Controversial construction in Macedonian capital
SKOPJE, Macedonia — Winston Churchill is flashing his trademark victory sign from the rooftop of Macedonia’s shining white new foreign ministry building.
Alexander the Great is pointing his mighty sword from the top of a mega water fountain that airs classical music on the hour, as sprinkling water dances to the sound of its tunes....
All those grandiose buildings, monuments, fountains and bridges — some completed, others under construction — are dotting the city center as part of a government project called Skopje 2014, officially intended to rebuild a city that lost many of its landmarks in a 1963 earthquake.
One of Europe’s biggest urban endeavors has been criticized by many Macedonians who describe it as kitsch....