Monument “Victory - 100 years later”, Gradeshnica village
The monument “Victory – 100 years later” is a donation by the artist and sculptor Zlatko Bojkovski, and it is dedicated to all the victims of the First World War.
It was built for the 100-year anniversary of the end of the First World War, which started in Europe on 28th July, 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918.
During that time, more than 70 million soldiers were mobilized, out of who 9 million died, as well as 7 million civilians. The Macedonian front passed through the region of Mariovo, which had devastating consequences over the civilians. Great number of villages were destroyed and major part of the citizens did not survive the war.
The sculpture is around two tones heavy and it is made of shrapnels, bombs, helmet and other remains from the First World War. Gradeshnica is the birthplace of the artist and he himself for long had been collecting the remains along the front line. The use of the past lethal explosive weapons for the monument which represent a horse with one lifted leg symbolizes the victory of life over death.
This monument is one of the rare ones in the Republic of Macedonia which is made as a remembrance of all the victims from the First World War, military and civilian, regardless of their religious and national affiliation.
