GALICHNIK WEDDING 2022: A BLEND OF TRADITION, CULTURAL HERITAGE AND REAL PARTNERSHIPS

Skopje, 08.07.2022 – The 48th edition of the authentic cultural and theatrical event Galichnik Wedding (Galichka Svadba) will be held in the picturesque Galichnik, on the slopes of Mount Bistra, from July 15th to 17th. This year, Ilcho Dimitrov and Elena Durovska have been chosen as the Galichnik bride and groom, and the characteristic of this year’s event is that in addition to them, Iskra Blazevska and Marko Bekric will also be married on the same day in the Saint Paul the Apostle church, while Marija Krstevska and Vladimir Cherepnalkovski will say their vows in Galichnik on August 28.

“We are very happy that the interest of young people in participating in Galichnik wedding is increasing year by year, which shows that tradition and folk customs remain the foundation of our collective identity and values. Five couples applied this year, three of which fully met the prescribed criteria, after which the organizing team decided to give them all, in the best possible way, the opportunity to participate in this year’s event,” explained the representative of the organizing team of the Local Community Galichnik, Aleksandar Kostic. He informed that thanks to the support of the large number of supporters, this year too Galichnik is ready to welcome all visitors from the country and abroad who will come to see and witness the beauty and uniqueness of the wedding customs, the rich color of the folk costumes of the wedding guests and the original folk songs and dances, characteristic of these Macedonian regions.

This time too, the patron of the Galichnik Wedding is President Stevo Pendarovski, and one of the traditional supporters of the event is the Ministry of Culture.

“Galichnik Wedding is more than tradition, much more than cultural richness, tradition, heritage. Galichnik Wedding means identity. The pride of Galichnik people in their roots, their family trees, their Galichnik Wedding is admirable. Their history of going abroad to work, which is retold from generation to generation so as not to be forgotten, is a precious record of the Macedonian past. Recognizing the effort and love that goes into preserving this unique tradition, we are working with the Institute of Folklore on an elaborate for the preservation and protection of Galichnik Wedding customs, thus providing Galichnik Wedding and its customs, for the first time in their sixty years of event existence, the institutional protection they deserve,” said the Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska.

Pivara Skopje and its brands are part of Galichnik Wedding this year as well, thus continuing the partnership that has lasted continuously since the very beginning of the event, i.e. 48 years, and will continue in the years to come.

“In the year when Pivara Skopje celebrates 100 years since establishment, it is a special honor and pleasure for us to continue our support and partnership with one of the most famous events in our country. Tradition is what connects Pivara Skopje and Galichnik Wedding and what holds us all together, and therefore on the eve of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the beginnings of Galichnik Wedding in its current form, which will take place next year, we at Pivara Skopje are ready to continue and further strengthen our mutual partnership, which will enable the continuation of the rich tradition that is part of our common cultural heritage,” said Marija Minincic, Community Partnerships Manager of Pivara Skopje.

In addition to the financial support, which is necessary to maintain the continuity and high level of Galichnik Wedding, Pivara Skopje traditionally also provides the beverages for the participants in the wedding ceremony.

“It is said that there is no wedding or any other celebration without the beverages of Pivara Skopje, and especially without SKOPSKO. If so, then it is quite natural that SKOPSKO was and remains part of the most famous Macedonian wedding. In addition, the creation of SKOPSKO, as one of the most famous Macedonian brands, is a process which incorporates a lot of knowledge, love and a long, almost 100-year tradition. This is another reason why the partnership between Pivara Skopje, SKOPSKO and Galichnik Wedding has lasted so long and will continue in the future,” says Marta Zavkova, Senior Brand Manager for Skopsko at Pivara Skopje.

On this occasion too, Pivara Skopje repeated their constant appeal to everyone who will come to Galichnik next weekend, which is: consume alcohol responsibly, not drink and drive and take maximum care of clean environment.

The program of this year’s Galichnik Wedding begins on the evening of July 15th, with a jubilee concert dedicated to the Galichnik-native folk song master Aleksandar Sarievski, as we mark 100 years since his birth and 20 years since his death this year.

Otherwise, this year’s Galichnik groom Ilcho Dimitrov will wear the personal folk costume of the legendary Aleksandar Sarievski during the festivities.

The wedding activities will traditionally begin on Saturday, July 16, with the setting up of the wedding flag and the symbolic act of “firing the three rifles” from the groom’s house. Then the wedding rituals will be performed – “welcome to the drums”, which will entertain the wedding party and guests for two days, the mother-in-law will perform the mother-in-law dance, while the members of “Folklorni biseri” (“Folklore Pearls”) from Skopje will play the “Teshkoto” dance – the symbol of weddings and the festivities, the sending off and welcoming of the workers from abroad, the defiance and optimism… Also, the bridal dance, the manuk and other folk dances will be performed on the plateau in front of the revered Upija water fountain. It will be an impressive sight when the wedding party will take the bride to fill water at the three taps with kindling in hand, and the festivities will continue until early in the morning. The wedding of the newlyweds will take place on Sunday, July 17, in the church St. Apostles Peter and Paul, and the celebration will end with the act of sending off the drummers and trumpeters.

The entire program of the Galichnik Wedding 2022 will be broadcast live on a special screen on the plateau in front of the Upija water fountain, as well as on social networks.

Contact for additional information: LC Galichnik – mzgalichnik@gmail.com; Aleksandar Kostic – 078/388 088