Triumphal Arch, Macedonia

Gloomy Sunday greetings from Macedonia...ok, let me correct that...greetings from Macedonia's capital all covered in smog! Same problem every winter...though I have a feeling that each winter it gets worse and more polluted and just...terrible!

Here is a picture of Skopje this morning, courtesy of my friend Goran Andonov...where here, in front of you, you should be seeing the Triumphal Arch...a really huge and grand object that can't be missed even from afar...but with such thick smog, you really need to be right in front of it to be aware of its existence...can you believe it that this image is taken during the day? when there should be sunshine and all????
They are comparing us to Mexico City, when it used to be known as the most polluted city on Earth...though from what I've seen there are places in China that are real competition.
Anyways, no signs of any winds or rain or snow in the near future...so we'll just continue breathing in whatever crap this air contains....

and well, this is what you actually should be seeing on the picture above...I know that for a moment you may get the feeling you are in Paris, but no, this is our own Triumphal Arch...part of that notorious Skopje 2014 project...does look cool on the postcard I must admit..but as I've said times before, I am really against the entire money-waste regarding this project.

And it is actually cool to be posting a written and stamped Macedonian card, or more particularly, from my own town!  I do not get such very often :) and this card was actually sent as a surprise by the same Goran Andonov whose picture I used above! Nice coincidence and actually I like it how the jigsaws fall into their place sometimes and give me such a complete post =D
To see more of his great work, you can visit and follow his facebook page here => Goran Andonov's Photography

the stamp Goran used is a bit overpriced for sending a card within the country, but I guess some postal workers here either do not care enough or want to rip you off or whatever...quite unfair..but then again, I don't think I'll ever receive this stamp on a letter or a card, unless I move to live abroad and people send mail to me :) The stamp was issued in 2004, as part of those "Macedonia in the EU" series...even though Macedonia is not a part of it, but we never seem to give up...I won't go into my opinions of why I do not want to be a part of EU, despite it does have some advantages...

And well, below you will find a few more Triumphal Arch cards from my collection (bought to myself)...all surrounded with clear blue skies...*sigh*..

And it is funny how most of them  try to capture Alexander's monument right through the gate...

In case you feel like having some more info on the Arch though...
It is dedicated to commemorate the 20 years of Macedonian independence and its outer surface is covered in 193 m2 of reliefs carved in marble, depicting scenes from the Macedonian history. It also contains interior rooms, one of which has a function of state-owned souvenir shop, as well as elevators and stairs providing public access to the roof, allegedly intended as space for weddings. I still haven't been on top of it but I'm sure it offers a nice view..when there is no pollution :)

Did you know that it is said that the money spent on this Arch are estimated to €4,4 million? And that the whole Skopje 2014 project is estimated to €500 million? Isn't that just way too much? Especially for a country like Macedonia, with such terrible standards, high unemployment rate and where many employees work for the minimum wage? And what frustrates me to the utmost is how the Government never reveals the actual data but keeps convincing people how all these monuments and stuff are necessary, the money are reasonably spent. the rate of unemployment has decreased...yeah, sure...

At least some nice postcards have resulted from all this =)

Skopje, 26th July 1963 - 26th July 2010

Today is one of the dates that will always be engraved in my country's history, the day still remembered by many who shudder at the thought of what they lived through 47 years ago. My family is also one of those people who do not dearly remember this event and who had to find ways of how to make their living in the months and years that followed until they could get back to a normal life...if anything could have been normal after that.

Today is the day when 47 years ago, at 5:17am, my hometown was struck by one of the most disastrous earthquakes, which took way too many people's lives and destroyed many homes, lives and memories. The 6,1 earthquake is said to have killed over 1,070 people, injured between 3,000 and 4,000 and left between 120,000 to 200,000 people homeless. Between 75 and 80 percent of the city was destroyed.

I happen to have a number of vintage reprints portraying my hometown before and after the earthquake and I thought it would be a great opportunity to post them now and share with you the kind of Skopje none of us will ever see again and the kind of Skopje which is being missed by many...even me, even though there was not even the slightest plan of me coming to this world, when reading about those times and seeing pictures, I can for surely tell that back then Skopje had a soul, it had its identity, it had its charm...now it is just another craving-to-be-modern-by-all-means city, cluttered with concrete wherever you turn to, a city without a concept and getting worse every day...and it is a public secret I dont actually like it.

Old Skopje, a picture dating from 1926, showing among else, the Stone Bridge and the Railway Station (that's the bottom right picture). If you take a better look on the top right picture, you will see something which reminds of a person's spirit, and that is actually the apparition of Mother Teresa.

A Panoramic view onto the centre of Skopje with the two banks of the river Vardar. If you cross the Stone Bridge, you will find yourself in the Old Bazaar.

Skopje before and after the earthquake...you can pretty much see the devastating power the earthquake had.

The Army House and the Railway Station, before and after the earthquake.

The Krango Palace, built in 1926, demolished in the 1963 earthquake.

Panoramic view of Skopje central area before the earthquake with St. Konstantin and Elena Orthodox church built in 1926.

The Clock Tower, built in the middle of the XVI century.

The National Theatre, built between 1921-1927, demolished in the 1963 Earthquake. Nowadays missed by many and incomparable to any of the existing Macedonian Theatres.

The Building of the Railway Station before the earthquake.

The preserved part of the Railway Station building, with the famous clock, which you could see it illuminated on some of the above photos. This clock stopped at exactly 5:17 am, when the earthquake struck, and has remained like that ever since, to serve as a reminiscent of this day and is considered as a symbol of the earthquake.
Today, here in this building, is the Museum of the City of Skopje.

edit: here is a video I found in the meantime, reporting about the earthquake

Skopje, Macedonia

Today is Macedonia's Independence Day...its been 17 years since it has been proclaimed as an independent state from the Former Yugoslavia...17 years of going up and down and yet not being able to find its place...if you are asking me, im not one bit happy with where Macedonia is at the moment nor the current issues hanging around...there is always a hope for the better though, but sometimes the tunnel seems to be endless and you just cant get to see the light at the end of it...

However, i did want to do something in order to commemorate this day...i dont know the reason for the fireworks on the card, but i have to say it came in very handy for the occasion, coz it does signify some sort of celebration.
A Happy Independence Day to Macedonia...I hope things in the future will get better and lot of issues will be solved for good in OUR favour...if you are familiar with the current political issues and all, then probably you know what im talking about.

Long Live Macedonia!!!!