Republic of Macedonia

© Research Project ”New and Ambiguous Nation-building Processes in Southeastern Europe” (Berlin/Graz 2007) Institutional Chronology of Nation Building REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA The Republic of Macedonia declared its independence from Yugoslavia on 19 November 1991. In 1944, the People’s Republic of Macedonia (NRM) had been established as one of the six constituent republics of the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1963, the republic’s name was changed into Socialist Republic of Macedonia (SRM). 1. Census-related Issues (after 1945) 1.1 Institution in Charge for Statistical Data and Censuses: By the decision of the Government of the PR of Macedonia on June 1, 1945, the Macedonian Federal Statistical Bureau was formed. Concomitant to the establishment of the national Sta- tistical Bureau, local statistical bureaus were created as well with the task to participate in collecting basic statistical data and carry out statistical research for the needs of the state. 1.2 Years of Census Since the end of the Second world War, 8 population censuses were conducted in the Re- public of Macedonia: 1948, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 1994, 2002. Since the first post-war census, the ethnonym “Macedonians” was used for the majority population of Macedonia, in contrast to the decades before, when they were counted as “Serbs” in the censuses of inter-war Yugoslavia. The largest minority are the Albanians, today com- prising about 25 percent of the total population. 1.3 Share of Macedonians and Albanians of the Total Population Year Total population Macedonians Albanians in 1,000 in % of the total population 1948 1,115 68.5 17.1 1953 1,305 66.0 12.4* 1961 1,406 71.2 13.0 1971 1,647 69.3 17.0 1981 1,909 67.0 19.8 1991 2,034 65.3 21.7 1994 1,946 66.6 22.7 2002 2,041 64.2 25.2 The numbers for other minorities in 2002 were: Turks 77,959 (3.85 %), Roma 53,879 (2.66 %), Serbs 35,939 (1.78 %), Bosniaks 17,018 (0.84%) and Vlachs 9.596 (0.48 %). 1 © Research Project ”New and Ambiguous Nation-building Processes in Southeastern Europe” (Berlin/Graz 2007) 2. National History: Institutionalization, Production and Representation 2.1 Historical institutes The by far most important institution for the production of historical knowledge, both in terms of number of researchers as well as output, is the Institut za nacionalna istorija (Institute of National History, <http://www.ukim.edu.mk/index.php?lan=en&pon=i_ini>) founded by a De- cree of the Government of the People's Republic of Macedonia on July 22, 1948. The decree stated its purpose as studying the history of Macedonia, of the Macedonian nation, and of the national minorities and ethnic groups living in the republic. As the name of the Institute indi- cates, its main aim is to create a genuinely national history for the Macedonian nation, which continues to preoccupy the historians of the institute. At the time of the 1948 decree, the Institute commenced its activities with few research fel- lows, most of them without historical training, in inappropriate premises. Later it was trans- formed into a professional institution and provided with the necessary infrastructure and means to accomplish is stated tasks. In 1957, the Institute started publishing its academic journal “Glasnik na Institutot za nacionalna istorija” ("The Herald of the Institute for Na- tional History"), which has become the most important Macedonian historical journal, now counting more than 80 published issues. From time to time, a digest of selected articles of the journal appear in English and other foreign languages. The Institute produces many mo- nographs and collective volume, and twice has been editing a multi-volume “Istorija na makedonskiot narod” (“History of the Macedonian People”). The first edition started to appear in 1969, the second in 2000. Aside from the Institute for National History, history is studied in a systematic way also by the Department of History at the Philosophical Faculty of the Kiril and Metod University of Skopje and by the Institute for Old-Slavonic Culture in Prilep, which has also a branch in Skopje (in the building of the Institute for National History. 2.2 Historical Museums The Museum of Macedonia, established in Skopje in 1944, has also a section for history. Very important for the national narrative is the Historical museum in the town of Kruševo, which commemorates the failed 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman Rule. This event is considered by Macedonian historiography as a product of the national movement among the Macedonians for independence from the Ottoman Empire. 