Culture of North Macedonia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A Pantokrator in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Bitola
Vardar River in Skopje

The culture of North Macedonia refers the culture of the Republic of North Macedonia, a country in Southeast Europe. Macedonian culture has contributed to the culture of the Balkans, and the wider culture of the European continent.

Architecture

The house of Robevci, typical Macedonian architecture

Sites for archaeology of extraordinary quality include those at

Heraklea Lynkestis is an early Byzantine mosaic. There are many remains from Roman times and the early Christian period in Vardar Macedonia, which was at the time part of the Bulgarian
Empire.

Famous architects and fresco-painters worked on numerous churches in North Macedonia, and in Ohrid alone there are over thirty churches. UNESCO has declared that the city of Ohrid and its lake must be protected, as they are important to the history of the world. Several churches, the most renowned among which is St. Pantelejmon, bear witness to the times of the educator St. Clement and in 1990 work on the Cathedral of Saint Clement of Ohrid in Skopje was completed. Along with other cultural monuments the 11th- and 12th-century churches of Western medieval thema Bulgaria are famous throughout the world, characterized by unique architecture and priceless frescoes and icons.

Monuments of

Veles and Štip
.

Art

Woman's portrait by Đorđe Zografski

The founders of modern Macedonian painting included

Dimitar Avramovski–Pandilov, and Vangel Kodzoman. They were succeeded by an exceptionally talented and fruitful generation, consisting of Borka Lazeski, Dimitar Kondovski, Petar Mazev who are now deceased, and Rodoljub Anastasov and many others who are still active. Vasko Taskovski's work was presented to the Paris public in 1992 with an imposing exhibition and auction of about 100 works. Vangel Naumovski, who was long classified by art historians as a Naive artist, is well known for his Ohridska Porta
Gallery, as well as for the original world of his paintings.

Contemporary Macedonian artists include Aleksandar Stankovski, Zhaneta Vangeli, Maja Dzhartovska, and Gordana Apostolovska who all use various styles.

In addition to

Petar Hadzi Boskov, Boro Mitrikeski, Novak Dimitrovski and Tome Serafimovski
are also outstanding. The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Gallery in the Daut Pasha Baths are considered the best galleries. In 1993 there were 413 exhibitions visited by over 240,000 people, 12 artists' colonies with 120 participants, of whom 40 were foreign painters and sculptors.

Cinema

The history of film making in

Janaki and Milton Manaki in Bitola
, beginning a filmmaking tradition in the region that continues to this day.

Throughout the past century, the medium of film has depicted the history, culture and everyday life of the Macedonian people. Over the years many Macedonian films have been presented at film festivals around the world and several of these films have won prestigious awards. The most famous Macedonian director is

Academy Award. The highest grossing feature film in North Macedonia was Bal-Can-Can
, having been seen by over 500,000 people in its first year alone.

Music

Female folk dance, Tresenica, performed by Tanec

North Macedonia has an exceptionally rich musical heritage. The studies of Sotir Golabovski and

and Goce Kolarovski.

gajda
player

The

People's Republic of Macedonia, is the oldest cultural institution in the field of music. There are six chamber ensembles, such as Tanec, that represent the richness of Macedonian folklore and songs, and there are ten other folklore ensembles that are active. There are three professional and twenty amateur choirs. Each year about 50,000 people attend concerts of the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra and the various folk dance ensembles and other cultural and artistic associations. In addition to the concerts held as part of the Ohrid Summer Festival, an annual festival of classical music named Interfest was established in Bitola a few years ago. The Skopje Jazz Festival
has become a highly prestigious music event. Many of the most renowned jazz groups and names in the world of jazz have taken part in the festival, and in concept and atmosphere, participants and critics consider it one of the most successful jazz festivals around the world.

Folk music is one of the most cherished areas of Macedonian culture, and several folk festivals take place each year. The oldest is

Skopje Festival
are the two best-known festivals of popular music in North Macedonia.

The rock group

Leb i Sol
, with its original music infusing traditional folk themes and rhythms with modern influence, has been active for over twenty years and has become widely known both inside and outside North Macedonia.

Theatre

Macedonian National Theatre in Skopje

There are 13 professional theatres in North Macedonia. From 1993–1994 1,596 performances were held in the newly formed republic, and more than 330,000 people attended. The Macedonian National Theatre (Drama, Opera and Ballet companies), the Drama Theatre, the Theatre of the Nationalities (Albanian and Turkish Drama companies) and the other theatre companies comprise about 870 professional actors, singers, ballet dancers, directors, playwrights, set and costume designers, etc. There is also a professional theatre for children and three amateur theatres. For the last thirty years a traditional festival of Macedonian professional theatres has been taking place in Prilep in honour of Vojdan Cernodrinski, the founder of the modern Macedonian theatre. Each year a festival of amateur and experimental Macedonian theatre companies is held in

Kocani
.

