31.12.2018

77 years of anthem Today over Macedonia is born

“Today over Macedonia is born”, for the first time was performed at the reception of the new 1942 in Struga, when Vlado Malevski and musician Stefann Opetcheski in front of 28 members of the NOV at the secret meeting. The author of the text is Vlado Maleski, while the melody is adapted from the folk song “Nadezhda bolna legnala”, which in turn was an adaptation of a melody originating from a European schlager, brought by soldiers from the Thessaloniki front. This song, Vlado Maleski learnt from his mother.
According to the musician Stefan Opetcheski, the melody of “Today Over Macedonia” is inspired by several songs. Vlado told him: ‘Stefan, will now stay on the following songs: Buketot cvekje shto mi go dade; Ajde brakja da mineme preku Veleshko, Prilepsko i Krushevsko; Telegrama dojde od Evropa do Sultanot i Orle be orle krilato pile“.
In June 1943, its text was published in the first partisan collection “Macedonian Folk-Liberation Songs”, in which the “Rise down of freedom” is in the capacity of the anthem. Composer Todor Skalovski made an arrangement of the melody, and for the first time he recorded it notes, and in September 1944 on the free territory in Gorno Vranovci, a partisan choir for the first time performed “Today over Macedonia is born” under the baton of Vlastimir Nikolovski.

Although “Today over Macedonia is born” was performed as an anthem on almost every celebration throughout Macedonia, its path to officialization as an anthem of the Republic of Macedonia was long. In the NRM Constitution of 1946 and 1963, the anthem was not mentioned at all. Even in the 1974 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Article 10 states that “the Socialist Republic of Macedonia has an anthem”, but does not provide which is that anthem.
Finally, with the constitutional amendments of April 14, 1989, with amendment XXIV, Article 10 of the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia is replaced with the text: “The anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia is “Today over Macedonia”. With what it finally got an official position.
At the session held on 11 August 1992, it was adopted for the anthem of the Republic of Macedonia.