The Reconstructions of Skopje and the Formation of Macedonian National Identity

The capital city of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje, has undergone two important architectural changes during the last half a century. Both of these, the renewal of the city after the devastating earthquake of 1963 and the extensive architectural project "Skopje 2014" launched in 2010, included content which focused on the formation of Macedonian national identity. The diploma thesis The Reconstructions of Skopje and the Formation of Macedonian National Identity analyses how architecture and urbanism was used to form Macedonian national identity. As these two events had very different initial conditions, the nature of these reconstructions, together with the promoted visions of national identity and their presentation, differed considerably. The rebuilding of Skopje after the earthquake presented Macedonian national identity to a greater extent through a strong ideological content based solely on visions of the future. In comparison, the project "Skopje 2014" presented an interpretation of national identity through specific symbols. This construction was based on the interpretation of historical events, resulting in a new understanding of the historical continuity of the Macedonian nation. The fact that two vastly different visions of Macedonian national identity, presented through the recreation..