House of Josif Mihailović

The building was designed in 1934. The building was constructed in 1937/38.

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The ground floor and the upper floor contain residential spaces. The ground floor was used as the mayor's reception residence. Access to the upper floor is provided by an external staircase from the western façade, while vertical connection between the ground floor and the upper floor is achieved through another set of stairs. On the ground floor, the main entrance is located on the southern façade.

The building is constructed in a massive system of rammed concrete, with solid brick walls finished with lime mortar. The building features a reinforced concrete inter-floor structure. The roof structure is wooden.

Hipped roof with a wooden substructure and roofing tiles.

The façade is plastered with cement-lime mortar. On the ground floor, there is a treatment with cut stone up to the height of the windows, with plaster on the remaining façade surfaces. The terrace columns are made of facing brick.

The exterior carpentry, consisting of windows, balcony doors, and the main entrance door, is made of wood. The façade windows are alternately equipped with built-in wooden shutters as well as wooden blinds.

The house, with its two street-fronting façades (southern and eastern) and the masonry fence on the other two sides, encloses the inner courtyard. The fence is designed with a combination of stone at the lower part and plastered finish at the upper part, featuring blind niches and covered with roofing tiles.

The interior of the house was modern, but included elements of traditional construction such as built-in closets within the walls. The metalwork was crafted in the renowned locksmith workshop of Anton Ručigaj. On one of the walls, in 1938, Lazar Lichenoski created an impressive fresco measuring 220x100 cm, depicting a motif from the Mijak region — Gjurchin Kokale from Lazaropole throwing a stone. Unfortunately, the fresco is no longer part of the house’s interior.

The family house of Mihajlović is located in the oldest part of Skopje, on the outskirts of the Old Skopje Bazaar, beneath the Kale hill in the residential Balaban neighborhood. It was built on a triangular plot with access from two streets, from where Mihajlović often walked or rode by carriage, observing and noting the city’s issues. In the immediate vicinity of his house are some of the most important buildings from the Islamic period, such as the Kuršumli Аn, the Đurçiler (Shengul) Hammam, and the Mustafa Pasha and Hadži Balaban mosques.

Hipped roof with a wooden substructure and roofing tiles. Dormers were added on the eastern side.

The façade is plastered with cement-lime mortar. On the ground floor, there is a treatment with cut stone up to the height of the windows, with plaster on the remaining façade surfaces. The terrace columns are made of facing brick.

The exterior carpentry, consisting of windows, balcony doors, and the main entrance door, is made of wood. The façade windows are alternately equipped with built-in wooden shutters as well as wooden blinds.

The house, with its two street-fronting façades (southern and eastern) and the masonry fence on the other two sides, encloses the inner courtyard. The fence is designed with a combination of stone at the lower part and plastered finish at the upper part, featuring blind niches and covered with roofing tiles.

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The house is externally in an almost identical condition to the original. After the death of Josif Mihajlović in 1941, the house has been used for purposes different from the original (it served as a residence for post-war politicians—mayors of Skopje, for many years it housed the well-known restaurant "Macedonian House," and today it is the Embassy of the Republic of Albania), which inevitably resulted in changes and adaptations to its interior. There are also records that during World War II, most of Mihajlović’s legacy was destroyed by the Bulgarians, and after the war, when the house was used as a residence for post-war politicians, valuable items, the original built-in equipment of the rich interior, and the furniture were stolen. The fresco by Lazar Lichenoski was not spared either. “The fresco, together with the building placed under legal protection as a cultural monument, was here before it was shamefully and illegally alienated (1998) through sales ‘transactions’ and subsequently came into the ownership of Macedonian businessman Risto Gushterov.” (Tomovski, K. & Petkovski, B. (2003). Architecture and Monumental Art in Skopje Between the Two World Wars. Skopje. Museum of the City of Skopje. p. 109, footnote 63.)

protected A cultural monument with a second-degree protection regime.

historical architectural and aesthetic authorship technical societal/social Despite all the indisputable values the house possesses, a particular significance lies in the fact that it was designed and built as a family residence of probably the most important mayor in the history of Skopje – Josif Mihajlovic. He served in this position for two terms, from 1929 to 1936, and then, with a break, had a second term until 1941 when he passed away. During his tenure, some of the most significant infrastructure buildings in Skopje were constructed, such as the city hospital, the railway station, the National Bank, the Post Office, the building of today’s Assembly, the Rashche water supply system, and the Matka hydroelectric plant. Additionally, a geodetic survey with the first aerial photographs was conducted, an urban plan for the city was developed, and a population census was carried out. His exceptional work and dedication transformed Skopje into a modern and urbanized city.

Recommendation to the owners: The value of the building should be respected when installing elements directly on the façades, and if changes are made, they should be aimed at preserving its authenticity.

Tomovski, K. & Petkovski, B. (2003). Architecture and Monumental Art in Skopje between the Two World Wars. Skopje. Museum of the City of Skopje. Konstantinovski, G. (2001). Builders in Macedonia, 18th – 20th Century. Skopje. Tabernakul. Grchev, K. (2003). Architectural Styles in Macedonian Architecture from the Late 19th Century and the Interwar Period. Skopje: Institute of Folklore “Marko Cepenkov”. Kocevski, D. (2022). If You Love Skopje – Come, I’ll Wait for You on the Quay. Skopje. Begemot. Heritage Protection Office. (2024). Registered Immovable Cultural Properties under the Jurisdiction of National Institutions, November 2024. Retrieved January 2025, from http://uzkn.gov.mk/mk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/REGISTRIRANO-NEDVIZNO-KULTURNO-NASLEDSTVO-2024-za-web-финал.pdf Nova Makedonija. (2019, November 16). Macedonian House – The Mayor’s Palace. Retrieved November 2024, from https://novamakedonija.com.mk/makedonija/skopski-legendi/македонска-куќа-палата-на-градона/ MARH. (2014, December 23). Josif Mihajlovic – Jurukoski /1887 – 1941/. Retrieved November 2024, from https://marh.mk/јосиф-михајловиќ-јурукоски-тресонче/ Porta3. (2014, March 15). Josif Mihajlovic – The Creator of Modern Skopje. Retrieved November 2024, from https://www.porta3.mk/josif-mihajlovikj-tvorecot-na-moderno-skopje/ Zurnal.me. (2023, April 20). Josif Mihailović – Creator of Modern Skopje in the Backwater. Retrieved November 2024, from https://zurnal.me/josif-mihailovic-tvorac-modernog-skoplja-u-zapecku/?script=lat Spona. (2022, December 14). Greats: Josif Mihailović – Creator of Modern Skopje in the Backwater. Retrieved November 2024, from https://srbi.org.mk/a/v/velikani-josif-mihailovic-tvorac-modernog-skoplja-u-zapecku