Prodanoski on 23 October: "Macedonia is what we have" - flowers for Chento, Gjorche Petrov and Pere Toshev in Prilep

Flowers at the monument to Metodija Andonov Chento, at Gjorche Petrov and at Pere Toshev. That is how Prilep marked 23 October, the Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle. Delegations from the local government, the Veterans' Union and the political parties visited all three memorials, and Mayor Dejan Prodanoski delivered the message of the day.

The date recalls 1893, when the Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation was founded in Thessaloniki. From there, according to Prodanoski, begins the organised path to freedom, autonomy and independence for the Macedonian people, leading through Ilinden and the Krushevo Republic to today's state. "This great holiday is a symbol of Macedonian honour, defiance and national pride. A reminder that freedom is won with faith, perseverance and love for the homeland, and that preserving and building on it is our shared responsibility," he said.

The strongest sentence was also the simplest: "Macedonia is what we have, what matters most to us. It deserves to be built up, it deserves all of us investing in it together, so that our city and our country look even better." It's hard to disagree. Chento, Gjorche Petrov and Pere Toshev didn't leave holiday speeches, they left deeds.

That is why the real test of messages like this isn't the day of the wreaths, but the other 364 days. How much of that "investing together" will the people of Prilep see on their own streets by next 23 October?