Kavadarci
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Кавадарци |
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Kavadarci (Macedonian: Кавадарци) is a town located in the Tikveš (Macedonian: Тиквеш) region of The Republic of Macedonia. Situated in the heart of Macedonia’s wine country, it is home to the country’s largest manmade lake and the largest winery in south-eastern Europe, [1] both named after the Tikveš plain. The town of Kavadarci is a seat of the Kavadarci municipality.
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[edit] Etymology
The name Kavadarci is derived from the Greek word, "Kavadion" (Greek: Καβάδιον) which means “cape made from a valuable material”. With the citizens of Kavadarci being manufacturers of this material, the first recorded use of this name was during the first half of the 19th Century.
[edit] Legend of the Name
Numerous stories exist regarding the name of Kavadarci, one of the most popular involves the legend of Nikola Chulev and his lost cow from the village of Raštani. One day whilst looking for his cow, Nikola fell from a large rock hurting himself badly. Being unable to walk because of his injuries, he skinned his cow in order to survive. News of this travelled to areas nearby and the place was soon named Kravoder after the cow, over the course of time this name changed into Kavadarci. Names that Kavadarci has also been known by are Kavadarce, Kavardžik and Kavadardžik.
[edit] History
[edit] Classical Period
In the Tikveš region near Kavadarci, many artefacts and structures have been discovered dating back to prehistoric times. Bronze and ceramic artefacts were discovered at an archaeological site in the nearby town of Stobi (Macedonian: Стоби) dating back to the 6th and 7th Century BC.
This town is said to have been established during the Hellenic period, being situated on the main road of Via Egnatia that led from the Danube to the Aegean Sea meant it became an important military, economic and cultural hub at the time.
The establishment of a mint during the Roman period aided in its prosperity and achieving the status of municipium, denars and coins reading “Municipium Stobensium” were also produced in this area. Numerous buildings and monuments of this era such as a theatre have been discovered at this site.
A Jewish community is said to have existed in Stobi during the 3rd Century, however its Synagogue was torn down in the 4th Century and a Christian Basilica was built in its place.
In the late 5th and early 6th Century, the town was devastated in the great Avaro-Slavonic invasions. Stobi which was previously the centre of this region was replaced by the new village of Dukena.
[edit] The Ottoman Empire
Much change took place during the occupation of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th Century, the occupying Turks destroyed all existing villages replacing them with oriental architecture. Villagers from Rashtani and Dukena fleeing from the Turks settled in a new area, bringing with them many families that still exist in Kavadarci today. From this settlement a new village emerged, during the 17th Century this growing village attracted much attention and spurred a large migration of people from the surrounding hills and villages, thus establishing the new town called Kavadarci.
Records show at the close of the 19th Century 1,330 homes existed in Kavadarci: 620 of these were Macedonian, 709 Turkish and one was Jewish. During this time Kavadarci was under the jurisdiction of Bitola’s area Pashaluk (Ottoman military territorial unit controlled by a Pasha). With the Turkish majority, many beys residences and several mosques were built throughout the town. By this time Kavadarci had also been firmly established as the new centre of the Tikveš region.
After the forming of the TMORO committee by Dame Gruev in 1894 and the Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising many revolutionary troops operated in the Tikveš area, working with the aim of liberating Macedonia from the Ottoman Empire.
[edit] The 20th Century
After the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire many Muslim inhabitants began emigrating from this area. Most of the Turkish and Muslim population left Kavadarci completely between 1935 and 1936. It is during this period that Kavadarci flourished, becoming a large economic, administrative and political centre in the Tikveš area. However this rapid development declined during the period of Bulgarian occupation when the region of Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.
In June 1913, the Tikveš Uprising took place against the Serbian occupational forces. The resistance fighters freed the majority of the Tikveš region, including the towns of Kavadarci, Negotino, Vataša and several small villages. Serbian military forces killed approximately 1,200 people and burnt more than 1,000 homes.
During the Second World War, the town fell under Fascist occupation for a total of 4 years, suffering great losses with over 300 people being killed until its liberation on 7th September 1944 by fighters of the 9th Macedonian Brigade. In the village of Vataša, a monument was erected to thirteen young Communists who were killed by Bulgarian occupiers on the 16th June 1943 during the Second World War.
