from the Greek south, the
rich princely tombs and the like. This tribe had its own kings, the
most famous of which is Langaros who in 335 BC. helped the
Macedonian king Alexander III during his campaign against the
Tribals in the north. The Agrians followed him on his campaign
through Asia when they proved to be one of the most ruthless
warriors in many key battles, after which they became especially
famous in the ancient world.
Due to economic and trade
development, certain cities also minted their own autonomous coins.
Such was the case with the city of Pelagia, which throughout the 4th
century BC. he minted his own silver coins at the Damastion mint.
The city of Pelagia is considered to be located near today's Tetovo,
and is in fact, in the urban sense, its ancient ancestor, from whose
name the later Slavic name of the whole valley Polog (Pelagia-Polog,
as in the case of Skupi-Skopje, Astibo-Stip,
Thessaloniki-Thessaloniki, etc.).
Towards the end of the 4th
century BC. The weakened Agrian state came under the rule of King
Avdoleon of Paeonia, and by the middle of the 3rd century BC, all
their territories were occupied by the Dardanians from the north
(south to northern Macedonia and Polog), which can be seen through
discontinuity in the archaeological horizons of that period. These
border areas throughout the following period will be used as a
logistical background, from where Dardania organized strong looting
campaigns in the south to the rich kingdom of Macedonia, even after
those territories fell within the Roman Empire in 168 BC.
Roman period
It was not until the 29th century AD. and Polog,
along with the rest of Dardania, as far north as the Danube, would
descend under Roman rule, beginning an era of stabilization,
peaceful life, trade, and prosperity. From the 2-3rd century AD.
There are several stone tablets on which the epitaph is written in
Greek, which says that this region was part of the Greek language
sphere, unlike Kosovo and the Skopje region which were part of the
Latin language sphere. This means that in the Early Imperial period
(1-3 century AD) Polog was part of the Roman province of Macedonia,
and in the late Attica (3-6 century AD), after the reforms of
Diocletian, part of the province of Macedonia II (Macedonia).
Secunda). The found stelae also contain rich onomastic material and
personal names that are predominantly indigenous and from which it
can be seen that the Romanization of these peripheral ends, outside
the main roads, did not gain much momentum.
Taught by the
great barbarian invasions (Celts, Ostrogoths, Huns) that occurred
more frequently from the 3rd century and lasted through the
following centuries, Roman emperors began in the late 4th century to
build fortified cities and fortresses on dominant hills. Numerous
castrum, castellum and refugium for the population in the Tetovo
area date from that period, the most important of which are those
near the present-day villages of Rogle, Orasje, Leshok, Stenche,
Jegunovce, Gradec and the Isar-Banjice area. Tetovo.
Although
Christianity in Macedonia came with St. Paul the Apostle in the 50s
of the 1st century AD, still only after the legalization of
Constantine in 313 AD. it could penetrate more massively to the
common people, and start building early Christian churches -
basilicas. To date, traces of 16 early Christian basilicas have been
registered in Polog, of which 12 in Tetovo and 4 in Gostivar, with
the best studied being the basilica of Stenche from the 5th century
AD. which is unique in Macedonia with 3 baptisteries (baptisteries),
and the one in Tudence which dates from the second sex. 6th century.
and is the oldest triconch (three-nave) church in the Republic of
Macedonia, and is rare in all of Southern Europe.
However,
after the strong Avar-Slavic penetrations in the late 6th century
AD. all fortresses are abandoned but not completely demolished. Most
of them, two or three centuries later, when a stable state
organization was re-established, will be rebuilt for the same
purpose, but this time they will be inhabited by the dominant Slavic
population, laying the foundations for the new medieval towns.
Middle century
When the Slavs came to the Polog area, the
plain settlements were abandoned. Some of the natives retreated to
some of the more remote, small mountain livestock settlements.
Mainly, the Slavic population settled the most important places in
the plain, which they gave a new, Slavic name, calling it "Podlog"
(Polog), probably meaning "under the mountain", "under the
mountain". In the 10th century, the Byzantines re-established
control over the entire Polog area, fortified the most important
destroyed fortresses and established a permanent military presence
in them. Then, for several decades, the Polog area was part of
Samuel's Kingdom, after whose collapse it fell again under
Byzantium. In 1282-83, the Polog region came under the rule of the
Serbs, led by King Milutin. Otherwise, Gostivar as a settlement is
first mentioned in a charter of Milutin from 1313, under the name
Banska (Banjica), as a village in the southern part of the Polog
valley with about 200 inhabitants. The charter also mentions the
Gostivar medieval monastery. During Milutin's reign, the Serb
population was colonized in the Polog Valley. But the found
Byzantines retained their rights and possessions. Gostivar as a
rural settlement is mentioned during the Dushan's kingdom, in a
charter of Tsar Dushan from 1331-1340, under the name Belika, after
the medieval name of the river Vardar.
