In the village of Knezhino near Kichevo, the foundation stone of a new Orthodox church, „St. John the Baptist," was laid - an event that for the small local community means far more than construction. The blessing of the foundations was carried out by the Metropolitan of Debar and Kichevo, Georgij, concelebrating with priests from the Kichevo parish.

The ceremony was attended by the mayor of the Municipality of Kichevo, Dr Aleksandar Jovanovski, MP Gjorgjija Sajkoski, as well as the mayors of Debarca and Makedonski Brod. The construction of the church, the organisers say, represents a significant spiritual and social project for the community, and the new church is expected to become a place of worship and a place to preserve the Orthodox tradition.

At a time when villages across Macedonia are emptying out and the young are leaving, projects like this carry a double message. On the one hand, building a church is a sign that the community still believes in its future in that place. On the other, it's hard not to ask - alongside the church, will the village also get jobs, roads, a clinic, a school; the things that keep people there.

Faith is a pillar of every Balkan community and no one disputes its importance. But the spiritual uplift and the survival of a village go hand in hand. Knezhino today got a foundation for a church; it remains to be seen whether the institutions will invest in the other foundations too - the ones that decide whether there will be anyone at all to attend the new church in ten years.