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| Interview with Assistant Professor Victor Lilchik, PhD, president of the Centre for Archaeological Research -
THE FORTRESSES FROM THE SIXTH CENTURY TEACH US PRESENT-DAY LESSONS
At the beginning of this dramatic summer, you participated in the organisation and holding of the scientific symposium in MANU (Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts), dedicated to the epoch of the emperor Justinian. Why just now, do you think that the moment to present the scientific achievements is right or you have something else in mind?
Perhaps, because history repeats itself, in a way, and the things happening today, have happened in the past. It was more pronounced in the sixth century, during the time of the emperor Justinian when the Barbarians, above all Avarians, in one strong wave pushed out the Slavic tribes and attacked the Balkan civilisation, the Macedonian cities of that time. They ruined the complete antique civilisation on the Balkans. The sixth century marks the end of a long epoch that lasted for 12 centuries, and we ask the following question: what could be drawn as an experience from that time, to serve us today, because there are many fortifications on the terrain that were important strategic points in the past. Their strategic importance hasn’t been lost yet, they are presently used by the terrorists who entering the territory of the Republic of Macedonia to try to control and observe part of its territory. On the other hand, the initiative for the symposium started with the arrival of a group of Italian scientists in October, last year, lead by the professor Michelle Piricillo, PhD., from the University in Bari, Italy, and who, is a priest, as well. They came here to see to what extent are the cultural horizons, dating from the sixth century, present here, for a possible co-operation on the expert level between Italy and Macedonia. Furthermore, the epoch of the emperor Justinian offers interesting moments, even possible sensations, which we see above all in the possible discovery of the birth place of the great czar Justinian in the region of Skopje, and at the same time, maybe even the famous town, built by the czar, which was at the same time the Archbishopric – Justiniana Prima, which also might be found on Macedonian territory.
The contemporary political happenings show that the terrorists are well acquainted with the strategic fortifications from the past. Can you, on the basis of your knowledge of the forts in the country and their usage in the past, predict whether the important points from the past, such as the Tetovo’s Kale and Matejce will continue to be used by the terrorists?
That is a most interesting question. I am in the middle of preparation of a scientific research project together with professor Mitko Kotovchevski from the Institute of Defence at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, and it is entitled “Research on the strategic points from the past and their analysis in present day conditions”. The project is prepared, but we still haven’t started it. I suppose that by the end of the year we will start some analysis, which will partially be conducted in the field, and the other part in the office. In relation to the strategy of the late antique period, which teaches us many lessons, I consider it as a turnover period, when there were numerous inside and outside enemies. I have been working in the field research for about 25 years, together with professor Ivan Mikulchik, PhD, who was the pioneer of the work on this problem in the country, and for the past ten years I have been working alone. I’ve concluded that we have about five hundred fortresses from the sixth century, and it is impressive to see that at that time there wasn’t a region of Macedonia that wasn’t controlled from those places. Those fortresses still haven’t lost their strategic importance, and they won’t loose it in the future, because of their skilfully chosen positions that make every communication of the area controllable. Let us consider the Skopje region. In this area in the sixth century there were about forty fortresses. One of those, situated on the road directed to the area called General Jankovic, on the right side at the outlet of the river Lepenec, is the strong and large city Davina’s Tower – Chucher. We have been researching it for three years, but it is impossible to continue now, because of the current situation. We simply must learn some lessons from the positions and functions of the fortifications. If the passages were controlled in that manner in the sixth century, we should take that into consideration; it is a place from which the area can be controlled easily. It is beyond my competence to speak of the contemporary military strategy, but it is a very interesting knowledge we get from the past, and the experts in military strategy may evaluate the importance of the past to learn lessons of value to the Macedonian society.
What are the planned activities that you cannot carry out due to the present political situation?
I am happy with the fact that in the past fifteen years I have been working in the regions of northern and western Macedonia and I can freely say that we have numerous preliminary documented fortresses from these regions. Unfortunately, it is impossible to work there now, and I don’t think it will be possible in the future, because we don’t know the spots where there are land mines, and what kinds of obstacles we might run into. There is a research left incomplete at a settlement by the village Otlja, the researches on a kale (fortress) near the village Lipkovo. We have documented the kale (fortress) by the village Nikushtak, the locality kale at Brnjarci , the tower in Ljubanci; we also have documents on the medieval locality Sobri, by the village Orashje, the kale by Leshok, the Isar (fortress) in Shipkovica, but we haven’t managed to document the locations Gradec and Gradishte. We haven’t documented the kale in Gorno Palciste. I am very displeased with the fact that these researches cannot be completed now, but we will see what could be done about it in the future. It is Macedonian territory and the researches must be completed in a year, two or five. Someone will have to complete them, maybe even with the co-operation of some people from Albanian nationality. We have students Albanians at the Faculty of History of Art, but there are also graduated archaeologists, and we expect their co-operation. Perhaps we will go and work together.
Have you any announcement of such co-operation?
As much as I can see, one part of the Albanian population is not involved in the terrorist’s activities, they are trying to live civilised life. Our colleagues, Albanians from the Tetovo Museum, for example, and I am certain of it, co-operate without any trouble in the researches. One of my students, Albanian, who lives in Lipkovo, asked us to go and work there last year. Maybe we should have documented the terrain, but we don’t know - maybe the terrorists were building their bunkers at that time, and who knows how our research would have went. I believe that when the weather is clear and the storm passes, the things will start ascending, it just couldn’t be any different.
How did you handle the fact that the terrorists entered the monastery in Matejce, and are still there?
I was flabbergasted with such practice for the first time during the happenings in Bosnia and Kosovo where the cultural monuments were ruined. Those are some primitive people, who are closer to another dimension of the inhuman behaviour. They ruin monuments, and we are powerless at the moment. The Institute of Art History and Archaeology appealed to the Ministry of Culture to inform UNESCO, for it is a monument of mundane importance and it mustn’t be lost.
The photograph used as illustration was recorded for the project “Come to Macedonia and Your Heart Will Remain Here”, presentation of Macedonian cultural monuments. You can visit it if you click at the link below |
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