Ottoman period
During this period, the settlement began to grow, developing in a
significant center of Gorni Polog, or as it was then called - Gorna
nahija. The population in this period, from the plain and
hilly-mountainous villages, started to settle in Gostivar, and the
number of inhabitants to increase significantly. Many Turks and
Albanians settled in the city. In 1659, the rich Mehmed Pasha built
a mosque in the middle of the settlement, and built a school and a
bath around it. The same bey later built a caravanserai and several
shops in the city. Following the example of Mehmed Pasha and other
beys, for the sake of prestige, they built several buildings, mostly
Muslim landmarks. Thus, the rich Bekir Bey in Gostivar, built a
mosque and a school that were located on the site of today's clock
tower.
In 1850, the geologist and Balkanologist Ami Bue in
the description of Tetovo, among other things, says in one part that
in Polog is the "big village" Gostivar, while as a city Gostivar is
mentioned for the first time in both records from the 19th century.
According to them, this settlement on Polog has formed its bazaar
(square) while Tuesday was a market day. In 1874. the city had 400
houses, about 2,000 inhabitants, while at the end of the same
century 3,500 inhabitants.
Gostivar experienced its main
prosperity at the end of the 19th century during the Turkish rule
when it became the center of kaza. Then Gostivar starts to get its
image of a small town. With the immigration of various masters and
craftsmen from Veles, Krushevo, Kicevo and Debar, the Gostivar
Bazaar is formed and Tuesday is designated as a market day, which is
a tradition to this day. During the Ilinden Uprising from Gostivar
and the surrounding area, many Macedonian patriots will take part
who will go to fight directly in Krushevo and the surrounding area.
World War Two
During the Second World War, the Macedonian
population in Gostivar will experience unprecedented terror by the
Albanian fascist occupiers - the ballistas led by Dzemo and Mefail.
Exactly at the end of the war near Gostivar, the ballistic leader
Dzemo will be killed, followed by a general celebration of the
Macedonians in Gostivar. During the Second World War in Gostivar and
the surrounding area fought several Macedonian partisan detachments
and units, which fought hard battles with ballistic units that were
first supported by the Italian and later by the German occupier. A
national hero from the Gostivar region is Chede Filiposki-Dame whose
monument is located on the Gostivar square (opposite the department
store).
Interethnic relations and conflicts
Gostivar in
recent Macedonian history will be remembered even after the events
of July 9, 1997 when the Macedonian police carried out an action to
remove the flag of a foreign country (Albania) which was displayed
in front of the municipal building. 4 civilians will die in the
events. During the 2001 military conflict, Gostivar and the
surrounding area will be spared from armed struggle and conflict,
but many Macedonians from Gostivar will be part of the Macedonian
security forces in operations in Tetovo and the Tetovo Fortress.
More recently, interethnic relations have been in turmoil following
the assassinations of Besnik Shehapi and Imran Mehmedi on February
28, 2012 in self-defense by police officer Jakim Trifunoski, and
frequent initiatives by Albanian politicians to name a street and
erect a monument to the ballistic leader of the Second World War.
There are several famous buildings in the
city (especially from the Turkish period of rule) such as several
mosques and the recognizable Gostivar clock tower in the center.
Also on the square dominates with its imposing size the church of
the Holy Mother of God. There was a Turkish bath-bath in the city
that was demolished, and then the branch of Stopanska Banka was
located on that place until its demolition.
Church "St.
Mother of God "
The Most Holy Mother of God - the main and
cathedral church in Gostivar, located on the square. The
construction of the church began in 1924, and its consecration took
place in 1929. In 2003, the church underwent a major restoration
work.
Clock tower
Clock Tower (Turkish: Ebu Bekir Paşa
Saat Kulesi) - one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in
the city of Gostivar. It is one of the three cultural and historical
monuments in Gostivar and is located on the municipal coat of arms
and flag. It was built in 1728/29 by Ismail Aga, son of Haji Yusuf
aga.
The year of construction and the name of the builder are
written in Ottoman-Turkish on a stone slab above the front door. It
is located in the center of the city, and next to it there is a
mosque called "Saat-mosque" (mosque "Saat Abu Bekir Pasha") which
has been renovated recently. In the immediate vicinity of the clock
tower are the post office, the famous shopping center "Blue Center"
with a glass facade, and not far from the street at 250-300 meters
is the church of the Church of the Holy Mother of God and the town
square.
