Globe > Europe > Macedonia > Krushevo > The Kruševo Makedonium
The Kruševo Makedonium
Space-age monument to an early 20th century uprising in Macedonia
Category Architectural Oddities, Outsider Architecture
(Flickr/vesnamarkoska)
Source www.flickr.com
In 1903, a group of brave Macedonians charged into battle against the Ottoman Empire, sparking a movement that led to the creation of a free Macedonia. In honor of the uprising, a bizarre space-age monument and memorial complex was constructed 70 years later. If the artist and surrounding memorial park didn't state explicitly that the building was in honor of the Ilinden Uprising, it stands to reason that no one would ever make the connection.
The Makedonium almost looks like a heart valve, except it's white and has around 10 massive stained-glass skylights poking out from its circular base. In Macedonia, it has become a symbol of statehood, even making it onto the national currency on the 10,000 Denari bill. It overlooks the town of Kruševo from over 4,000 feet, which makes it fairly prominent, but that's where the symbolism ends.
There are no statues of soldiers holding a flag or grand statements of statehood. There is only a weird African-cucumber shaped modernist expression of freedom. Maybe that's the point of the monument, it is looking toward the future, where free expression meets innovation without the stifling influence of a crumbling Turkish empire. There are probably no right answers, but a trip to the Makedonium will at the very least allow visitors to overlook a beautiful and well-preserved medieval town while they scratch their heads in confusion.
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- Address Makedonium, Kruševo, Kruševo Municipality, Macedonia
Less than a mile from the center of Kruševo
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Anonymous
December 6, 2011
I lived in MK for two years with the US Peace Corps. I visited the Makedonium in Krushevo. What the story is around town is that the structure is supposed to resemble the head of a mace. The revolutionaries were kind of low on modern weaponry of the day and had somewhat medieval arms. In a last ditch effort to repel the Turks they hurled boulders (see Mechkin Kamen) and constructed a cannon out of a large cherry tree (which exploded and now is memorialized with little souvenir wooden cannons available in old town shops in the capital, Skopje, and in Krushevo; celebrating epic failures is an endearing Eastern European thing). The first Ilienden Republic didn't last more than 11 days or so with the leaders all being beheaded by the Ottomans. Krushevo has pretty decent ski and hang gliding attractions. Lousy pizza, but always go with the local shopska salads with a shot of rakija, and kebapi with a Skopsko or Zlaten Dab beer. Stateside you can get the album "Krusevo" by MK artist Vlatko Stefanovski which was recorded in the Makedonium. Awesome instrumental guitar music. MK is an awesome country!!! I loved my years there!
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