THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE DONOR ATANAS BLIZNAKOV IN THE MONOGRAPHS BY SLAVE KATIN
The Council of the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius took over a range of activities immediately after it was established. On November 12, 1977 they held a meeting at the Rector’s Office to review the applications of candidates for scholarships from the
Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” for full-time students at the University, as follows: 10 scholarships for full-time students of the Macedonian language, national history, medicine, journalism, archeology, history of the arts and mathematics, and 2 scholarships for full-time postgraduate students of the Macedonian language. A total of 13 candidates applied: seven candidates from the medical sciences, 3 candidates from the history of art, and one candidate from each field of mathematics, history, and journalism.
The Council concluded that the relatively small number of applicants was due to insufficient information to students so it was decided that in future the call for applications should be given greater publicity. It was also decided that the deans of the faculties should be consulted in order to inform students better about the conditions and opportunities that the Foundation provided.
After detailed review of each of the applications, the Council allocated 6 scholarships, as follows to:
– Violeta Ilieva, Faculty of Mathematics;
– Goce Ristovski, Faculty of Journalism;
– Stojče Naumovski and Violeta Timova from the Faculty of Philosophy;
– Kiro Bajatov and Golube Janevski from the Medical Faculty
Since there was no application for scholarships for postgraduate studies of the Macedonian language, the Council decided to leave the call open until January 15, 1978 and to award two scholarships for the Macedonian language and national history respectively.
Today the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff”, which is the first of its kind in Macedonia, generates great interest among students, the public in the Republic, and Macedonian emigrants overseas. It, above all, is the pride and joy of its donors Atanas and Slavka Bliznakov; a present for the youth and for Macedonia, but also an incentive for other benefactors, no matter where they live, to assist in speeding up economic and cultural development in their country.
The establishment of the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” is not just a legacy and life focus of the well-known Macedonian humanist Atanas Bliznakov and his life-time companion Slavka, but it is also a striking example for the highest educational institution in Macedonia – the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius.
The most creditable persons for the establishment of the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” were, of course, Dimche Stojanov-Mire and Tome Bukleski who, together with Atanas Bliznakov, conceived and supported the idea of establishing this Foundation. Therefore, they became the first life-long members of the Foundation. As presidents of the Matica of Macedonia, they worked hard to realize their dream. With a proper patriotic attitude they helped Atanas Bliznakov to come here and establish his Foundation.
After the death of Dimche Stojanov-Mire, Slave Nikolovski – Katin was elected as a permanent and lifelong member in 1991, while after the death of Atanas Bliznakov in 1998, Slavka Bliznakovawas elected as a permanent and lifelong member.
Dimche Stojanov-Mire was born on October 10, 1920 in Prilep. He graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of History, in Belgrade in 1935. He was a participant in the Second World War and was a member of the League of Communists as of 1941.
During his life, he held and carried out the following positions and duties:
In the whirlwind of war, he actively participated in Prilep and in wider Macedonia. He was one of the respected fighters from Prilep and a prominent activist in Macedonia. Even during the war, he was a teacher in the high schools in Pe, Kratovo and in Love. After the war, he held managerial positions, such as the chief of the Cabinet of the Government; vice president of the planning commission; director of PTT-Skopje; Minister of Education of PRM; president of the National Assembly and of the Board of Education; director of the National Archives of SRM; Director of the Archives of Macedonia, and other functions. He retired on 31 October, 1980.
Dimche Mire was a people’s deputy of ASNOM, a member of the Presidium of ASNOM, member of the Federal Board of SSRNJ, member of the Council of the Archives of Yugoslavia, member of the National Commission for Religious Affairs of SRM, a member of the National Front and the main board of SSRNM, President of the Association of Historians of Macedonia, member of Parliament of SRM, as well as a member of the Council of the Institute for National History.
In addition, among other things, he was a member of the National Front and later of the Main Board of SSRNM; president of Matica (i.e. of the Beehive of Macedonian Expatriates), from 1951 to 1962; chairman of the folk ensemble “Tanec”; president of the Society of Archival Workers of Macedonia, and was appointed as member of the University Council in Skopje and member of the Council on educational issues of minorities on the Federal Executive Council
He was awarded the Medal of the Republic with a silver wreath, the Order of Brotherhood and Unity of order II, the Order of Merit of order III, and the Order of Labor with a red flag.
Tome Bukleski was born on 21 October, 1921 in Kičevo. He was a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia since 1941. He participated in the People’s Liberation War of Macedonia from 1941, and held the Partisan plaque in 1941.
Due to his commitment to the progressive and communist movement from an early age, he became a member of the Party Commission of Kievo in 1940, and he joined the NOV immediately after the occupation.
Because of its revolutionary activity, he was sentenced to prison in April 1942, to serve his sentence in Tirana, along with a members of the Communist Party of Macedonia.
He was in prison until September 1943 when he managed to escape together with a group of political prisoners. He returned to Macedonia and was politically active in the Kičevo district. He became a member and then secretary of the Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Kievo. Since the end of 1943 he continued his activities in the partisan units of NOV, where he was deputy political commissioner of a battalion and a group of battalions.
After the war he carried out managerial functions in the department of internal affairs, was a consultant at the representative office of FNRY in Albania, a member of the Bureau of the District Committee of the Communist Party of Macedonia – Bitola and of the Skopje City Committee, a political secretary of the District Committee of the League of Communists of Macedonia in Ohrid and Skopje, secretary of the Organizational-political Secretariat of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Macedonia, and others.
He was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Macedonia. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the SZBNOV of Macedonia, president of the Matica of Macedonia and president of the National Council for Foreign Relations.
In 1982 he was elected as a member of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, then as a member of the Council for National Defense of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia and the National Council for Foreign Relations.
He was awarded a number of high awards.
To be continued
By SLAVE KATIN
