THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE DONOR ATANAS BLIZNAKOV IN THE MONOGRAPHS BY SLAVE KATIN
6. Aleksandar Nikolovski
One of the students of the Veterinary Faculty who received scholarships from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” was Aleksandar Nikolovski. He was born on April 10, 1974 in Skopje, where he completed his primary education and secondary veterinary school education in Skopje. He graduated from the Veterinary Faculty at the end of 1999.
As a holder of a scholarship from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff”, Aleksandar Nikolovski told us the following:
My acquaintance with Atanas Bliznakov dates back to when I was a pupil. At that early age I could not understand the meaning of his humane gesture – the establishment of such a foundation with great prospects to be of great benefit both to the students and the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, that it will be a known and recognized institution and an incentive for other expatriates in the diaspora.
However, as a student and now as a doctor of veterinary medicine, I think that Atanas Bliznakov deserves a special place in the history of the University, of the Macedonian people and of our country – the Republic of Macedonia. He left a pledge and means for his name and work to be everlasting; that many generations will mention him and remember the largest donor to Ss. Cyril and Methodius University.
- Kole Kiselinovski
This young intellectual was born on June 26, 1976 in Skopje. He enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy in 1994 and graduated within the prescribed period.
Here’s what he told us about the Foundation.
“When I finished my secondary education, one day I was looking at the books in our library and the book entitled “Memories about the national, political and cultural activity of the Macedonians in the U.S. and Canada”, by the author Atanas Bliznakov, attracted my attention.
I have read the book, it beguiled me with its honesty, the fight for survival overseas. The book teemed with a great sense of patriotism and love for our motherland.
When I enrolled in college, I applied for a scholarship from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff”. I was interested to find out whether it was the same man who wrote that book. It turned out to be the same good, honest Atanas Bliznakov I had read about as an author. He was a man who rejoiced in someone else’s happiness more than in his own.
Thanks to his scholarships, many generations of students managed to graduate from different universities.
Therefore, this man deserves not only our respect, but worship as well. Whatever he did, he did it out of love for Macedonia.
8. Pecko Desoski
Pecko Desoski is one of the excellent student-holders of a scholarship from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff”. He was born on 20 February 1976 in Prilep, where he finished his primary education and high school. In 1994 he enrolled in the Medical Faculty and achieved a high average
.
When asked for a brief statement about the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff”, here is what he said:
I learned about the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” by pure chance, which unexpectedly had a positive result.
I will not speak about the financial aspect of the support we got from our scholarship, but about the other aspect, the moral one. We live in a time of pragmatism, when the road to success is always long, and when a helping hand is a real rarity. When you make your way through the jungle consisting of people eager to win, where all unwritten rules of the game are in force, where quality is often strongly suppressed by protection; the seclusion from the crowd gives you a sense of security, confirmation that the principle you embrace is correct.
Moments of weakness are common, satisfaction is not always reached. And that euphoria produced at the moment of success could be only assumed, when just a few within a group are pointed out, those few who are able to proceed by themselves; when you leave your own traces in the sand behind you. Boosting my self-confidence and support in my work is what I got from this Foundation,” said Pecko Desoski.
- Bela Gligorova
One of the holders of scholarship from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” is Bela Gligorova, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Philology “Blaže Koneski”, Department of English Literature. When asked about the Foundation, here’s what she said:
As a person who has never received any financial reward for the efforts I have invested in the field of science and culture, although these efforts are often downgraded, I received a scholarship from the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” since my second year of studying the English language and literature. It has provided me with immense satisfaction. I’d be wrong if I said that I was pleased when I got the news by phone. Rather, I was screaming with joy and from happiness, and I did it each month when I got my monthly allowance.
However, the monthly amount is not the source of that happiness, at least not the source of my happiness. Of course the sum is not negligible, but what satisfies me is the knowledge that my university efforts, my academic advancement is evaluated, that it still means something here, among us and with us.
That feeling of mine is my spritus movens, the required amount of positive energy, so small and yet so necessary to keep going further. As if the University’s dark corridors, and the way of holding classes did not change since the early beginnings of academic education in our country, and the lack of facilities for work, and the ragged books which served us as essential aids in learning, and all the gloomy faces of the university’s technical staff, and the weather conditions on which we depended for warmth to work, and all the other small and big daily frustrations, they were all erased from my mind owing to this financial allowance.
I hope that the generations yet to come are not going to be deprived of this satisfaction, that this Foundation is not going to be closed due to X-reasons and that the awarding of scholarships will not be abolished.
I have one wish, maybe it sounds a bit surreal, but it is sincere and perpetual; I would like to experience and see for myself how the young citizens of this country, the future academic citizens perceive such moments of happiness like I do. Let us not wait for centuries to go by until another person like Atanas Bliznakov, appears voluntarily, but let us act now,” said Bela Gligorova, a student at the Philological Faculty “Blaže Koneski”, Department of English Language and Literature.
We had similar or identical statements from other former and current students at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, who speak about the Foundation “Atanas Bliznakoff” and about the donor’s character and work with enthusiasm and admiration. It seems that the Foundation is very popular among students because now many more candidates send their applications than was foreseen. Therefore, the selection of scholarship holders becomes a selection of the best among the excellent.
To be continued
By SLAVE KATIN
