Bulgarians in Albania
Encyclopedia
Ethnic Bulgarians
in present-day Albania
live mostly in the areas of Mala Prespa and Golo Bardo
. In the 1989 census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Bulgarian or Czechoslovakian nationality. The US Department of State background note for Albania, dated 4 January 2011 further reported that the population is composed of various ethnic groups including Bulgarians. The Encyclopaedia of the Nations in its section on Albania's ethnic groups, undated, also has included Bulgarians. The CIA World Factbook 2011 has also counted Bulgarians in Albania. The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad states that about 40,000 to 50,000 persons of Bulgarian origin are living in Albania
, but another Bulgarian source estimates their number at about 100,000. Most Slavic speakers in Albania were converted to Islam
during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire
ruled the Balkans
. There is also a lack of stable ethnic consciousness of this population who easily change their allegiance from Albanian
to either Bulgarian
or ethnic Macedonian depending on the benefits expected.
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The first reference to a Slavic
presence in Albania dates to 548, when the Slavs reached Epidamnos (Durrës
), capturing many fortresses in the vicinity. They proceeded to settle in south Albania, particularly Epirus
and around Durrës, from the 570s to the 9th century. According to a note in a 10th-century transcript of Strabo
's Geographica
, "Scythians-Slavs inhabit the entirety of Epirus". In addition, to the Middle Bulgarian
translation of the Manasses Chronicle
notes that the "Bulgarians filled the lands of Drach (Durrës) and beyond".
On the other hand, the prominent archaeologist from Republic of Macedonia
Ivan Mikulchik revealed the presence of Bulgar
archaeological culture not only throughout Macedonia
, but also in eastern Albania
. He describes the traces of Bulgars
in this region, which consist of typical fortresses, burials, various products of metallurgy and pottery (including treasure with supposed Bulgar origin or ownership), lead seals, minted from Khan Kuber
, amulets, etc. However, part of this could actually represent traces of Avar presence. Known to have raided as far south as Macedonia, material culture of the Avars was very similar to the Bulgars.
According to toponymic
evidence, the mass Slavic colonization of these lands was between the Vjosë
and the Devoll River
s. The Slavic placenames in this region indicate an eastern South Slavic
(i.e. Bulgarian, as opposed to Serbo-Croatian
) dialect. Those Bulgarian Slavs were the majority of the population in the area at least in the Early Middle Ages
, but they were still a sizable population of middle and south Albania by the 15th century. In the 850s and 860s, Simeon I
's First Bulgarian Empire
included the Slavic-inhabited areas of what is today western Macedonia
and south Albania to its possessions, forming the Kutmichevitsa
administrative province. This Bulgarian province included the cities of Ohrid
, Glavinitsa (Ballsh
), Belgrad (Berat
) and Devoll (at the village of Zvezdë). The Bulgarian enlighteners Clement of Ohrid
and Naum of Preslav are known to have worked in Kutmichevitsa, where Clement had 3,500 students according to the 11th-century account of Theophylact of Bulgaria
. Clement and Naum's activity, as well as the consolidation of Bulgarian religious and state authority, helped establish the Bulgarian identity of that Slavic population.
Much of Albania was under the rule of Samuel of Bulgaria from 989-995 to 1005, when it was reconquered by the Byzantine Empire
; during Samuel's rule, those lands were governed by Ivan Vladimir
, his vassal
and husband of his daughter Kosara
. During the Byzantine rule, a Bulgarian leader by the name of Tihomir
headed an uprising against the Byzantines near Drach; he was supported but then killed by another insurgent Peter Delyan
, who proceeded to head the uprising and briefly rule much of Albania, Macedonia, Serbia
and western Bulgaria. In 1078, it was noted that the usurper Nikephoros Vassilaki, recruited an army from the localities around Drach, which consisted of "Franks
(that came from Italy
), Bulgarians, Romans (i.e. Byzantine Greeks
) and Arvanites (i.e. Albanians
)"; this is the first ever reference to the Albanians in a medieval source.
The area was once again under Bulgarian control between 1231 and 1240, under Ivan Asen II
, who "routed the Greek army … and conquered the entire Greek, Albanian and Serbian land from Odrin[ Edirne
] to Drach." John Kukuzelis
, a famous medieval composer of Bulgarian descent, was born in the city in the late 13th century. During the Angevin
period of Albanian history (1250–1350), the Slavic population was mainly present in the cities and villages near the sea, along the Drin River
and in the vicinity of Lake Ohrid
.
records note a number of Bulgarians (de genere Bulgarorum) from south Albania being sold as slaves, indicating the Albanians may have subjugated the Slavic population, which ultimately led to its extermination, migration and assimilation.
