Early on the morning of 16 October 2007 Toše Proeski died as a passenger in a car accident on the Zagreb–Lipovac highway near Nova Gradiška in Croatia. He was 26 years old. This page is about how people responded; we do not dwell on the details of the crash.
The squares
As soon as the news broke, people gathered in the main squares of towns across Macedonia with candles, flowers and written messages. In Skopje, Macedonia Square filled up. Similar gatherings took place in cities around the former Yugoslavia and in diaspora communities, and people queued at Macedonian embassies to sign books of condolence. Television and radio stations replaced their schedules with his concerts and videos, and members of parliament observed a minute of silence.
Coming home
His body was flown to Skopje by a helicopter of the Macedonian Army, arriving at night, and was received by the country's leadership before being taken on to Kruševo. The government declared 17 October a national day of mourning; Kruševo held three days of mourning.
The funeral
The state funeral took place in Kruševo on 17 October 2007. The Ceremonial Guard Battalion of the army rendered military honours, his coffin was covered with the national flag, and the religious service was led by Archbishop Stephen of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. The president, the prime minister, foreign ambassadors and thousands of people from Macedonia and neighbouring countries attended, and the ceremony was broadcast on national television.
Afterwards
The government named him an honorary citizen of Macedonia. His grave in Kruševo quickly became a place of pilgrimage, and online forums and blogs filled with messages from fans — this board belongs to that tradition.
Every year on 16 October people return to the grave, to the squares and to the Memorial House. If you plan to go, read our visiting etiquette page, and see the grave and chapel for practical notes.