2.3. Authoritative Historical Publications • Istorija na makedonskiot narod (The History of the Macedonian People), eds. Mihailo Apostolski et al., 4 vols. Skopje: Nova Makedonija, 1969. • 50 godini Institut za nacionalna istoria, eds. Aleksandar Trajanovski et al. Skopje: In- stitut za nacionalna istorija, 1988. • Blaže Ristovski: Istorija na makedonskata nacija. Skopje: MANU 1999. 2 © Research Project ”New and Ambiguous Nation-building Processes in Southeastern Europe” (Berlin/Graz 2007) • Istorija na makedonskiot narod (The History of the Macedonian People), ed. Branko Panov et al, 5 vols. Skopje: Institut za nacionalna istorija, 1999-2003. • Makedonski istoriski rečnik (Macedonian Historical Dictionary), eds. Stojan Kiseli- novski et al. Skopje: Institut za nacionalna istorija, 2002. 3. Institutionalization of Folk Culture 3.1 Institutions The main institution for the collection and study of folk culture in Macedonia is the Marko Cepenkov Institut za folklore (Institute for Folklore) in Skopje, established by the government in 1950. In June 1979, the Institute was named after the most outstanding and prolific collector of Macedonian folklore treasures, Marko Cepenkov. In carrying-out its activities, the Marko Cepenkov Institute of Folklore sets itself the following main tasks: - to follow and study systematically matters of folklore; - to implement its scholarly achievements in order to be of service to the community; - to perform various scholarly activities, and if necessary teaching and applied activities as well, in the field of the folklore of the Macedonian people, of the national minorities and the ethnic groups living in the Republic of Macedonia. The institute edits the journal “Makedonski folklor” (“Macedonian folklore”) since 1968. Another institution dealing with popular culture in Macedonia is the Zavod za etnologija i antropologija (Institute for Ethnology and Anthropology) in Skopje, established in December 1946 as Centre for Ethnology at the Institute of Geography. In 1958, it was renamed into Za- vod za Etnologija, and in 2005 into Zavod za entologija i antropologija, affiliated with the Uni- versity of Skopje. It publishes the journals “Etnolog” (since 1992; it is the review of the Ethnological Associa- tion of Macedonia) and the online-journal “Ethnoanthropozoom” (<http://www.iea.pmf.ukim.edu.mk/ENG/EtnoAntropoZum.html>). The Institut za staroslavanska kultura (Institute for Old Slavic Culture; <http://www.isk.edu.mk/>) in Prilep also deals with Macedonian folklore, mainly from a historical perspective. From 1972 to 2003 it published the journal “Balkano-Slavica”. The Department for Ethnomusicology at the Kiril and Metod University Skopje, Faculty of Music, studies, among others matters, Macedonian folk music. The major museum for folk culture in Macedonia was the Etnološki Muzej na Makedonija (Ethnological Museum of Macedonia), founded in Skopje in 1949. Its first permanent exhibi- tion was "Traditional Costumes from Macedonia". It operated as an independent institution until 1977, when it became part of the Muzej na Makedonija (Museum of Macedonia), which also has historical and archaeological departments. Every local museum also boasts its ethnological Collection, such as with "Old City Cos- tumes" in Bitola, or dresses and other artifacts of folk culture in the local museums of Kiche- vo, Kumanova, Tetovo, Struga and Veles. The first officially established private collection is "The Crosses from Macedonia" by Trifun Kostovski. 3 © Research Project ”New and Ambiguous Nation-building Processes in Southeastern Europe” (Berlin/Graz 2007) 3.2 Authoritative Publications • Penušliski, Kiril: Makedonskiot folklore (Macedonian folklore). Skopje 1981. • Ristovski, Blaže: Makedonskiot folklor i nacionalnata svest (The Macedonian Fol- klore and National Consciousness), 2 vols. Skopje 1987. • Etnologija na Makedoncite (Ethnology of the Macedonians), ed. Krum Tomovski. Skopje 1996. • Etnologija na Makedonija (The Ethnology of Macedonia), ed. Muzej na Makedonija, Skopje 2002. • A multimedia encyclopedia of Macedonian Musical Folklore was published in 2004 3.3 Folk ensembles Since socialist times, Macedonia has a large number of professional as well as amateur ensembles for folk music and dances. The most professional ones are the State ensemble for Dances and Songs “Tanec” in Skopje and the Professional Orchestra for Authentic Musical Instruments of the Macedonian Radio and Television, which plays traditional Macedonian instrumental music; and the professional “Čalgija Orchestra” of the Macedonian Radio and Television, which plays old urban instrumental music and songs. Aside from these state-supported ensembles, there are many amateur dance groups and orchestras. In 2007, 132 of them applied for financial support from the government, and in 1988 111 amateur associations for folk music, dance and drama were counted (see below in the section on arts). 4. National Language and its Formalization

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