North Macedonia’s Fake Galleon Set to Sail into History

One of the fake galleons that were one of the most ridiculed features of the former government's faux-historic Skopje 2014 revamp of the capital is to be removed by mid-April on the order of the city authorities.

"The city of Skopje has recently been engaged in serious legal procedures in order to create conditions for the removal of the first galleon without financial implications for the city budget," the city said in a statement.

"These conditions are now met and if the operator of this so-called urban equipment fails to remove it within the next 30 days, we will do so at his expense," the statement added.

The construction of the three imitation antique ships in the middle of the Vardar River in Skopje began in 2012 as part of the government-sponsored Skopje 2014 project, which involved the previous city administration led by mayor Koce Trajanovski. Originally, six ships were planned.

Despite being described as ships, they are actually ship-shaped buildings with foundations laid deep in the river bed. They currently operate as restaurants and cafes, with one offering hotel beds.

In line the rest of the Skopje 2014 makeover, which sprinkled faux-Baroque facades over the city centre, the ships were designed to conjure up the past, replicating multi-decked wooden sailing ships dating primarily from the 16th to 18th centuries.

However, many people criticised the idea of locating galleons in the heart of the city, in a river that is not used for sailing and is also known for sudden rises in the water level during the winter and spring.

Ignoring these objections, the city administration at the time listed the fake galleons as 'urban equipment' and leased them to private companies under multi-year contracts.

The...