[edit] Municipality of Kavadarci
The Municipality of Kavadarci spreads from the central region of Povardarie to the highlands of Vitacevo and is located next to the Reka Crna, Black River (Macedonian: Црна Река) and the River Vardar (Macedonian: Вардар). Covering a large area in the Tikveš valley with a total ground surface of 391 km², it is comprised of 23 settlements, the largest of these being Vataša (Macedonian: Ваташа).
| Brušani (Брушани) | Begnište (Бегниште) | Vataša (Ваташа) | Vozarci (Возарци) |
| Galište (Галиште) | Garnikovo (Гарниково) | Glišić (Глишиќ) | Grbovec (Грбовец) |
| Dabnište (Дабниште) | Dobrotino (Добротино) | Dragožel (Драгожел) | Dradnja (Драдња) |
| Drenovo (Дреново) | Kesendre (Ќесендре) | Košani (Кошани) | Marena (Марена) |
| Pravednik (Праведник) | Raec (Раец) | Resava (Ресава) | Sopot (Сопот) |
| Fariš (Фариш) | Šeškovo (Шешково) | Šivec (Шивец) |
[edit] Demographic
| 97% Macedonians | 1% Roma | 0.5% Serbs | 1.5 % other nationalities |
[edit] Media
Two TV and one radio station operate in Kavadarci, they are RTK, KTV 41 and Radio Galaxy FM, all three are privately owned.
[edit] Industry
[edit] Wine
Kavadarci’s most famous export is wine, the city being home to the largest winery in south-eastern Europe. Vineyards in the region cover a total area of 12,000 hectares, producing up to 85,000 tons of grapes annually. The Tikveš winery is one of the oldest wineries in the Republic of Macedonia processing up to 55 million kilograms of grapes to produce approximately 35 million litres of wine each year. Of the 38,000 citizens, it is estimated that up to 85% are involved with the growing of grapes.
[edit] Ferro-Nickel
Another important industry is the manufacture of Ferro-Nickel, the company “FENI” produces between 5,000-7,000 tons of Ferro-Nickel annually. In a bid to attract more interest from domestic and foreign investors in 2000 the first Free Economic Zone (FEZ) of the Republic of Macedonia was founded in Kavadarci and this has become known as the “Nickel Valley”.
In addition to wine and Ferro-Nickel, Kavadarci is also known for its timber and tobacco production, producing and exporting Macedonian oriental tobacco to the United States, Japan, as well as selected EU and Asian countries.
[edit] Wine
The tradition of wine making and grape growing in the Tikveš region date as far back as the 4th Century BC, the industry thrived during medieval times with its production as was common at the time throughout Europe being made in monasteries.
The Tikveš region is situated in an area with a unique and favourable climate produced by the merging of the Mediterranean from the South and Continental from the North. Combined with arable soil; high with eroded clay content makes this a most favourable area to grow grapes.
The combined municipalities of Kavadarci, Rosoman and Konopiste utilise 20% of the Republic of Macedonia’s total landmass (4,500 hectares) for the cultivation of grapes, the country is the seventh largest exporter of wine to the EU from outside the region. Of the total harvested crop in Kavadarci, 80% are Wine Grapes and 20% are Table Grapes. The Tikveš winery processes up to 55 million kilograms of grapes to produce approximately 35 million litres of wine each year. Although the largest and most prolific, Tikveš is by no means the only winery in the city, examples of others that exist in Kavadarci include Cekorovi (Macedonian: Чекоров) and Popov (Macedonian: Попов). The combined wineries in the region export up to 26 different countries around the world.
On the first week of September of each year a festival called "Tikveski Grozdober" - Tikveš Grape Picking (Macedonian: ТИКВЕШКИ ГРОЗДОБЕР) is held for several days marking the beginning of the wine grape harvest in the Tikveš region. Such is the importance of this fruit, the city flag is composed of 6 circles in white and red representing the town’s most abundant and important produce.
| Red Wine |
White Wine |
Spirits |
Speciality Wines |
|---|---|---|---|
| T'ga za Jug (Yearning for the South) | Smederevka | Yellow Lozova Rakija | Rosé |
| Alexandria | Riesling | White Lozova Rakija | |
| Kratošija | Chardonnay | Brandy | |
| Teran | Temjanika | Vinjak | |
| Krater | Sauvignon Blanc | Whisky | |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | Semijon | ||
| Poema | Belan | ||
| Kavadarka | Altan | ||
| Kanvas | Riesling | ||
| Millennium | Žilavka | ||
| Vitač | Alexandria | ||
| Vranec | Traminec | ||
| Pinot Noir | |||
| Merlot | |||
| Stanushina |
[edit] Tikveski Grozdober
The Tikveski Grozdober - Tikveš Grape Picking (Macedonian: ТИКВЕШКИ ГРОЗДОБЕР) was a festival that officially began in 1964. Held to mark the beginning of the wine grape harvest as well as commemorating the liberation of Kavadarci. It takes place over several days and is one the largest cultural manifestations of its kind in the region.
The festival includes folk, pop and rock concerts, traditional dancing, seminars, presentations and exhibitions. During this time the city centre houses many temporary restaurants, stalls and shops, opened to allow visitors to experience the smells and tastes of local delicacies. This culminates in a carnival procession through the main streets of the town.
