The 109. anniversary from the death of ideologist of Macedonian revolutionary struggle, Goce Delcev was observed Friday with a religious service before his grave in Skopje-based church "St.Spas".

Delegations from the Parliament, Government, President's Cabinet, Defense Ministry and Macedonian Army (ARM) Staff, Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts (MANU), City of Skopje, political parties, NGOs laid flowers at Delcev's grave.

Flower-laying ceremonies were also held at Delcev's monuments at "Macedonia" square and City Park.

Moreover, Ivan Mikulcic, Marko Kitevski and Toni Janevski received national award "Goce Delcev" for best academic works in 2011 at MANU. Ivan Mikulcic is rewarded for work "Great Archaeological Findings", Marko Kitevski for "Traditions and Legends" and "Oral Folk Literature" from 10-volume edition "Macedonian Folk Literature", and Toni Janevski for work "Commutation and Routing".

Visionary Delcev, who saw the world one century ago as a field for cultural contest among nations, was murdered by the Ottoman army in village Banica on 4 May 1893, while on his way to Ser.

The purpose of his last journey was to prevent or postpone the uprising, which was prepared at the Smilevo congress (May 2-7). Delcev believed political conditions were still not ripe for an uprising, which however occurred three months later (Ilinden Uprising).

Goce Delcev was born on 4 February 1872 in Kukus. He finished high school in Thessaloniki and graduated from the Sofia Military Academy. Delcev worked as a teacher in Stip, but at the same time established a network of bases, committees and units of the secret Macedonian revolutionary organization (TMORO). He took part at the 1896 VMRO congress in Thessaloniki and served as VMRO's representative in Sofia until 1901.

Delcev says in the letters, which have been preserved until today, of his struggle for free and independent Macedonia, including vast rights for the poor population.

"The struggle's success will come through hard work, convincing all Turks, Greeks, Vlachs, Arnauts that we fight for a progressive-cultural state, based on radical and social principles, resulting in them extending the brotherhood arms, thus jointly resuming our struggle. This is how I see the world - a field for cultural contest among nations", writes Delcev.