Krusevo

Makedonium monument

Krusevo is the highest town in Macedonia, situated at an altitude of over 4,000 feet (1250 m) above sea level. It is home to Meckin Kamen, a historical landmark which marks the spot of the uprising of 1903. On August 2 every year, it is the site of the traditional Macedonian Independence Day celebrations, which are attended by the President of Macedonia and other Macedonian political leaders.

Kruševo is also home to Makedonium monument, dedicated to the Ilinden Uprising and the Kruševo Republic and many museums of the Ilinden Uprising. During the Ilinden Uprising in 1903 the rebels from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation in Kruševo proclaimed a short lived Kruševo Republic.

On 3 August 1903, the rebels captured the town of Krushevo and established a revolutionary government, proclaiming the Krusevo Republic, which was one of the first modern day republic in the Balkans. The Republic existed only for 10 days - August 3 to August 13, and was headed by president Nikola Karev. Amongst the various religious and ethnic groups in Kruševo a Republican Council was elected with 60 members. The Council also elected an executive body - the Provisional Government, with six members (2 from each group), whose duty was to promote law and order and manage supplies, finances, and medical care. The "Krusevo Manifesto" was published. Written by Nikola Karev himself, it outlined the goals of the uprising, calling upon the population to join forces with the provisional government in the struggle against Ottoman tyranny, in order to attain freedom and independence.



Dame Gruev one of the revolutionaries in the Ilinden Uprising



The Turkish government was surprised by the uprising, taking extraordinary military measures to suppress. After fierce battles near Meckin Kamen, the Turks managed to destroy the Kruševo Republic, committing atrocities against the rebel forces and the local population. Today an enormous monument on the hill above Kruševo marks the elusive dream of the Ilinden revolutionaries. In the area there is another monument called Mečkin Kamen. This was the place where Pitu Guli's band (cheta) was trying to defend the town of Kruševo from the Turkish troops coming from Bitola. The whole band and their leader perished and Kruševo as well as many of the nearby villages were set to fire by the Ottomans.



Todor Proeski museum



There is a project called "Kruševo ethno-town", supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, which was developed by a small group of enthusiasts. According to that project, Kruševo shall look like a town from the beginning of the 20th century where it was the center of the Ilinden Uprising in 1903, that lead to the creation of the first Republic on the Balkans, The Krusevo Republic. People will be dressed like Ottoman Turks and Macedonian revolutionary freedom fighters. The project aims to make Kruševo a main tourist destination in five years.

The late famous macedonian singer/songwriter Todor "Tose" Proeski was from Krusevo. A museum was recently opened to honour him. The building looks like a cross from above and holds some of his belongings and you can even see a waxfigurine of him.