Imitation City

Where in Europe can you find the White House, arc de triumph, Grecian style buildings and red double-decker buses?  Why, Skopje, Macedonia of course.

Skopje is bizarre.  It’s the capital of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).  Despite being an old city, the majority of buildings are new, as Skopje was leveled by an earthquake in 1963.

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Recently, the government began a project to revamp the city, erecting new buildings, monuments, and statues, often borrowing ideas from other countries.  For instance, inspired by the Seine in Paris, the mayor imported 3 weeping willows from New Zealand for €83,000 each, an astonishing cost, especially considering that two of the trees are dying.

Work is set to begin on Macedonian versions of the London Eye and Rome’s Spanish Steps.  One guy called it “copy and paste syndrome” before joking that he hopes the mayor never visits Venice.

The city is littered with statues. Nearly every spare surface appears to be begging to have a statue.  Not all the statues commemorate important figures either. There is a statue of a  shoe shine boy, one of a beggar, and one of a woman in high heels with a rather large bosom.

Apparently, Macedonians are a modest bunch. They protested when a naked statue was unveiled.  As a result, the city now possesses the world’s only clothed Victory and Prometheus statues.  As for the stallions pulling Victory’s chariot, well, let’s just say they might have a hard time producing foals.  Or urinating for that matter.

 

Not many residents seem thrilled with all the monuments and statues, likely because they realize their grandchildren will be stuck paying off the debts these structures have created.  One report stated that the city has spent over €560million on these projects.  It is sad that all this money is being spent on frivolous items instead of infrastructure.  Like, maybe decent public transportation would be a better use of funds.

One new building that was really nice was the Mother Teresa Memorial House.  Located at the church in which she was baptized, not far from her childhood home, the museum showcases highlights from Skopje’s most famous citizen.

We heard Skopje alternately dubbed “European Vegas” and “Disneyland for adults”, but neither of those titles fits well, as both Vegas and Disneyland invoke ideas of fun and playing.  Paul preferred to describe it as “a big penis extension.”  That term does seem more accurate, since it feels like the government is trying to compensate for something that is lacking.  But it just comes across as trying too hard.

In the process of building a new identity they’re stripping themselves of their true cultural character.  A few reminders of the past, such as the old bazaar (the second biggest bazaar in Europe, after Istanbul) and the fortress, survived the earthquake, and they’re like a breath of fresh air.

 

I feel bad critiquing the city.  I think they’re constructing these buildings in the hopes of drawing tourists, and obviously it’s working.  But, I think most people just find the efforts comical.  It would be a shame if they eliminated the true, interesting parts of their culture in the hopes of appearing to be a modern metropolis.

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Beer of choice: Zlaten Dab