Toše Fans

Toše Proeski was buried in Kruševo after the state funeral on 17 October 2007. His grave at Gumenje has since become a pilgrimage site, visited every day by people from North Macedonia, the wider Balkans and the diaspora. A small chapel stands beside it.

The grave area is sheltered and usually covered with fresh flowers, candles, photographs and messages left by visitors.

The funeral was a state occasion: military honours by the army's Ceremonial Guard Battalion, a coffin draped in the national flag, and a service led by Archbishop Stephen of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, attended by the country's leaders and foreign diplomats. Thousands of people came to Kruševo that day.

Since then, the grave has been the end point of many personal journeys. Every 25 January Mile Stojkoski arrives here in his wheelchair after travelling from Prilep, a tradition he began after Toše's death.

Fans should also know about the memorial room kept at the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration in Kruševo, where photographs and personal items are displayed in a quiet domestic setting.

There are no "events" here in the usual sense. People come to pray, light candles and remember. On 25 January and 16 October the area is crowded from morning to night, and on the anniversary there are religious services. Outside those dates it can be very quiet.

• This is a grave. Speak softly, dress modestly and keep music off.
• Candles and fresh flowers are customary; take wrapping away with you.
• Give family members privacy if they are present.
• Combine with the Memorial House nearby.

See October 2007 for the history of the funeral.