Daniel Mоscopolites at the end of the eighteenth century, a Vlach-speaking native priest of Moscopole
, compiled a quadrilingual lexicon of Greek, Vlach
, Bulgarian and Albanian, with the purpose of helping them to learn Greek. In this work, which was first published in 1794 and republished in 1802, Daniel writes inter alia, as follows: Albanians, Vlachs, Bulgarians and speakers of other tongues, rejoice and prepare yourselves one and all to become Greeks
. Leaving behind you your barbaric tongue, speech, and customs. That shall seem as myths to your descendants.. Francois Pouqueville
described in his book “Travels in Epirus, Albania, Macedonia, and Thessaly” Bulgarian villages in Devol
region.
The new Albanian state did not attempt to assimilate this minority or to forcibly change the names of local towns and villages. During the second Balkan Conference in 1932 the Bulgarian and Albanian delegations signed a protocol about the recognition of the ethnic Bulgarian minority in Albania. After the Second World War, the creation of People's Republic of Macedonia and the policy of the new Communist states about the founding of Balkan Federative Republic changed the situation and an ethnic Macedonian minority was officially recognized. Schools and radio stations in Macedonian
were founded in the area.
Albania denies the existence of a Bulgarian minority in the Mala Prespa and Golo Bardo and Gora
regions. Other officially recognised Slavs
in Albania include Macedonians
, Montenegrins
and the Gorani people. The Bulgarian government and some of the people in the regions in question claim that a Bulgarian minority does exist. The CIA World Factbook also supports the existence of the minority based on a 1989 estimate. In the 1989 Albania census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Czechoslovakian or Bulgarian nationality. In 1998 Paskal Milo
, the then-foreign minister of Albania, gave the following answer to the minority puzzle: "After World War II, we know this minority as Macedonian. I’d rather not elaborate on why we chose this way, but the Communist regime made this decision and it’s difficult for us now to change that." Recent official reports from Albania have not stated that any people have identified as Bulgarian in the last census. This often led to protests from the Bulgarian Parliament. Arben Xhaferi
, the president of the Democratic Party of Albanians
in Republic of Macedonia stated in an interview for Albanian newspaper Shekulli in 2006 that in his opinion the Slavic-speaking inhabitants of Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo are Bulgarians, he is known for referring to ethnic Macedonians as Bulgarians. There exist two organisations of the Bulgarians in Albania: "Prosperitet — Golo Brdo". and the cultural association "Ivan Vazov" in Mala Prespa.
More than 800 Albanian citizens of Bulgarian descent have acquired Bulgarian passports on the grounds of having Bulgarian origin. According to the Macedonian authorities, the Slav minority of Albania consists only of ethnic Macedonians and not Bulgarians. In 2008, the Bulgarian government reported it had reached an agreement with the Albanian government that the next census forms in Albania would allow to count the Bulgarian community in the country. In 2011 Bulgaria's Finance Minister, who is charge of ties with the Bulgarian diaspora, has met with members of the Bulgarian community in Albania. He announced the future opening of a Bulgarian cultural center in Tirana.
In the 1989 census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Bulgarian or Czechoslovakian nationality. The US Department of State background note for Albania, dated 4 January 2011 further reported that the population is composed of various ethnic groups including Bulgarians. The Encyclopaedia of the Nations in its section on Albania's ethnic groups, undated, also has included Bulgarians. The CIA World Factbook 2011 has also counted Bulgarians in Albania. The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad states that about 40,000 to 50,000 persons of Bulgarian origin are living in Albania.
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
in present-day Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
live mostly in the areas of Mala Prespa and Golo Bardo
Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo
Prespa e Vogël and Golloborda , refers to a geographical area situated in southeastern Albania. This region consists of two areas: Prespa e Vogël and Golloborda...
. In the 1989 census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Bulgarian or Czechoslovakian nationality. The US Department of State background note for Albania, dated 4 January 2011 further reported that the population is composed of various ethnic groups including Bulgarians. The Encyclopaedia of the Nations in its section on Albania's ethnic groups, undated, also has included Bulgarians. The CIA World Factbook 2011 has also counted Bulgarians in Albania. The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad states that about 40,000 to 50,000 persons of Bulgarian origin are living in Albania
, but another Bulgarian source estimates their number at about 100,000. Most Slavic speakers in Albania were converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
ruled the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. There is also a lack of stable ethnic consciousness of this population who easily change their allegiance from Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
to either Bulgarian
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
or ethnic Macedonian depending on the benefits expected.
