Distinguished art lovers,

This year's Ohrid Summer Festival is taking place in a time when the old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born. A time of deep crises, bloody conflicts and millions of refugees. A year when, instead of celebrating, we seem to have forgotten the anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia.

In a time when dark clouds are hovering over our world, art is like a piercing ray of light. That ray sheds light over the hidden beauty arising from within the depths of the human heart. At the same time, this piercing ray of art points to what is hidden above the clouds, and that is the eternal source of light and life. Art serves to express the hope that the storm will pass, that the clouds will scatter, the winds will calm down and the light that we long for will shine on us.

For more than five decades, tens of thousands of artists from all meridians have been encouraging us to be the source of beauty in the world through their music, stage performances and paintings. The first original Slavic and Macedonian poet even told us how that should be done. More than 11 centuries ago, at this very place, St. Clement of Ohrid encouraged us to compete in kindness, because beauty is just another name for kindness.

With this thought, I declare the 56th edition of Ohrid Summer Festival open!