Municipal Arms

Before 1945 there are no known municipal arms in the Republic of Macedonia. After this period towns got so called coat of arms, and vast majority of them apart from the shield has no connection with heraldry. One of the examples is the city of Bitola. Most other arms are based on the landscape  with the influence of socialist "heraldry". Best example is the arms of the capital, city of Skopje.

With the law for the Local government in 1997, Republic of Macedonia is divided into 123 municipalities and this law aloud them to establish and use coats of arms.

The vast majority are obtained with following methods. The municipality posts public tender for the design of the arms. Usually the text for the tender says that the design should express the natural, historic, ethnologic and geographic characteristic of the municipality concerned. It is open for all individuals to submit their design. Then from the designs submitted one is selected by a body elected from the  municipality's government. Note, that there is no heraldic authority considered.

City of Skopje		Arms represent the stone bridge over Vardar river, Kale fortress and mount Skopska Crna Gora.  This Arms are in use since '50 and has been accepted after 1997 This arms are the widest used municipal arms
		Arms of the Municipalities within Skopje
Municipality Centar		This arms, a phoenix rising from the ashes is presenting the rebuilding of Skopje after the devastating earthquake in 1963. In use since 1997
Municipality Karposh		Municipality of Karposh has no obtained its own arms, and is using the City's Arms
Municipality Shuto Orizari		The Arms are derivate from the Roma flag (Horizontally divided blue and green, representing the sky and the grass, and a red wheel representing the nomadic way of living of this people in history) as this is the only Roma (Gypsy) Municipality in the World with its own local government. The golden rays are for prosperity. In use since 1997
Municipality Gazi Baba		The surrounds the sculpture of the goddess of fertility, one of the oldest peace of art excavated in this municipality. The golden arches are representing the arches that are symbol of this municipality. The texts are: Republic of Macedonia, Municipality Gazi Baba, Skopje.  In use since 1997
Municipality Kisela Voda		The name of this municipality in English is Mineral Water, and its represented by the mineral springs. The factory and the church are representing object found in this municipality. The fortress is the symbol of Skopje whose part this municipality is. In use since 1997
Municipality Gjorce Petrov		The name of this municipality is Gjorce Petrov a 19c. Macedonian revolutionary whose horizontaly mirrored initials appears on the blue background, The golden sun on red field is the MAcedonian symbol. In use since 1997
		Arms of Municipalities surrounding Skopje
Municipality of Aracinovo		No information available Since 1997
Municipality of Kondovo		No information available Since 1997
		OTHER CITIES
City of Ohrid		The arms represent the lake of Ohrid and the fortress of ancient king Samoil Before 1997
City of Radovish		The tobacco leafs are representing the main culture in this area and the crossed hummers are for the mines Since 1997
City of Struga		This arms represents the bridge river Crn Drim flowing from Ohrid lake. On this bridge is conducted the International Struga's poetry evening
City of Bitola		This arms has only graphic representation. It represents in 1st. a national textile design, 2nd Mont Pelister and the Clock Tower, 3rd a pillar from Heraclea, Antic town, predecessor of Bitola.4th is representing the industry and river Dragor. The date, Nov. 4 1944 is the Liberation day. in use since '50, obtaining the new design is still in process.
City of Prilep		The three monuments are taken from the Cemetery of the Undefeated, as a memorial of the uprising of the Macedonians against the fascist, started in this town on 11 October 1941. Since 1997
Municipality of Lozovo		No information available Since 1997
City of Kumanovo		No information available Since 2002

 More Municipal Arms