Middle Ages
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
presence in Albania dates to 548, when the Slavs reached Epidamnos (Durrës
Durrës
Durrës is the second largest city of Albania located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically important cities of Albania. Durres is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian ports of Bari...
), capturing many fortresses in the vicinity. They proceeded to settle in south Albania, particularly Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
and around Durrës, from the 570s to the 9th century. According to a note in a 10th-century transcript of Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
's Geographica
Géographica
Géographica is the French-language magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society , published under the Society's French name, the Société géographique royale du Canada . Introduced in 1997, Géographica is not a stand-alone publication, but is published as an irregular supplement to La...
, "Scythians-Slavs inhabit the entirety of Epirus". In addition, to the Middle Bulgarian
History of the Bulgarian language
The History of the Bulgarian language can be divided into four major periods:* prehistoric period ;...
translation of the Manasses Chronicle
Constantine Manasses
Constantine Manasses was a Byzantine chronicler who flourished in the 12th century during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos . He was the author of a chronicle or historical synopsis of events from the creation of the world to the end of the reign of Nikephoros Botaneiates , sponsored by Irene...
notes that the "Bulgarians filled the lands of Drach (Durrës) and beyond".
On the other hand, the prominent archaeologist from Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
Ivan Mikulchik revealed the presence of Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
archaeological culture not only throughout Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
, but also in eastern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. He describes the traces of Bulgars
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
in this region, which consist of typical fortresses, burials, various products of metallurgy and pottery (including treasure with supposed Bulgar origin or ownership), lead seals, minted from Khan Kuber
Kuber
Khan Kuber was a Bulgar leader, brother of Khan Asparukh and member of the Dulo clan, who according to the Miracles of St Demetrius, in the 670s was the leader of a mixed Christian population of Bulgars, ‘Romans’, Slavs and Germanic people that had been transferred to the Syrmia region in Pannonia...
, amulets, etc. However, part of this could actually represent traces of Avar presence. Known to have raided as far south as Macedonia, material culture of the Avars was very similar to the Bulgars.
According to toponymic
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
evidence, the mass Slavic colonization of these lands was between the Vjosë
Vjosë
Vjosë or Aoös is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania.Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining are in Albania. Vjosë is fed by two secondary branches, both in Albania, the Drino river and the Shushicë.Its source is in Greece, specifically...
and the Devoll River
Devoll River
The Devoll is a river in southern Albania, one of the source rivers of the Seman. Its source is in the southwestern corner of the Devoll District, close to the Greek frontier...
s. The Slavic placenames in this region indicate an eastern South Slavic
South Slavic languages
The South Slavic languages comprise one of three branches of the Slavic languages. There are approximately 30 million speakers, mainly in the Balkans. These are separated geographically from speakers of the other two Slavic branches by a belt of German, Hungarian and Romanian speakers...
(i.e. Bulgarian, as opposed to Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
) dialect. Those Bulgarian Slavs were the majority of the population in the area at least in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, but they were still a sizable population of middle and south Albania by the 15th century. In the 850s and 860s, Simeon I
Simeon I of Bulgaria
Simeon I the Great ruled over Bulgaria from 893 to 927, during the First Bulgarian Empire. Simeon's successful campaigns against the Byzantines, Magyars and Serbs led Bulgaria to its greatest territorial expansion ever, making it the most powerful state in contemporary Eastern Europe...
's First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
included the Slavic-inhabited areas of what is today western Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
and south Albania to its possessions, forming the Kutmichevitsa
Kutmichevitsa
Kutmichevitsa was an administrative region of the Bulgarian Empire as well as Byzantine Empire during much of the Middle Ages, corresponding roughly with the territory of modern southern Albania, with some parts in present southwestern Macedonia, commonly taken too be the area included in the...
administrative province. This Bulgarian province included the cities of Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, Glavinitsa (Ballsh
Ballsh
-Overview:The city's surrounding fields are rich in crude petroleum and are dotted by a series of oil wells established during the communist dictatorship. Only a fraction of these wells are operating today, but the city includes a working refinery, and outputs of naphthas are significant...
