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Cultural Identity Politics <strong>in</strong> the (Post-)Transitional Societies<br />
follow<strong>in</strong>g an encounter between ancient Macedonians and Slavic people who settled on this<br />
territory. Th at empowered them to use the ancient Macedonian heritage, <strong>in</strong>corporat<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong><br />
the collective consciousness.<br />
It started with a fl ag, whose ma<strong>in</strong> symbol was taken from the Verg<strong>in</strong>a archaeological<br />
site <strong>in</strong> northern Greece, and is cont<strong>in</strong>ued today through numerous monuments to<br />
Philip and Alexander the Great throughout Macedonia (to Philip II <strong>in</strong> Bitola <strong>in</strong> 2008,<br />
and also <strong>in</strong> Prilep, and to Alexander the Great <strong>in</strong> Skopje). Mak<strong>in</strong>g these monuments<br />
of Alexander and Philip Macedonian is part of a policy of memory, but also a policy<br />
of provocation of the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g country (Greece). It has chosen a far away past to<br />
challenge Greece <strong>in</strong> a diplomatic battle (Alagjozovski, 2010) creat<strong>in</strong>g cultural wars both<br />
<strong>in</strong>side and outside the country.<br />
Before that, two th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Skopje’s monument policy had been important. Th ese were<br />
the creation of the huge cross on the top of the hill ris<strong>in</strong>g above Skopje (to celebrate<br />
2,000 years of Christianity), and the monument to Skenderbeg on horseback <strong>in</strong> Stara<br />
Čaršija (2006, Toma Damo), the Albanian part of the city, with his back turned to the<br />
Albanians, but fac<strong>in</strong>g the Macedonian part of the city and the Christian cross. In a<br />
certa<strong>in</strong> sense both monuments are “fac<strong>in</strong>g the other” – apply<strong>in</strong>g the provocation of “the<br />
other” strategy.<br />
Th e creation of monuments by the Macedonian community that were <strong>in</strong>tended to irritate<br />
Greece and the Albanian community, and similar actions from the Albanian side, is an<br />
example of a monument policy as a model of anti-culture. Th e M<strong>in</strong>istry of Culture answered<br />
that they have no statement to make, as did the Agency for the Protection of Cultural<br />
Monuments: “Regard<strong>in</strong>g Skenderbeg, I will not give any statement”, said Pasko Kuzman, 9<br />
director, while city mayor Trifun Kostovski said that for him this object is just illegitimate<br />
construction (Australian Macedonian Weekly, 2006).<br />
Th is policy demands an exploration of a diachronical side to national identity, which<br />
all the countries of Southeastern Europe are develop<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> diff erent ways. In monument<br />
policy, Macedonians turned to ancient Macedonia, Serbs and Croats looked to medieval<br />
history (though they also emphasized the fi rst half of the 19th century as the birth of a<br />
modern state), Croats explored taboos and “heroes” of the Second World War, while<br />
Montenegr<strong>in</strong>s have seen <strong>in</strong> the 19th century rule of K<strong>in</strong>g Nikola the real roots of their<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependence, autonomy and national specifi city. Th us, cultural policies found new<br />
“heroes” and new memory sites, contribut<strong>in</strong>g to the renationalization of cultural policies<br />
through monumentalization of oft en <strong>in</strong>vented memories. Th e territories and cultures<br />
<strong>in</strong> the post-confl ict situation are cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g to fi ght with monuments and religious<br />
symbols which now cover the hills above multicultural cities.<br />
9 Paško Kuzman the ideologist of antiquitization <strong>in</strong> Macedonia claims that if Macedonians fail<br />
to prove their direct l<strong>in</strong>ks with ancient Macedonians, they will lose the diplomatic battle with<br />
Greece, and lose their right to Macedonian identity.<br />
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