The Macedonian people and state have a rich centuries-old tradition and a large number of important events that are permanently engraved in the collective national memory of the Macedonian people, confirming and reflecting the uniqueness of the Macedonian people and their centuries-old identity. To refresh the memories of some of them, the oldest Macedonian daily newspaper Nova Makedonija regularly published the column “Dates to Remember”, in which we highlight events related to Macedonian history and prominent Macedonian actors every month. Today we will focus on second month of the year – February!
February 1, 1944 – Near the village of Mrežichko (Mariovo region), the Second Macedonian People’s Liberation Strike Brigade fought the Bulgarian border unit all day. The enemy has 14 dead soldiers, three wounded and three missing soldiers.
February 4, 1944 – In the village of Nikodin (Prilep), the Bulgarian police and units of the Prilep garrison attacked the First Macedonian-Kosovo People’s Liberation Strike Brigade, which was marching towards the Azot area. The brigade took the village with a counterattack, inflicting casualties of about 20 dead on the enemy.
On February 4, 1872, the Macedonian national hero Goce Delchev was born, one of the ideologues and leaders of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the leader of the Macedonian revolutionary movement, he campaigned for an independent Macedonian state.
February 7, 1944 – Hristijan Todorovski-Karposh was killed by the fascist Bulgarian invaders during the attack on the Bulgarian military and police stronghold in the village of Bilyakha, Preshevsko. He was declared a national hero of Yugoslavia on July 29, 1945 as one of the first fighters from Macedonia to receive this honor.
February 8, 1881 – Georgi Bajdarov, Macedonian revolutionary and member of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (MRO), was born. In 1901 he was a fighter under Jane Sandanski, from May 1902 to October 1903 he was secretary in the company of Iljo Krchovaliata and later in the company of Atanas Teshovaliata. In the summer of 1903 he was a delegate of the Ser region at the Congress of the Ser Revolutionary District. He took part in the Ilinden uprising.
On February 13, 1947, the Society of Writers of Macedonia was founded in Skopje. The founders were prominent Macedonian intellectuals including Blaze Koneski, Dimitar Mitrev, Aco Shopov, Slavko Janevski, Risto Krle, Ivan Tochko and others.
February 14, 1943 – Nikola Petrov Rusinski, Macedonian socialist, participant in the Macedonian revolutionary movement, member, leader of Macedonian revolutionary organization died. He was an associate of Goce Delchev, Vasil Glavinov and other prominent Macedonian revolutionaries and activists.
February 15, 1839 – Rajko Žinzifov, prominent Macedonian revivalist of Wallachian descent, writer and poet was born.
February 15, 1879 – Pavel Dimitrov Deliradev was born, a Bulgarian social scientist, publicist and revolutionary, participant in the Macedonian revolutionary movement, affiliated with the Ser group of Jane Sandanski, one of the founders of the People’s Federal Party and a member of VMRO (United). He is a supporter of the idea of an independent Macedonian state.
February 15, 1908 – Marko Boshnakov, Macedonian anarchist, participant in the Macedonian revolutionary movement and member of the Gemidzii, died. He died in Murzouk in the Libyan province of Fezzan. Marko Boshnakov’s head was placed in a decorative wooden coffin and buried in the cemetery in the Church of St. Virgin Perivlepta. Between the two world wars, due to the removal of moisture in the church, earth was removed from the north, east and west sides, with the graves located in this area also being removed. The remains of all graves, including the remains of Marko Boshnakov, were transferred to the Church of St. Konstantin and Elena, which then became a kind of ossuary.
February 16, 1944 – Andon Dukov, a carver from the first generation of contemporary Macedonian artists, as well as a painter and a fighter in the NOB (Narodnoosloboditelna borba) in World War II, died. On November 27, 1941, he was sentenced in absentia to 12.5 years in prison. He died of frostbite on Mount Kozhuf.
February 17, 1946 – The Association of Professional Journalists in Macedonia was founded in Skopje. Mito Hadjivasilev-Jasmin was elected the first president.
February 19, 1905 – The first issue of the newspaper “Macedonia” is printed in Paris.
February 20, 1943 – Rade Jovcevski-Korchagin, Macedonian communist, participant in NOB and national hero of Yugoslavia from Macedonia, died. On the evening of February 20, 1943, Rade wanted to move into Jorda Neshevska’s house, now in Madžir Maalo, together with other activists. They were betrayed without their knowledge and the house was surrounded by the Bulgarian police. The police began pursuing the activists. During these chases, Rade was wounded by the Bulgarian police. So wounded, he was mercilessly killed by the Bulgarian police with multiple bullets while they screamed: “Here are your freedom and human rights”.
On February 23, 1967, the highest Macedonian national creative institution, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MANU), was established. The ceremonial opening of MANU took place in October of the same year in the great hall of the Macedonian Parliament.
February 25, 1949 – The University of Skopje was established by law of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The holding of the first university assembly on April 24, 1949 marked the birth of the university as the highest scientific and educational institution in Macedonia. In 1969, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the university’s work, it was given the name Cyril and Methodius University.
February 25, 1944 – Kuzman Josifoski-Pitu, a Macedonian communist, one of the main organizers of the anti-fascist movement (1938-1941) and the NOB in Macedonia (1941-1944), died. He was declared a national hero of Yugoslavia on August 2, 1945 as one of the first fighters from Macedonia to receive this award. In February he was told that the Bulgarian police had found out about his activities and that he had to go to the partisans. But on February 25, 1944, while trying to leave Skopje, he was killed by a Bulgarian soldier in Kozle, near the former alumina factory.
February 26, 1916 – Naum Tufekchiev, Macedonian revolutionary, participant in the Macedonian revolutionary movement, member of several Macedonian émigré societies and organizations, took part in the activities of the Young Macedonian Literary Society, the Brotherhood and the Macedonian Committee. His name is associated with the arms trade and several assassination attempts. Among them is the murder of Bulgarian Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov. He studied pyrotechnics in Belgium and then opened a company manufacturing explosives and weapons in Sofia. In his bomb factory he produced bombs with which he supplied the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization.
