The Macedonian Heraldic Society (MHS) is the only professional body in the field of

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

vexillology Vexillology ( ) is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.Smith, Whitney. ''Flags Through the Ages and Across the World'' New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print. The word is a synthe ...

phaleristics Phaleristics, from the Greek mythological hero Phalerus ( el, links=no, Φάληρος, ''Phaleros'') via the Latin ('heroics'), sometimes spelled faleristics, is an auxiliary science of history and numismatics which studies orders, fraternit ...

, chivalristics and nobiliar issues in

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

. The society was founded on 2 July 2003 in

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...

under the name Macedonian Heraldry Society, and changed to its current name in 2018.

Society Coat of Arms and Flag

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of the Macedonian Heraldic Society has three heraldic representations: lesser, middle and greater coat of arms. The lesser coat of arms of the society is

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vis ...

ed:

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

, a

hippocamp The hippocampus or hippocamp, also ''hippokampos'' (plural: hippocampi or hippocamps; grc, ἱππόκαμπος, from , "horse" and , "sea monster"

Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

holding baton and

quill A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, the metal- nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, eventually ...

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...

, all Or. The middle coat of arms of the society is blazoned: Gules, a hippocamp Argent holding baton and quill in saltire, all Or.

Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of a ...

crowned with

heraldic crown A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics. A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just ...

, behind shield herald’s batons, all Or. The greater coat of arms of the society is blazoned: Over the crowned shield a mantle Gules doubled Argent, crowned with heraldic crown Or.

Flag

The

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

of the society is a

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

with a 1:1 proportion and with the blazon of the coat of arms.

Executive Board

President and

herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...

of the society is Jovan Jonovski, member of the Orders and Medals Committee of the

President of the Republic of Macedonia The President of the Republic of North Macedonia ( mk, Претседател на Република Северна Македонија; sq, Presidenti i Republikës së Maqedonisë së Veriut) is the head of state of North Macedonia. The off ...

, member of the

International Commission on Orders of Chivalry The International Commission for Orders of Chivalry (ICOC; Italian: ''Commissione internazionale permanente per lo studio degli ordini cavallereschi'') is a privately run, privately funded organisation composed of scholars on chivalric matters a ...

(ICOC), an associate member of

Académie Internationale d'Héraldique L'Académie Internationale d'Héraldique (known in English as the International Academy Of Heraldry) was founded in Paris in 1949 to bring together experts in heraldry representing the various areas of the world. Admission is by election, and the ...

(AIH). Editor of "Macedonian Herald". Vice President and

pursuivant A pursuivant or, more correctly, pursuivant of arms, is a junior officer of arms. Most pursuivants are attached to official heraldic authorities, such as the College of Arms in London or the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh. In the mediaeval ...

of the society is

Petar Gajdov Petar ( sr, Петар, bg, Петър) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. ...

, lawyer, head of the phaleristics section. Secretary and pursuivant of the society is

Aleksandar Gizharovski Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

, software engineer, head of the vexillology section, editor of "Macedonian Herald".

Activities

Popularization of heraldry

Popularization of heraldry is accomplished through lectures, workshops and presence in the media. Lectures were held by several speakers from home and abroad. Among the lecturers were Dr. Stoyan Antonov, President of the Bulgarian Heraldry and Vexillology Society, Prof. Dr. Ivan Balta from Faculty of Philosophy in Osijek, Croatia, which had several lectures, and Dr. Vujadin Ivanisevic from Institute for Byzantine Studies in Belgrade, Serbia. Lectures on theoretical heraldry and practical training workshops were held in cooperation with several organizations. The biggest was the collaboration with the

Museum of Macedonia The Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia ( mk, Музеј на Република Северна Македонија, translit=Muzej na Republika Severna Makedonija), formerly and still unofficially known as the Museum of Macedonia ( mk, М� ...

on the project "The Amazing World of Heraldry“ during which, for three years lectures and workshops were held. The popularization of heraldry, vexillology and phaleristics is accomplished through many articles in daily newspapers and appearances on broadcast media too.

Research of the Macedonian heraldic heritage

Studies of the Macedonian heraldic heritage is the central part of the activities of the society. Researches have been performed in archives, libraries, private collections in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

."Macedonian Herald" no. 6
/ref> Research results are exchanged and supplemented with colleagues from other countries on congresses and symposia, as well as discussion groups and forums.

Design of arms, flags, orders and decorations

Macedonian Heraldic Society is engaged in

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

ing coats of arms, flags, orders, decorations, etc. Among the most important are the

coat of arms of the president of North Macedonia The coat of arms of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia is the official coat of arms of the President of North Macedonia. It was adopted on 2 December 2009, designed by the Macedonian Heraldry Society earlier that year, having been ...