The Gostivar clock tower together with those in
Skopje, Bitola and Prilep is one of the most preserved original
clock towers. It is still in operation and shows the exact time
through several clocks built into it. In 2010 it was restored under
suspicious circumstances.
In the 50s of the 19th century, the French geologist and
balkanologist Amy Buet, who wrote about Tetovo, reported, in particular,
that the “big village” of Gostivar was located in part of the Pologa
valley. Otherwise, as a small town, Gostivar is first mentioned in two
records from the 19th century. According to them, there was already a
market in this agricultural village, and Tuesday was market day. In the
second half of the 19th century, more precisely in 1874, there were
about 400 houses in the city, in which about 2,000 inhabitants lived,
and at the end of the same century, about 3,500 inhabitants. Russian
professor and scientist Andrey M. Selishchev also mentions the "city
under Shar" with the name Kostovo.
According to statistics
available to the Bulgarian ethnologist, geographer and travel writer
Vasil Knchov, at the end of the 19th century 3735 inhabitants lived in
Gostivar, of which 3100 were Turks, 310 Macedonians, 200 Gypsies, 100
Albanians and 25 Vlachs. After the Balkans and the First World War,
there was no increase in population, mainly due to the emigration of the
Muslim population to Turkey. During the period between the two world
wars, the city experienced economic stagnation, and the entire Upper
Polog was an undeveloped area, without industrial facilities and
infrastructure. The exception was the railway to Skopje, and then to
Kichevo, which later played an important role in the economic revival.
According to the first organized census of the SFR of Yugoslavia in
1948, 53,258 inhabitants lived in the Gostivar region, of which 7,832
lived in the city of Gostivar and 45,426 in the villages (Gorny Polog,
Mavrovsko Pole, Gorna Reka). Ethnically speaking, the population
consisted of 39,345 (73.8%) Albanians, 13,091 (24.5%) Macedonians, 342
Roma, 180 Serbs, 117 Turks and 183 others.
The 1991 census in
Gostivar was not completely carried out, as part of its population
refused to participate, that is, they boycotted its conduct, which is
why there are no complete data in the city for that year of the census.
According to the 2002 census, the city of Gostivar has 35,847
inhabitants, while the newly established municipality of Gostivar with a
new organization had 80,280 inhabitants (the old municipality of
Gostivar had 49,545 inhabitants until 2004).
The most important place for cultural events in Gostivar is the House
of Culture ASNOM.
The most important cultural and artistic events
are held in this cultural center throughout the year. An annual program
is made and submitted to the Ministry of Culture. More significant
events are the Art Colony, which is held in Mavrovo, but the main
exhibition is in Gostivar. Show program, recitals, songs and games
performed in three languages ie Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish.
The cultural and artistic society "Brothers Gjinoski" also operates,
which has several sections: the section for old town songs, the section
for folklore (dance section), as well as the section for modern dances.
The "Vuk Karadzic" library is located right behind the House of
Culture. It has over 8,000 titles, that is, over 80,000 books. There is
also a children's department within the library.
"Literary
sparks" - international poetry festival;
In connection with the good economic and traffic opportunities, as
well as with the constant increase of the population, from the second
half of the 20th century, craft and commercial shops began to open in
the city of Gostivar. A market day (Tuesday) was also introduced. With
these new opportunities at that time, the prosperity of Gostivar begins.
Merchants from Veles and Tetovo, craftsmen from Krushevo and Kicevo were
among the first to create the Gostivar bazaar. At that time in Gostivar
there was a great expansion of various trades, which above all served
more to satisfy the needs of the village. Earlier in Gostivar there were
many terzis, opinchars, saddlers, saddlers, potters, etc. Nowadays,
these crafts are on the verge of disappearing completely, or are reduced
to faint memories among the population.
Today, trade, industry
and economy are developed in Gostivar. Well-known industrial facilities
are the "Silica" factory, the glass factory, the Gotex textile industry,
the "Gorni Polog" slaughterhouse, the Zito Shar mill factory, the
"Vardar Dolomite" dolomite factory, which was privatized a few years ago
and successfully markets its products on foreign markets. In recent
years, the trade activity has grown enormously. Throughout the city
there are several markets of the giant "GETRO", which has stores and
markets in Croatia as well, and in the very center of the city, next to
the clock tower, a contemporary modern shopping center "De Jure" has
been built on several floors with a structural facade.
KK Gostivar is the most famous sports club from Gostivar. It exists
since 1954 under the name "Mavrovo". Since then, the club has changed
its name several times: Gotex, Vardar-Komerc, Gostivar and Nicol Firth.
