A commemorative academic ceremony honoring the 1,110th anniversary of the death of St. Clement of Ohrid and the 100th anniversary of the death of linguist and publicist Krste Petkov Misirkov was held at the National and University Library "St. Clement of Ohrid" in Skopje.

The central address was delivered by Archbishop Stefan, primate of the Macedonian Orthodox Church–Ohrid Archbishopric, who paid tribute to St. Clement as a spiritual enlightener of the Slavic peoples and a key figure in the development of Christian education and culture in the Balkans.

In his remarks, Archbishop Stefan described St. Clement as the successor to the missionary work of Saints Cyril and Methodius and the founder of the renowned Ohrid Literary School. He said the saint's legacy remains relevant today, emphasizing that education should be inseparable from moral values and that books should serve not only as a source of knowledge but also as a means of spiritual formation.

St. Clement of Ohrid is one of the most revered saints in North Macedonia and the heavenly patron of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. A close disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius in the late ninth and early tenth centuries, he played a leading role in promoting Slavic liturgy, literacy, and Christian teaching. According to church tradition, thousands of students were educated at the Ohrid Literary School, helping spread Slavic writing and Christian culture throughout the Balkans. In modern North Macedonia, he is regarded as one of the founders of the nation's spiritual and cultural heritage.

The ceremony also honored Krste Petkov Misirkov, a philologist, publicist, and public figure widely regarded in North Macedonia as one of the architects of the modern Macedonian literary language. His best-known work, *On Macedonian Matters*, published in 1903, outlined the concept of an independent Macedonian literary language and became a landmark in the country's linguistic history.

Today, the Institute of the Macedonian Language at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje bears Misirkov's name in recognition of his contribution to the development of Macedonian language and scholarship.

Concluding his address, Archbishop Stefan called on society to preserve the spiritual and cultural legacy of St. Clement, saying that remembering outstanding educators and cultural figures helps maintain historical continuity, safeguard national culture, and uphold enduring moral values.