The mayor of the Gjorče Petrov municipality, Aleksandar Stojkoski, attended the celebration of the Christian holiday of Whitsun at the "Holy Spirit" monastery in Kostomar.

At the event, Stojkoski stressed that faith and tradition are the foundations that unite the people, and that the local government will continue to support religious sites and observances across the municipality.

The Kostomar monastery, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, is one of the religious sites around Skopje where Orthodox holidays are marked. Whitsun, also known as the Holy Trinity, is one of the more significant Christian feasts.

Politicians and religious ceremonies are an almost inseparable pairing in the Balkans. Every holiday is a chance for a photo, every church a stage for a message. The question is whether the support stays once the cameras switch off, or whether the religious sites only remember their mayors in an election year.