), Belgrad (Berat
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
) and Devoll (at the village of Zvezdë). The Bulgarian enlighteners Clement of Ohrid
Clement of Ohrid
Saint Clement of Ohrid was a medieval Bulgarian saint, scholar, writer and enlightener of the Slavs. He was the most prominent disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius and is often associated with the creation of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, especially their popularisation among...
and Naum of Preslav are known to have worked in Kutmichevitsa, where Clement had 3,500 students according to the 11th-century account of Theophylact of Bulgaria
Theophylact of Bulgaria
Theophylact of Ohrid was a Greek archbishop of Ohrid and commentator on the Bible.-Life:...
. Clement and Naum's activity, as well as the consolidation of Bulgarian religious and state authority, helped establish the Bulgarian identity of that Slavic population.
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
; during Samuel's rule, those lands were governed by Ivan Vladimir
Jovan Vladimir
Jovan Vladimir or John Vladimir was ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbian principality of the time, from around 1000 to 1016. He ruled during the protracted war between the Byzantine Empire and the First Bulgarian Empire...
, his vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
and husband of his daughter Kosara
Theodora Kosara of Bulgaria
Theodora Kosara of Bulgaria was the daughter of Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria and Kosara of Bulgaria.Theodora Kosara fell in love with Jovan Vladimir of Doclea who was prisoner of her father Samuil...
. During the Byzantine rule, a Bulgarian leader by the name of Tihomir
Tihomir of Bulgaria
For other uses, see TihomirTihomir was a 11th century Bulgarian military commander of Dyrrhachium, who had been sent to tackle an uprising in the north, against the Bulgarian Peter II Delyan, but he refused and instead joined him in the revolts...
headed an uprising against the Byzantines near Drach; he was supported but then killed by another insurgent Peter Delyan
Peter Delyan
Peter Delyan was the leader of the local Bulgarian uprising against the Byzantine rule, started in the Theme of Bulgaria during summer of 1040. He was proclaimed Tsar of Bulgaria, as Samuel`s grandson in Belgrade...
, who proceeded to head the uprising and briefly rule much of Albania, Macedonia, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and western Bulgaria. In 1078, it was noted that the usurper Nikephoros Vassilaki, recruited an army from the localities around Drach, which consisted of "Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
(that came from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), Bulgarians, Romans (i.e. Byzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks
Byzantine Greeks or Byzantines is a conventional term used by modern historians to refer to the medieval Greek or Hellenised citizens of the Byzantine Empire, centered mainly in Constantinople, the southern Balkans, the Greek islands, Asia Minor , Cyprus and the large urban centres of the Near East...
) and Arvanites (i.e. Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
)"; this is the first ever reference to the Albanians in a medieval source.
The area was once again under Bulgarian control between 1231 and 1240, under Ivan Asen II
Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria
-Early rule:He was a son of Ivan Asen I of Bulgaria and Elena . Elena, who survived until after 1235, is sometimes alleged to be a daughter of Stefan Nemanja of Serbia, but this relationship is questionable and would have caused various canonical impediments to marriages between various descendants...
, who "routed the Greek army … and conquered the entire Greek, Albanian and Serbian land from Odrin
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
John Kukuzelis
Saint John Kukuzelis or Kukuzel was a medieval Orthodox Christian composer, singer and reformer of Orthodox Church music....
, a famous medieval composer of Bulgarian descent, was born in the city in the late 13th century. During the Angevin
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
period of Albanian history (1250–1350), the Slavic population was mainly present in the cities and villages near the sea, along the Drin River
Drin River
The Drin is the longest river in Albania with a total length of . It has two distributaries, one going directly into the Adriatic Sea, the other one into the Bojana River .- Origin :...
and in the vicinity of Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid
Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, preserving a unique aquatic ecosystem with more than 200 endemic species that is of worldwide importance...
.
Ottoman period
In the late 14th century, VenetianVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
records note a number of Bulgarians (de genere Bulgarorum) from south Albania being sold as slaves, indicating the Albanians may have subjugated the Slavic population, which ultimately led to its extermination, migration and assimilation.
Moscopole
Moscopole was a cultural and commercial center of the Aromanians, and now a small municipality in Korçë District, modern southeastern Albania. At its peak, in the mid 18th century, it hosted the first printing press in the Balkans outside Istanbul, educational institutions and numerous churches...
, compiled a quadrilingual lexicon of Greek, Vlach
Aromanian language
Aromanian , also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe...
