Institute of Art History and Archaeology

Table of Contents

The study of the history of art and archaeology, as one of the fundamental studies of human existence, began at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje as soon as the Faculty was founded in 1920. That first study program was made up of subjects such as Byzantology and Archaeology with History of Ancient Art, which set the foundations for the study and the academic and educational activity of the Institute of Art History and Archaeology on these grounds. Six years later, within the Faculty of Philosophy, a separate seminary of Archaeology and Art History was established. Much of the research carried out in these spheres was published in the journal Гласник Скопског Научног Друштва, which was founded in 1921 at the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.

The Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje commenced working right after WWII, in December 1946, as the first institution of higher education in Macedonia, and in the academic year 1946/47, the History and Art History group of study commenced its activity within the Department of History-Philology. The first professor to hold lectures in this area of study was professor Dimče Koco, teaching National Art and General Art History.

The growth and development of the Faculty of Philosophy in the next three decades called for a distinct program which would study more in-depth the history of art and archaeology, and, as such, the academic year 1973/74 marked the start of the Art History and Archaeology program of study. The necessity for the founding of such a group was further confirmed by the fact that 150 students enrolled in the first year. The program had 20 courses, and the lectures were held by seven professors, renowned and established academicians and academic figures, and two teaching assistants: academician Dimče Koco, professor Konstantin Petrov, PhD; professor Ivan Mikulčić, PhD; professor Petar Miljković Pepek, PhD; professor Blaga Aleksova, PhD; assistant professor Boris Petkovski, PhD; teaching assistant Cvetan Grozdanov, and lecturer Vera Bitrakova Grozdanova. Out of these, besides academician Dimče Koco, three more members of the teaching faculty became full members of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts: academician Blaga Aleksova, academician Cvetan Grozdanov, and academician Vera Bitrakova Grozdanova.

In the decades that followed, the academic personnel as well as the associates involved in this group of study underwent ongoing changes and additions. A number of professors that started out as teaching assistants and junior teaching assistants went on to become full or associate professors and left a strong mark on the growth and development of this institution from the last decade of the 20^th century up to the present day, such as Elica Maneva, PhD; Viktor Lilčić Adams, PhD; Elizabeta Dimitrova, PhD; Aneta Serafimova, PhD; Nikos Čausidis, PhD; Tatjana Filipovska, PhD; Snežana Filipova, PhD; Marjan Jovanov, PhD; Antonio Jakimovski, PhD; and Irena Teodora Vesevska, PhD.

From 1997, with the expansion of the study program curriculum in the sphere of prehistoric archeology, the Institute has been joined by professor Dragi Mitrevski, PhD. From 2005 to 2016, professor Vladimir Veličkovski, PhD, held lectures in the areas of national and world contemporary art.

Dafina Gerasimovska, PhD, has been the Institute librarian for more than two decades.

The necessity to improve the process of learning and teaching at the start of this millennium resulted in the rise of two study programs within the Institute of Art History and Archaeology, namely, the Art History program and the Archaeology program.

From the academic year 2004/5, the European Credit Transfer System has been in effect in both programs within the Institute of Art History and Archaeology, with ongoing changes and additions made to the programs of study in line with the new academic contents. At present, the Institute of Art History and Archaeology offers students programs of study at all three levels – undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral, through which they can obtain a BA, MA or PhD in Art History or Archaeology.

The Institute of Art History and Archaeology is developing and evolving in line with the needs of the Faculty of Philosophy, as well as the system of education as a whole. In that context, there are attempts at introducing new program curricula, as well as modern technical and spatial solutions. Apart from classes at the Institute, the teaching staff is also engaged at a number of other Institutes within the Faculty of Philosophy, as well as at other Faculties.

The former and the current members of this Institute have published hundreds of monographs, and thousands of papers in international and national journals, have presented at thousands of congresses and symposiums worldwide, have gone on numerous study visits and given guest lectures at a number of prestigious universities, have been regular participants in almost all of the academic gatherings organized within the country, and have taken active participation in the overall cultural life in Macedonia.

In these last 100 years, as a part of the Faculty of Philosophy, the faculty and the associates of the Institute, having been involved in the study of art history and archaeology, have carried out hundreds of academic projects and research, both in the country and abroad, with which they have contributed to the study, preservation, and affirmation of the Macedonian cultural heritage throughout the world. As a result of this research, today we have museums and galleries rich in works of art and artefacts from all periods of human existence, which are a testament to the enormous cultural and artistic heritage on these grounds.

In honor of the most senior members of the Institute, in 2006 the Institute of Art History and Archaeology came out with the journal Folia Аrchaeologica Balcanica, which has already had four issues published.

Within the Institute of Art History and Archaeology there is the Archaeological Museum Collection, containing more than 2,000 artefacts, which allows the students to directly see and work with artefacts from all periods of human existence.

In these last 100 years from the start of the academic and educational activity in the area of Art History and Archaeology and all the way up to the present day, a number of professors have made exceptional academic and societally significant achievements, for which they have received numerous prestigious international and national recognitions and awards.

In 1959, academician Dimče Koco received the award by the government of the People’s Republic of Macedonia, as well as the “11 Oktomvri” award.

Academician Blaga Aleksova received the “Goce Delčev” and “11 Oktomvri” awards, the “8 Noemvri” award by the city of Štip, and has also been honored with the Order of Labour with Gold Wreath.

Academician Cvetan Grozdanov was recipient of a number of national and international awards and recognitions, among which are the following: the “13 Noemvri” award by the city of Skopje, and the “13 Noemvri” award by the city of Ohrid, the “Goce Delčev” award for academic achievements, the Marin Drinov Medal by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, which also awarded him an honorary doctorate in History; a blue belt at the 6^th Congress of Balkanology and South-Eastern Europe, the Order of Saint Vladimir from the Synodus of the Russian Orthodox Church, and others.

Academician Vera Bitrakova Grozdanova was recipient of the prestigious Herder Prize by the Viennese Academy, the state awards “Goce Delčev” and “St. Clement”, as well as numerous national and international recognitions.

Professor Boris Petkovski received the “11 Oktomvri” award, the “13 Noemvri” award by the city of Skopje, the Medal of National Merit by the SFRY, and others.

Professor Petar Miljković Pepek received the “11 Oktomvri” and “13 Noemvri” awards, the Herder Prize by the Viennese Academy, as well as numerous medals and recognitions.

Professor Ivan Mikulčić, PhD, received the “13 Noemvri” award by the city of Skopje.

Professor Elica Maneva, PhD, and professor Dragi Mitrevski, PhD, have also received the state “St. Clement” award.

Celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the founding and activity of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje, and, as such, celebrating the studies in the field of Art History and Archaeology, we would like to express our gratitude and to honor all our former and current professors and associates who have contributed in the reputation of the institution and the its achievements in the spheres of education and academics, on the path that the Institute has been on for the last 100 years.