, the

Coat of arms of the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric A coat typically is an outer garment for the upper body as worn by either gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners, toggles, a ...

and the

Order of Merit for Macedonia The Order of Merit is the fourth highest Orders, decorations, and medals of North Macedonia, state recognition of North Macedonia. As its name implies, is recognition of Merit. Notable recipients *2006-Petre M. Andreevski *2007-Mateja Matevski *20 ...

. The Macedonian Heraldic Society is actively working on improving the quality and standardization of the municipal heraldry in North Macedonia. Members of the society are authors of coats of arms and flags of the municipalities: Radovish, Novo Selo,

Kriva Palanka Kriva Palanka ( mk, Крива Паланка ) is a town located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 14,558 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of Kriva Palanka Municipality which has almost 21,000 inhabitants. ...

and Kochani. The society was also consulted in the selection of several municipal arms. File:Coat of arms of the President of North Macedonia.svg, Coat of arms of the president of North Macedonia File:Coat of arms of Radoviš Municipality.svg, Coat of arms of the Municipality of Radovish File:Coat of arms of Kriva Palanka Municipality.svg, Coat of arms of the Municipality of Kriva Palanka File:Coat of arms of Kočani Municipality.svg, Coat of arms of the Municipality of Kochani File:Flag of Radoviš Municipality.svg, Flag of the Municipality of Radovish File:Flag of Kriva Palanka Municipality.svg, Flag of the Municipality of Kriva Palanka File:Flag of Kocani Municipality, North Macedonia.svg, Flag of the Municipality of Kochani

Establishing a Heraldic Register

One of the activities of the society is establishing a register of both old and new heraldic achievements. For the registered arms, an appropriate matricula is issued. They are also published in "Macedonian Herald“.

Beginnings

In 2000 the president of the society, Jovan Jonovski, published the website "Heraldry in Macedonia" where coats of arms and citations from the book '' Coats of Arms of Macedonia'' by Dr.

Aleksandar Matkovski Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

were published, in English and Macedonian. The website was complemented with arms used in Macedonia: territorial, corporate and personal. The website began to publish information on historical, theoretical and heraldry in general. A group of interested individuals gathered around the website, mostly Macedonians from abroad. When sufficient number of interested individuals was finally reached, in July 2003 the Macedonian Heraldry Society was founded.

"Macedonian Herald"

The Macedonian Heraldic Society publishes an official

journal A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

, "Macedonian Herald", where the members of the society publish

articles Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: G ...

regarding their researches, municipal coats of arms and flags are commented, heraldic achievements registered in the heraldic register are published, as well as articles in the field of phaleristics, signumanistics and emblematics. The journal is bilingual, in Macedonian and English. Besides the printed edition, "Macedonian Herald" is freely available on the website of the society.

International Activities

The Macedonian Heraldic Society is a full member of Confédération Internationale de Généalogie et d'Héraldique (CIGH) since the 29th International Congress on Genealogy and Heraldic Sciences in Stuttgart, Germany, held in September 2010."Macedonian Herald" no. 5
/ref> At the 24th Congress of the

International Federation of Vexillological Associations The International Federation of Vexillological Associations (FIAV, French acronym: ''Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques'') is an international federation of 53 regional, national, and multinational associations and inst ...

(FIAV) in August 2011 in Washington, USA, the society became a full member of this prestigious organization. The Macedonian Heraldic Society gave logistical support for the establishment of the Bulgarian Heraldry and Vexillology Society (BHVS). A MHS delegation regularly participates on BHVS annual meetings. The president of the society attended the founding of the Croatian Heraldic and Vexillologic Association (CHVA). The society also collaborates with the Serbian Heraldry Society. The members of the society have published articles in the specialized magazines: "Grb i Zastava" of the Croatian Heraldic and Vexillologic Association, "Herold" of the Bulgarian Heraldry and Vexillology Society and "Glas heralda" and "Ocilo" of the Serbian Heraldry Society.

Projects

* "The Amazing World of Heraldry", Museum of Macedonia, 2007–2009 * Permanent exhibition "Heraldry in Macedonia", Museum of Macedonia, 2009 * Coats of Arms of Alexander of Macedonia in European Armorials, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, 2010–2011

References

External links

Official website of the Macedonian Heraldic Society

"Macedonian Herald"
{{Authority control Heraldic societies Clubs and societies in North Macedonia International Federation of Vexillological Associations