In 1971 in Macedonia a great idea was born, a wish of a group of professionals, enthusiasts, dreamers, visionaries, an idea which became reality. A springhead, a glowing heart of a cultural organism has been created. A heart which beats, motivates, initiates, boosts, educates.
In 1971 in Bitola was established the International Festival for folk songs and dances “Iliindenski denovi” in Bitola. The name of the Festival is symbolical, its mission is generous while its goals and criteria are deeply integrated and conceived. This festival is dedicated to most hardworking people and their creations which endured the criteria of value through time. This is e Festival which presents, promotes and documents the deed of priceless folk cultural tradition. Thousands of folk artists, millions of visitors, numerous photos, audio, video documents, telegraphed materials, documents for the next generations. On all four parts of the world, the Festival realized its mission, sent messages, thus attracting a great number of authentic values of the cultural heritage fans.
Nevertheless, after all these years the beginning is here, since the new generations should also learn about and as well dance “Teskoto”, “Kopacka”, “Nevestinsko”, Komitsko”…
Every generation implements its own rock in the priceless mosaic of the Festival, a monument, a textbook…
This text is just sparkle from the great fire, a small stone in the mosaic. It has been written with lots of love, respect, and a wish for this Festival to continue.

Tradition

“The folk tradition has a value if people can feel it deeply.” Roussos Every man, all people express its entity…

0 Comments

Continuity

Unlike many other people which even in the 19th century have developed scientific disciplines and cadre who arose national ethnography and folklore for their own needs, Macedonian people only after the World War II on the territory of Macedonia had succeeded to establish institutions that will treat the folk culture and tradition in a scholarly, professionally and in a competent way.

0 Comments

Sparkle

“In the conditions of today, the blooming of our national culture, the collecting, the saving and further development of our popular creation is a general, state task – a task for all people.”

0 Comments

Birth of the festival

The National festival for folk songs and dances “Ilindenski denovi” , Bitola was established in 1971 and supported by the Assembly of the Municipality of Bitola, the cultural and educational communities in Macedonia and Bitola and under the patronage of the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia.

0 Comments

Bases

Републичкиот фестивал на народни песни и игри “Илинденски денови” Битола, својата дејност, својата мисија, веќе 40 години, ја базира преку оства-рување на следниве темелни поставки:

0 Comments

Concept

People through time have implemented themselves in the creation of a unique, distinguishable folk culture in which the artistic creation there is the authentic genuine beat as a sign of authentic existence and independence, a fact which differs us from the world and its cultural and ethnological mosaic.

0 Comments

Growth

Конституирањето на Републичкиот фестивал на народни песни и игри “Илинденски денови” Битола, како единствена сцена во Република Македонија, каде што на стручен и компетентен начин ќе се презентира, на соодветен начин валоризира и документира културното наследство, поттикна процес на развој на фолклорниот аматеризам.

0 Comments

In Bitola

Bitola, the host city with its many centuries of cultural tradition, with its history, with its integrated feeling for values is the right place where the festival “Ilindenski denovi“ belongs.

0 Comments

Impressions

The festival “Ilindenski denovi” has opened a new path, a new beginning, a new page in the motivation for the…

0 Comments

Pivotal

The festival “Ilindenski denovi” is a pillar of the spiritual bonding of the Macedonian throughout the world. On the festival scene that represents a significant connection to the motherland in the past years there have been around 81 groups of Macedonian immigrants temporarily employed abroad as well as 36 groups of Macedonians from the neighboring countries, 24 groups from Pirin, Bulgaria, 8 groups from Aegen region, Greece and 4 groups from Albania.

0 Comments

Bridge

Квалитетот продуциран на фестивалот поттикна голем број стручни лица, вљубеници во народната култура, фолклорни ансамбли од целиот свет, да доаѓаат, да го следат и да презентираат свои содржини.

0 Comments

Inspiration

The creativity of the young artist has turned every Macedonian house into an artistic workshop. The national costumes, the embroidery works, the handmade objects, the wood, the metal, the jewellery, the tools, and the instruments they carry with them the creative impulses of the people who created them.

0 Comments

Education

One of the main goals of the festival from its beginning to the present is to educate and to produce expert cadres who will have the main role in groups and ensembles development further on.

0 Comments

Information

Starting from the basic formations for gathering, evidencing, categorization and saving of the cultural heritage, all presented contents of the festival “Ilindenski denovi” is documented in an appropriate way and put into the archive as information, witness and a textbook for next generations.

0 Comments

Vision

The National Festival for folk songs and dances “Ilindenski denovi” in the course of its 40 years existence and activity and has shown and proved that it is not an incidental event but it’s a cultural process which is necessary as a significant ring in the continuity of the existence of the traditional cultural values.

0 Comments

Thank You

In order to create, save and upgrade a festival you need a lot of people with big hearts an love for the folk dances, to songs, to their birthplaces.

0 Comments