The word

Hadzivat
. Instead of working, they sat and told comical stories to the workers. Their performances were so attractive to their audience that the construction of the mosque completely stopped - the construction site instead became a theatre. When the Sultan heard what had happened he became furious and ordered the execution of the two friends. Karagoz and Hadzivat were unable to escape their fate but the citizens of Bursa were overcome by grief at the loss of the two heroes. The Sultan realized his folly and tried to correct it by ordering the revival of the two men. Unable to actually give them life, the sultan kept them alive in the form of small, transparent puppets made of thin and colored skin. If they were to be placed in front of a white curtain with a burning candle behind it, they would dance as if they were alive and the sultan had redeemed himself.

Although this theatre includes a number of characters-puppets, its eminent theatricality emerges from the complex relation between its central masks of Karagoz and Hadzivat. Karagoz personifies an ordinary

Bosnia, Serbia, and in the republic's capital Skopje
. Karagoz Theatre was brought to the region by the Ottoman Turks and easily adapted to the new environment, existing for centuries up to the 1950s.

Macedonian names

Male

The following is a list of male names taken from the 1996 Orthodox Calendar, published by the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (contributed by Hristijan Delev). All are given in their

Romanised
version, but are presented in the alphabetical order of the Cyrillic script. Because of the large Albanian minority in the country, many people also have Albanian names.


A
Avakum, Avram, Agapij, Adam, Aleksandar, Alimpij, Atanas, Angele, Angel, Angelarij, Andon, Andrej, Angjelko, Antim, Antonij, Apostol, Ariton, Arsenij, Artemij, Arhangle, Atanasij


B
Blagoj, Blagun, Blazhe, Bogatin, Bogdan, Bogoja, Bogoljub, Bogomil, Bogoslav, Bozhidar, Bozhin, Bojan, Boris, Boshko, Branimir, Branslav, Bimbil, Branko


V
Vangel, Vane, Varnava, Vasil, Veljan, Venijamin, Veselin, Vidoe, Vidan, Vikentij, Vladimir, Vlastimir, Vojdan, Vojne


G
Gavril, Georgij, Gerasim, Gligor, Gligorij, Gorazd, Goran, Gorjan, Goce, Grigor, Grigorij, Grozdan


D
David, Damaskin, Damjan, Danail, Dejan, Deljan, Despot, Dimitar, Dimitrij, Dine, Diogen, Dobre, Dojchin, Doksim, Doncho, Dorotej, Dragan, Duko, Dushan


GJ
Gjerasim, Gjero, Gjoko, Gjore, Gjoshe, Gorgjija, Gjorche, Gjuro, Gjurchin, Gjurshin


E
Evgenij, Elisie, Erazmo, Eremija, Efimij, Emanuel


ZH
Zharko, Zhelimir, Zhivko, Zhivorad


Z
Zafir, Zaharie, Zdravko, Zlatan, Zlatko, Zdrave, Zograf, Zoran


DZ
Dzvezdan, Dzvonko


I
Ivan, Ignat, Ignatij, Igor, Ilarion, Ilija, Inokentij, Iraklij, Irinej, Isaija, Isidor, Ice


J
Jakim, Jakov, Jankula, Janaki, Jane, Joanikij, Joakim, Joan, Jonce, Jovan, Jonko, Jordan, Josif


K
Kalistrat, Kiprijan, Kiril, Kitan, Kliment, Kozma, Konstantin, Kostadin, Krale, Krste, Krume, Kuzman


L
Lavrentij, Lazar, Lambe, Leonid, Leontie, Lefter, Luka


LJ
Ljube, Ljuben, Ljubomir, Ljupcho, Ljudmil


M
Makaraie, Makedon, Maksim, Manoil, Manol, Manojlo, Marin, Marko, Mate, Matea, Matej, Metodij, Micko, Miladin, Mile, Milos, Mirko, Mirce, Miron, Miroslav, Misail, Mitan, Mitre, Mihail, Mladen, Mojsej, Mojsie, Mojso


N
Najden, Nase, Naste, Natanail, Naum, Nace, Nakje, Neven, Nedelko, Nektarij, Noefit, Nestor, Nikanor, Nikita, Nikifor, Nikodim, Nikola, Novak, Nove


O
Ognen, Ordan, Orce


P
Pavle, Pandil, Pane, Pantelejmon, Petre, Panche, Partenij, Paskal, Pahomij, Pejko, Petar, Petko, Pimen, Plamencho, Polikarp, Prodan, Projko, Prokopij, Prohor


R
Radovan, Radomir, Radoslav, Razmo, Rajko, Rangel, Ranko, Rastko Ratko, Ratomir, Rafael, Ristan, Riste, Rijo, Rijad, Rodoljub, Romil, Ruse, Rusomir


S
Save, Sazdan, Sandre, Samoil, Sande, Sarafil, Sare, Sasho, Svetislav, Svetozar, Svetolik, Svetomir, Serafim, Siljan, Sidor, Simon, Simjan, Slave, Slavoljub, Slobodan, Smile, Solunche, Sofronija, Spasen, Spiro, Srebre, Sreten, Stamen, Stefan, Stojan


T
Tanas, Tase, Tashko, Temelko, Teodor, Teodosij, Teofan, Teofil, Teofilakt, Timotej, Tihomir, Trajan, Todor, Trifun, Trpe


KJ
Kjire, Kjirko


F
Fidan, Filimon, Filip, Firfo, Flore, Fotij


H
Hranislav, Hristijan, Hristo, Hristifor


C
Cane, Cvetan


CH
Chaslav, Chedo, Chedomir


SH
Shane, Shishko


Female

The following is a list of female names taken from the 1996 Orthodox Calendar, published by the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church (contributed by Hristijan Delev). Names are presented in their Romanised form though the alphabetical order is based on the local Cyrillic script.