[edit] Places of Interest
[edit] Tikveš Lake
Tikveš Lake (Macedonian: Тиквеш Езеро) is the largest manmade lake in the Republic of Macedonia, it is located 165 m above sea level, 12 km southwest of Kavadarci on the Reka Crna, and 3 km from the village of Vozarci. The lake was built in 1968 by redirecting river water and building a 104 m high dam, it has a surface area of approximately 14 km², a length of 28.5 m and width of 500 m. Average temperature of the water is 24°C, maximum depth is 150 m and the total volume is approximately 475 m³. Its two main sources of water are the Reka Crna and the Dragov River.
The artificial accumulation is used for providing water to the local area for businesses such as irrigation and fisheries. Generating electricity through the use of a Hydro Power Plant (HPP), as a site for sports and recreation as well as being a popular tourist attraction due to the cultural monuments and rich flora and fauna of the area.
The area around Tikveš Lake has been designated a protected zone, this was established and supported as a conservation project for the protection of the wildlife and surrounding environment by a local environmental association ODEK and a public enterprise Tikvesko Pole.
[edit] Tikveš Strict Natural Reserve
Established in 1997, the Tikveš Strict Natural Reserve is located 30 km southeast of Kavadarci and covers an area of approximately 10,000 hectares. 23 species of predatory birds are present in the reserve and of these 17 nest in this area, it is said to be one of the most important ornithological sites in Europe.
[edit] Pološki Monastery and the Church Sveta Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) of Drenovo
Built in the 14th Century by a father and a son from Prespa (Macedonian: Преспа), well known at the time for building monasteries and churches across Macedonia. The pair set to work with the son building a church in Drenovo (Macedonian: Дреново) and the father the Pološki Monastery (Macedonian: Полошки Манастир), after the father had completed construction of the Pološki Monastery he returned to Drenovo.
The vanity and arrogance of the son made him claim that the church he built was so beautiful and so well made that even if Saint Ilija came down from the heavens himself. He would not be able to destroy it, at that moment a lightning bolt appeared out of the blue sky, Saint Ilija angered by this claim split the new church in half. It is said that if the break is repaired, each year on the day of Ilinden (Macedonian: ИЛИНДЕН), August 2nd (St. Elijah's Day) the church will split in the exactly same place.
The church within the Pološki Monastery is dedicated to Sveti Gorgija (Saint George) and is located on the southwestern shore of Tikveš Lake that is accessible only by boat. Its fresco paintings are completely preserved and can be dated back to the 14th Century. The only exception being those in the narthex that was built during the 17th Century, the most recent and last restoration to the building took place during the 19th Century. The monastery is well known for its collections of unique icons, wood carvings and especially for its fresco-art that differ from others of the same period due to its unusual compositions.
[edit] Marko’s Tower
Marko’s Tower is a stone edifice located in the centre of Kavadarci, it was erected during the 18th Century. The square shaped structure stands at approximately twenty metres (60 feet) with five stories, its walls are one metre thick, with three windows located on the fourth and fifth floor. The only entrance is located by the door on the second floor, accessible via a stone staircase. On the south wall of the fourth floor remains an opening that was used for defence, the opening on the fifth floor was to dispose of dirty water.
[edit] Ivan Mazov-Klima House of Culture
The cultural centre was founded in 1952 and formed an ensemble in 1953, the Tikveš Folk Ensemble is composed of 115 members and performs choreographed folksongs and dances throughout the country and abroad.
[edit] City Museum and Gallery
Built in 1973 and opened to the public in 1976, the museum houses many historical, archaeological and cultural exhibits. The gallery showcases work from local and international artists, organising between 5 to 8 exhibitions each year.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Official Municipality of Kavadarci Website
- Come to Macedonia and Your Heart Will Remain Here
- VirtualTourist.com Kavadarci Travel Guide
- Cyber Macedonia Kavadarci Information Page
- Macedonian Cultural & Information Centre
- Tikveski Grozdober
- Official Tikveš Winery Website
- ExploringMacedonia.com National Tourism Portal
- Official City of Kavadarci Website
- Kavadarci Information Page
- Kavadarci Tonight
- WiFiNet prv i najdobar bezicen internet
| Cities and Towns in the Republic of Macedonia |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Berovo | Bitola | Bogdanci | Debar | Delčevo | Demir Kapija | Demir Hisar | Gevgelija | Gostivar | Kavadarci | Kičevo | Kočani | Kratovo | Kriva Palanka | Kruševo | Kumanovo | Makedonski Brod | Makedonska Kamenica | Negotino | Ohrid | Pehčevo | Prilep | Probištip | Radoviš | Resen | Štip | Skopje | Struga | Strumica | Sveti Nikole | Tetovo | Valandovo | Veles | Vinica | ||