He records significant sports results both in the former Yugoslavia and
in recent times. He won the title of Republic Champion three times in
1965, 1967 and 1968. He successfully plays in the second league of the
former Yugoslavia. On several occasions, the team tried to become a
member of the first league, but the last decisive step to achieve the
goal was missing. The team recorded the most notable results in the
distant 1964-1965, when it managed to secure participation in the
quarter finals, where it lost to "Belgrade", then winner of the
championship title.
Gostivar hosted the cup in 1993-94.
RK
Panteri is an old handball club from Gostivar. He also played in the
first league, after which he disappeared for a while. After a few years
it was reactivated and is still working.
PK "Bistra" is a
mountaineering society from Gostivar that has existed since 1985 and
functions mostly due to the enthusiasm of its members. They have
achieved many climbs throughout Macedonia.
In Gostivar, there are three state secondary schools and one private
one:
High School "Pance Poposki" - founded by decision of the
Assembly of the Municipality of Gostivar in 1960 and started working
from the school year 1960/61 with two classes, in Macedonian and
Albanian language, with 35 students each. The first generation of high
school graduates is from the academic year 1963/64.
SU "Cede
Filipovski",
CSNO "Zlate Malakoski" and
PSU "Yahja Kemal" - the
college in Gostivar that exists since 1999. It functions as a private
high school.
There are four primary schools in the city:
OU
"Brotherhood-Edinstvo",
OU "Goce Delchev",
OU "Ismail Ljemali" and
OU "Mustafa Kemal Ataturk", which has regional schools in the villages:
Dolna Banjica, Belovishte and Vrapchishte
According to the old division, the municipality of Gostivar had
26.54% Macedonians and 59.01% Albanians, but with the new division, with
the annexation of the rural municipalities of Vrutok, Dolna Banjica,
Srbinovo and Cegrane, the number of Macedonians has decreased to 19.77%,
and Albanians are 66.37%. A large part of the Macedonian community in
the city believes that in this way the Albanian political dominance in
Gostivar is favored.
Related to this is the trend of
rehabilitation of some Albanian personalities from the Second World War
who belonged to the Bali Kombetar organization. According to the
Albanians, these are heroes, but the Macedonians believe that this
actually legitimizes the fascist occupation of Macedonia. Namely, the
same persons, according to Macedonians and their memories and according
to Macedonian and world historiography, have committed a large number of
murders, thefts, expulsions and crimes against the non-Albanian
population.
However, no significant migration of Macedonians to
other parts of the country has been observed in the city.
Born
Haralampie Polenakovic (1909 - 1984), Macedonian academician
Aleksandar Garevski (November 5, 1912 – September 10, 1988, Skopje) —
Macedonian civil engineer and former full professor at the Faculty of
Civil Engineering in Skopje.
Lazo Naumovski (1923 - 1978) -
Macedonian writer for children
Hristo Isakiev (1926 - 1945) —
Macedonian partisan, fighter for the freedom of Macedonia and
participant in NOV
Toma Kostov (1925 - 1945) — Macedonian partisan,
fighter for the freedom of Macedonia and participant in NOV
Panče
Poposki (1924 - Tatar Elevci, Debarsko, August 1944) - Macedonian
communist, participant in NOV and national hero
Vukan Dinevski (April
22, 1927 - September 27, 2006, Skopje) - Macedonian theater, film and
television actor, director, educational worker and performer of folk and
artistic poetry
Todor Chalovski (1945) - Macedonian writer
Ibrahim
Ibrahimi (1967) - Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Macedonia in
the period 2016-2017
Jovan Manasievski (May 21, 1968) - Macedonian
politician, MP of LDP
Besim Dogani (1972) - Macedonian politician,
deputy president of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia
Suleiman Rushiti (1972), politician and minister
Nexati Yakupi (July
10, 1973) - Macedonian politician and Minister of the Environment in the
period 2008–2011
Visar Vishka (b. January 17, 1977) - Macedonian
actor
Ružica Milošeska Brčioska - vocalist, songwriter, composer and
member of the music group Area
Ivica Brcioski - guitarist, composer
and member of the music group Area
Connected
Tome Serafimovski
(from Zubovce), sculptor
Janakie Manasievski (from Galate) (1943 -
2000), first Macedonian general in independent Macedonia
Chede
Filipovski - Dame (from Nikiforovo), national hero
Aleksandar
Chomovski (from Pozharane), journalist
John F. Trifunoski (from
Vrutok 1914 – 1997) was one of the most famous Macedonian and Serbian
anthropologists and geographers