Kruševo (Macedonian: Крушево; Aromanian: Crushuva) also spelt Krushevo, is a town in Republic of Macedonia. It is the highest town in Macedonia as it is situated at an altitude of over 4,000 feet (1250 m) above sea level. The town of Kruševo is a seat of the Kruševo municipality.
Name
The name of the town in other languages is:
History
Bulgarian School in Kruševo (1910)
Mentioned in documents from the 15th century, Kruševo is a living museum, famous for its traditional architecture, cultural sites, and legacy as the site of the great 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman domination. The rebellion failed, but its memory is cherished in Macedonia even today, as a symbol of the national struggle for freedom and democracy; while it lasted only 10 days, the Kruševo Republic of revolutionary leader Nikola Karev represented a desire for self-rule under a modern European political system. Today an enormous monument on the hill above Kruševo marks the elusive dream of the Ilinden revolutionaries.
The events in Kruševo during Ilinden Uprising as seen by the American daily New York Times, Aug. 14, 1903
During the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising in 1903 the rebels proclaimed a short lived Kruševo Republic. Having suppressed the uprising the city was almost completely destroyed by the Ottoman army.The republic known as Kruševska republika was established here in 1903 during the Ilinden insurrection. One of the most important points in the Ilinden uprising was the declaration of the "Manifesto of Kruševo". It called for all the people of Macedonia regardless of their nationality and religion to fight together against the Ottoman Empire and live peacefully in a free country of Macedonia.
There is in the area a monument called Mečkin Kamen (Bear's Stone). 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 (voivode) perished and Kruševo as well as many of the nearby villages were set to fire by the Ottomans.
Features
Bulgarian postcard with picture from Krushevo - 1903
Kruševo is a picturesque mountain town. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 metres (4,400 ft), Kruševo is the highest town in the Republic of Macedonia. Kruševo is known for its many fine examples of 19th century domestic architecture. The town is full of old and more recent houses built in the style of old Macedonian architecture.
It is home to Mečkin Kamen, an historical landmark which marks the spot of the uprising of 1903. On 2 August 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 also hosts the Makedonium monument to the Ilinden Uprising and a number of museums of the Ilinden Uprising.
The towns galleries include an exhibit of 19th century icons and a memorial to the master of modern Macedonian painting Nikola Martinovski who was born in this town.
Because of its elevation, Kruševo is one of Macedonia’s winter sports destinations; the same quality also makes this pine-forested getaway a comfortable destination in summer, when the Kruševo air stays cooler and more pure than in the arid lowlands.
Notable people
See also
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