A monument is currently being erected in the main square of Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. Entitled "Warrior on a Horse", it is a colossal figurative sculpture by Valentina Stefanovska. The work is scheduled to be inaugurated on 8 September 2011 - the 20th anniversary of Macedonian independence. The Greek authorities are opposed to the work because of its connotations with Alexander the Great. This is part of a wider dispute over territory, national symbols, cultural heritage and collective identity - as explained in articles such as:
Anon (2011) "Greece Criticizes Macedonia Over Alexander The Great Statue", 16/06, Radio Free Europe, accessed 25/07/2011 at, http://www.rferl.org/content/macedonia_alexander_the_great_statue_greece_dispute/24237371.html
Testorides, Konstantin (2011) "Macedonia erects giant warrior on a horse statue", Associated Press, accessed 25/07/2011 at, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015383271_apeumacedoniastatue.html
For another "statue war", see: Burch, Stuart & David J. Smith (2007) "Empty Spaces and the Value of Symbols: Estonia's 'War of Monuments' from Another Angle, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 59 (6), pp. 913-936 -- available here.
Anon (2011) "Greece Criticizes Macedonia Over Alexander The Great Statue", 16/06, Radio Free Europe, accessed 25/07/2011 at, http://www.rferl.org/content/macedonia_alexander_the_great_statue_greece_dispute/24237371.html
Testorides, Konstantin (2011) "Macedonia erects giant warrior on a horse statue", Associated Press, accessed 25/07/2011 at, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015383271_apeumacedoniastatue.html
For another "statue war", see: Burch, Stuart & David J. Smith (2007) "Empty Spaces and the Value of Symbols: Estonia's 'War of Monuments' from Another Angle, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 59 (6), pp. 913-936 -- available here.
