This period is inevitably related with important historical events such as the Ilinden Uprising (1903), the Young Turkish Revolution (1908), the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), and the 1st (1914-1918) and 2nd (1940-1944) World War. The research is also particularly located in Western Macedonia in the three biggest towns of the Pelagonija valley, Bitola, Prilep and Krushevo.
The team working on the project (Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulavkovski, Violeta Kachakova and Hristina Ivanoska) will research particularities in the specific context of Macedonia where women were organizing themselves in associations and organizations, formal and informal, playing crucial role in the political, social and cultural development. Besides that also individual examples of women that were active in their communities challenging the very patriarchal and traditional set up of the Macedonian society will be researched. Moreover, the influence of the smaller ethnic communities such as the Vlachs that are predominantly located in Krushevo or the Jewish community from Bitola that was almost completely destroyed during the 2nd World War represented through their women will give one more dimension and complexity to this research. It is important to mention that most of it is not capitalised or archived, therefore those tracks has been lost and need to be rediscovered.
Research methodology
Research methodology is based on collection of information from different resources:
- Books, essays, texts written by scholars
- Recollections, memories, and reminiscences from the archives, face-to-face interviews with certain personalities directly involved in the activities that are subject of this research, as well as their families; photo archives (public and private)
- Existing projects, studies, reports and research done in the field
- Film projections followed by public discussions
During the months of May – June 2014 the research was based on information obtained from books of the historian PhD. Vera Veskovic – Vangeli. She was one of the rare Macedonian historians that had interest and worked on the subject of women and their emancipation and progressive movement and participation in the liberation struggles in Macedonia in the period between 1903-1945.
Following the collected information the team continued with the research by consulting documents from archives in Skopje (National Institute of History and University Library "St. Kliment Ohridski") and Bitola (State Archive - Department Bitola), including recollections, memories, and reminiscences, and photo documentation, as well as other referential published texts and books. Findings were supported by field research based on face-to-face interviews, informal discussions and formal meetings.
Field research was done in Krushevo and Bitola (15 – 17 July 2014) through meetings and interviews with Zoran Bogeski, director of the Historical Museum of Krushevo; documented interview with Jansa Zlatanoska/Sina Taseska, a 97 years old women active in the World War II as courier and distributor of information, food and arms for the liberation movement in Macedonia, as well in the emancipation of Muslim and Orthodox women in Macedonia after the end of the war through the activities of the Antifascist Front of Women (AFŽ); consultations with Areti Stefanovska from the State Archives - Department Bitola; meeting with Pande Dimitrievski and Petar Stavrev (journalist and photographer); meeting with Aleksandar Litovski, historian at the Institute and Museum – Bitola.
The research will continue until end of December 2014.
Photo Gallery
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