By laying flowers at the eternal resting place of Gotse Delchev in the “Holy Spas” church in Skopje and holding a memorial service, today marked 123 years since the death of the Macedonian revolutionary and freedom fighter.
The government delegation led by the President of the Government, Hristijan Mickoski, together with the Deputy Prime Minister Ljupco Dimovski and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timco Mutsunski, paid their respects at Delchev’s grave. A parliamentary delegation consisting of Velika Stojkova-Serafimovska and Fatmir Bitiqi, representatives of the President’s Cabinet, the diplomatic corps, political parties, associations of citizens bearing the name of Delchev, the Union of Fighters, the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as the Mayor of the City of Skopje, Orce Gjorgjievski, also paid their respects. Among those present were numerous citizens.
In the “Holy Spas” church, a memorial service was held, a prayer act for the deceased, which was addressed by the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archdiocese, Mr. Stefan.
G.g. Stefan emphasized that Gotse Delchev believed that the true struggle for freedom is aimed at achieving humanity, justice and dignity. Reminders of the gospel words of Jesus Christ – “The truth will set you free”, emphasizing that a life dedicated to that truth requires faith in the natural dignity of each person, but also constant sacrifice, effort and courage.
– Gotze believed that the true struggle for freedom is aimed at achieving humanity, justice and dignity. The Lord Jesus Christ himself said: “The truth will set you free.” And living for that truth requires faith in the natural dignity of every person and requires effort, sacrifice and courage to live in accordance with that faith. The duke had such faith – faith that every person has the right to live freely and that every nation has the right to build itself in its own environment, and that neither personal nor national freedom must be built on the suffering of others – pointed out Mr. Stefan.
Therefore, as he added, whenever we mention Gotse’s name, we do so not only as an expression of memory and gratitude, but also as an acceptance of his values as a Macedonian child.
– The world still needs people like Gotse, Macedonia still needs heroes like him today – people with love for their own people and respect for all peoples. There is a need for people who will not be afraid to stand up against injustice and who will not allow themselves to be guided by hatred – added the head of the MOC-OA.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, after paying his respects, said that the Government will continue to respect and cherish Delchev’s ideals. He emphasized that Delchev’s image and work must be constantly passed on to future generations, because the values he stood for, according to him, are not fully respected even today.
– Let’s remember his image and work and that way that image and work will be passed on to the generations that come after us, because the values that our great Gotse Delchev believed in, unfortunately, are still not respected by some EU member states. Not only do they not respect them, but they also don’t enforce them. He was ahead of his time and as such left an indelible mark on Macedonian history and Macedonian identity – stressed the Prime Minister.
The President of the Social Democratic Union, Venko Filipche, after today’s commemoration in honor of Gotse Delchev, stated that the ideals of the Macedonian revolutionary for a free and just state are in contradiction with, as he assessed, the policies of the current management of VMRO-DPMNE. He sent a message to the citizens in which he announced the continuation of the political struggle for the democratization of society.
– We from SDSM honor the anniversary of the death of the great Gotse Delchev with deep respect for his idea – a free and just Macedonia. In honor of Gotse Delchev’s fight, we are telling the citizens: the time of justice and responsibility and some better times and ideals that Gotse Delchev fought for are coming soon. SDSM continues its joint struggle together with the citizens for the return of power to the hands of the people, for a democratic and European Macedonia – a just and free country like Gotse Delchev wanted – said Filipche.
Gotse Delchev, who the world understood as a field for cultural competition between nations, was killed by the Ottoman army on May 4, 1903 in the village of Banica, on the way to Ser.
He was born on February 4, 1872 in Kukush, in the family of Sultana and Nikola Delcevi. He was educated at the Thessaloniki High School and the Military Academy in Sofia, and worked as a teacher in Shtip. As a member of the Central Committee of TMORO, he participated in the creation of the Organization’s network, was part of the Thessaloniki Congress of VMRO in 1896 and until 1901 acted as an overseas representative in Sofia. His remains, after being moved several times, were laid to rest on October 11, 1946 in the “Sveti Spas” church in Skopje, where the Macedonian public still pays respect to him today.
