Krale Marko, a symbol of cooperation and peace

On 12 March 2025, the opening ceremony for the Markova Noga border crossing infrastructure was held in the presence of the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski.

Also present were the Mayor of Prespa, George Stergiou, the EU Ambassador, Michael Rokas, UN Permanent Representative, Armen Grigoryan, the Ambassador of Greece in Skopje Sofia Filippidou, the Consul General in Bitola, Despina Epioti, the Mayor of Resen, Jovan Tozievski and Vice-Regional Head of Civil Protection of Western Macedonia Ioannis Kioses.

On the occasion of this ceremony, Michalis Petrakos, General Secretary of the Municipality of Prespa, published the following very interesting text about Krale Marko:

Last week, a ceremony was held to mark the start of the construction of the customs office on the North Macedonia side, which is part of the facilities of the border crossing point agreed in 2019 to be built and operated near Laimos village, in the Greep part of Prespa. Also, the contract for the construction of the remaining buildings in both countries was recently approved and signed with funding from the Interreg Greece-North Macedonia program.

On the Greek side, this crossing is referred to as the “Laimos Border Crossing” or “Prespes”, while in North Macedonia it has a more poetic title: “Markova Noga”, which means foot (or footprint) of Marko, referring to the medieval King (Krale) Marko. Indeed, near the site of the old barrier, next to the existing North Macedonian police station, that will be renovated with the Interreg project, there is a rock with an oblong-shaped footprint, the size of which, if it were really a footprint, would correspond to the impressive No82!

The legendary figure of Krale Marko remains alive in the Balkan cultural heritage, uniting people such as Greeks, Serbs, Croats, North Macedonians, Bulgarians, and Montenegrins with shared traditions and myths. Its timeless appeal and its diverse references in literature and popular muse make it a symbol of a complex but shared Balkan identity. The name is extremely apt since, like Krales, this new border crossing can act as a unifying bridge of friendship and cooperation.

Krale Marcos is an extremely contradictory figure. On the one hand, popular traditions present him as a powerful defender of the weak, a Balkan medieval knight, a mixture of Digenis Akritas and the Marbled King who protects the poor from their oppressors (who are usually Turks). In Prespa and other places in the southern Balkans, legends have him, or his horse Sarac, leaving his imprint on rocks, while his name is also sung much further in the south, as in Servia in western Macedonia, where his daughter’s defense of the castle of “Oria” is remembered after his death.

On the other hand, Krale Marko was a real historical person, a medieval Serbian king and son of the powerful King Vulkasin (the “Archon Vulkasinos” as mentioned in the inscription of the hermitage of Our Lady of Tenderness, which is identified with Vukašin Mrnjavčević), who, in addition to being the ruler of a wide area, was also the co-ruler of Stefan Uros. Vukašin was killed in 1371 in the decisive battle of Evros, fighting the Ottomans, who, after this victory, established their presence in the Balkans. Unlike his father, Marko failed to gain the recognition of the other Serbian nobles, who not only did not consider him a Tsar, the successor of his father and of Uros (who also died in 1371), but gradually took away large parts of the lands of the kingdom he inherited.

Eventually, Marko was reduced to ruling a small area around his capital, Prilep, which included Prespa.

Worse still, unlike most Serbian nobles, Marko did not participate in the great battle of Kosyfođenje in 1389 under Prince Lazar but instead allied himself with the Ottomans and became a vassal of the Sultan. This alliance brought him to the battle of Rovinj in what Romania in 1395 is now, where he met his death fighting alongside Sultan Bayezid of Keraun against the Christian rulers of Wallachia. This historical reality, in sharp contrast to the heroic myth surrounding him in popular tradition, highlights the contradictions that accompany the figure of Krale Marko. A figure that has inspired not only the popular muse but also several modern Greek poets.

Angelos Sikelianos elevates him to a model of resistance:

“Krale Marko, rage of glory, you echo in the empty vowels of the world,

your form rises in the sky of resistance.”

The surrealist Nikos Eggonopoulos strips him of his heroic mantle:

“Marko Krale, what do you ask?

This is no laughing game:

This is Balcania.”

(Dionysis Savvopoulos, in “Balos”, paraphrases the verse, replacing Eggonopoulos’ somewhat ironically harsh “Balkania” with the more familiar “Valkania”.)

Markos Meskos, in his poem “Peace”, presents him as an anti-hero, a weak and vulnerable soldier who drowned trying to save an enemy by making him a symbol of peace.

“Say… you who don’t know

that Marko Krale

the weakest of the company

the weakest of the glorious division

drowned yesterday in the river

trying

trying to save a wounded brother

who cried: – Peace… Peace…”

In the song of the same name, Chimerinoi Kolimvites (Greek music band) present a Marko who transcends historical time and national tradition, acquiring a mythical dimension. Krale Marko is resurrected from ancient rites and reappears as a wise peacemaker who intervenes in the contemporary conflicts of the Balkan people, calling them to stop the wars and restore the “broken bridge”, a symbol of unity and cooperation.

And they make them a symbol and a testimony:

“Open the gates of Hades and let them descend safely.

and return to them!

I took the black sheep by the horns.

and I roamed the mountains of Strymon.

among the rocks and fir trees.

in the Chengelle Daj, in Marko’s alleys.

And we found the night with a moon

Markoo Kraljevic’s holy remains,

the sheep fell a lifeless carcass

and the spell of the Bogomils was cast!

And Hades did me a great favor.

Marko Kraljevic came out like a shower

and said: Stand, Slavs, Skippers,

don’t fight for this country anymore.

Since we still remember my name

I deserve to be honored.

to find rest for my bones

The demolished build the bridge!”

Krale Marko, a figure that balances between myth and history, symbolizes the common bonds and contradictions of the Balkans. Through legends and traditions, he embodies the struggle for justice, the protection of the weak and the timeless quest for peace.

The new border crossing at the “Marko’s Foot” in the Prespa is not just a crossing from country to country; it is a modern bridge that unites people and cultures, just as the legend of the Marko’s Cross has linked generations of people in the Balkans over the centuries.

Just as Krale Marko travelled across mountains and passes, leaving behind footprints that have become legends, so this crossing is called upon to leave its own mark: that of cooperation and peaceful coexistence. Just as he inspired courage and endurance, “Markova Noga” can inspire new generations to see borders not as obstacles, but as starting points for cooperation, friendship and mutual understanding.

This crossing unites not only territories but also the Balkan heritage, promoting the idea that people can overcome the wounds of the past. In the heart of Prespa border region, where legends meet reality, “Markova Noga” will hopefully become a new bridge that calls for peace, cooperation and a common perspective.

Just as Krale Marko emerges from folk belief as a hero of unity, this crossing can become a symbol of a future where differences are transformed into opportunities and neighboring countries walk together towards a common European path.