A
Agnija, Aleksandra, Alisija, Ana, Anja, Anamarija, Anastasija, Angela, Angelina, Angja, Andjela, Anisija, Arsenija, Atanasija


B
Bebcena, Biljana, Bisera, Bistra, Blagica, Blagorodna, Blaguna, Blazhena, Bogdana, Bogoslava, Bozhana, Bozhidarka, Bojana, Borjana, Bosilka


V
Valentina, Vangelija, Vangja, Vanka, Varvara, Vasa, Vasilija, Vasilka, Velika, Veljana, Vera, Veronika, Vesela, Vesna, Veta, Vida, Vita, Vishna, Voskresija, Vrosinka, Viktorija


G
Gajtana, Galena, Gena, Gerasimka, Gina, Glikerija, Gordana, Gorica, Gorjana, Grozda, Gulapka


D
Damjana, Dana, Danica, Daniela, Dara, Darinka, Dafina, Deva, Denica, Despina, Divna, Dimana, Dobrinka, Dominika, Donka, Dosta, Dragana, Dukadinka, Dushanka, Dushica,


GJ
Gjorgjivka, Gjurgjina, Gjurgja, Gjurgjica, Grozda


E
Eva, Evangelija, Evgenija, Evlampija, Evpraksija, Evrosija, Evosina, Evtimija, Ekaterina, Ela, Elena, Elisaveta, Elizabeta, Efimija, Ema, Emilija


ZH
Zhivana, Zhivka


Z
Zagoarka, Zafirka, Zaharinka, Zdravka, Zlata, Zografka, Zoja, Zora, Zorana, Zorica


DZ
Dzvezda, Dzena, Dzuna


I
Ivana, Ilina, Ilindenka, Ina, Irina, Irena, Isidora, Iskra, Ica


J
Javorka, Jaglika, Jagnula, Jagoda, Jana, Jasna, Jelena, Jovana, Jovka, Jordana, Jordanka


K
Kalina, Kamenka, Karanfilka, Katerina, Katina, Kirana, Kira, Kiska, Kita, Klimentina, Konstantina, Kosara, Kostadinka, Krstana, Kruna, Ksenija, Kupenka


L
Lejla, Lenka, Lefterija, Lidija, Lila, Lina, Liljana, Lozanka


LJ
Ljuba, Ljubena, Ljubinka, Ljubica, Ljupka


M
Magdalena, Makedonka, Makrina, Marena, Marika, Marina, Marta, Matrona, Meglena, Melanija, Menka, Meri, Mileva, Milena, Milica, Milka, Mirjana, Miladinka, Milkana, Mila, Miroslava, Mitana, Mitrodora, Mitra, Mladenka, Marija, Mimoza, Monika, Mihaela


N
Nada, Nadja, Nedezhda, Najdenka, Nastasija, Naumka, Nevena, Neda, Nedelka, Nikodinka, Nikolna, Nadica


O
Ognena, Olga, Ordanka, Olivera


P
Pavlenka, Paca, Pantelejmona, Paraskeva, Pepa, Pauna, Pelagija, Pera, Perjana, Petkana, Petra, Petranka, Pisana, Plamenka, Planika, Pravoslavka, Prvenka, Prousha


R
Rada, Radovanka, Radoslava, Razmenka, Rajka, Rajna, Rakita, Ratka, Ratomirka, Rafaela, Rahela, Reveka, Rina, Risimika, Ristosija, Ristana, Rodna, Rozalija, Rosa, Roska, Ruzha, Ruzhica, Rumena, Rusalina, Rusanka


S
Sava, Saveta, Savka, Sandra, Sara, Sarafilka, Sashka, Svetlana, Sena, Serafima, Simjana, Simona, Sinolichka, Slavenka, Slavjanka, Slavica, Slavka, Slobodanka, Smilja, Snezhana, Solzica, Solunka, Sonchica, Sonja, Sofija, Spasena, Spomenka, Srebra, Stamena, Stana, Stojanka, Stojmena, Stefanija, Stefanka, Suzana


T
Tajana, Tatijana, Tamara, Tana, Taska, Temenuga, Temjana, Teodora, Teodosija, Teofilka, Todorka, Tina, Trajana, Trena, Trendafilka, Trifunka, Trpana


KJ
Kjira, Kjirana


U
Ubavka


F
Fanija, Fidanka, Filimena, Fimka, Florinka, Fotina, Frosina


H
Hana, Hranislava, Helena, Hristina


C
Cana, Canka, Cveta, Cena, Cara, Ceca, Cona, Cola


CH
Chedomirka


SH
Shana


See also

References

External links