, Bulgarian and Albanian, with the purpose of helping them to learn Greek. In this work, which was first published in 1794 and republished in 1802, Daniel writes inter alia, as follows: Albanians, Vlachs, Bulgarians and speakers of other tongues, rejoice and prepare yourselves one and all to become Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
. Leaving behind you your barbaric tongue, speech, and customs. That shall seem as myths to your descendants.. Francois Pouqueville
Francois Pouqueville
François Charles Hugues Laurent Pouqueville was a French diplomat, writer, explorer, physician and historian, member of the ....
described in his book “Travels in Epirus, Albania, Macedonia, and Thessaly” Bulgarian villages in Devol
Devol
Devol can refer to:*George Devol, inventor of the first industrial robot*Frank Denny De Vol, sometimes known simply as DeVol, was an American arranger, composer and actor*Devol, Oklahoma*Devoll or Devolli, a river in southern Albania...
region.
20th century
In the 1920s the orthodox Slavs living in Albania were regarded as Bulgarians by the local Albanian population.The new Albanian state did not attempt to assimilate this minority or to forcibly change the names of local towns and villages. During the second Balkan Conference in 1932 the Bulgarian and Albanian delegations signed a protocol about the recognition of the ethnic Bulgarian minority in Albania. After the Second World War, the creation of People's Republic of Macedonia and the policy of the new Communist states about the founding of Balkan Federative Republic changed the situation and an ethnic Macedonian minority was officially recognized. Schools and radio stations in Macedonian
Macedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
were founded in the area.
After the fall of communism
Gora (region)
Gora is a geographical region in southern Serbia and northeastern Albania, inhabited by Albanians and a Gorani minority. The name "Gora" is a Slavic word for "mountain" or "forest"....
regions. Other officially recognised Slavs
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
in Albania include Macedonians
Macedonians of Albania
Macedonians of Albania are an officially recognized ethnic minorityin Albania. In the 1989 census, 4,697 people declared themselves Macedonian. The condition of the Macedonian population living in the Prespa area is described in positive terms and particular praise is given since all the villages...
, Montenegrins
Montenegrins of Albania
Montenegrins form an ethnic minority in Albania. There is an estimated 1,000 - 2,000 Montenegrins living in Albania. Montenegrins are mainly located in the northern districts of Malësi e Madhe and Shkodër...
and the Gorani people. The Bulgarian government and some of the people in the regions in question claim that a Bulgarian minority does exist. The CIA World Factbook also supports the existence of the minority based on a 1989 estimate. In the 1989 Albania census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Czechoslovakian or Bulgarian nationality. In 1998 Paskal Milo
Paskal Milo
Paskal Milo is an Albanian historian, politician, and leader of the Social Democracy Party of Albania. He is also been a member of the Albanian Parliament since 1992, and a professor of Albanian and Foreign literature...
, the then-foreign minister of Albania, gave the following answer to the minority puzzle: "After World War II, we know this minority as Macedonian. I’d rather not elaborate on why we chose this way, but the Communist regime made this decision and it’s difficult for us now to change that." Recent official reports from Albania have not stated that any people have identified as Bulgarian in the last census. This often led to protests from the Bulgarian Parliament. Arben Xhaferi
Arben Xhaferi
Arben Xhaferi is a former president of the Democratic Party of Albanians, an ethnic Albanian political party in the Republic of Macedonia. Xhaferi is an advocate of rights for ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia and is most known for calling for a change in the Preamble of the...
, the president of the Democratic Party of Albanians
Democratic Party of Albanians
The Democratic Party of Albanians or DPA is a political party of the ethnic Albanians in the Republic of Macedonia. The DPA is a merger of the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians and the People's Democratic Party which took place in June 1997...
in Republic of Macedonia stated in an interview for Albanian newspaper Shekulli in 2006 that in his opinion the Slavic-speaking inhabitants of Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo are Bulgarians, he is known for referring to ethnic Macedonians as Bulgarians. There exist two organisations of the Bulgarians in Albania: "Prosperitet — Golo Brdo". and the cultural association "Ivan Vazov" in Mala Prespa.
More than 800 Albanian citizens of Bulgarian descent have acquired Bulgarian passports on the grounds of having Bulgarian origin. According to the Macedonian authorities, the Slav minority of Albania consists only of ethnic Macedonians and not Bulgarians. In 2008, the Bulgarian government reported it had reached an agreement with the Albanian government that the next census forms in Albania would allow to count the Bulgarian community in the country. In 2011 Bulgaria's Finance Minister, who is charge of ties with the Bulgarian diaspora, has met with members of the Bulgarian community in Albania. He announced the future opening of a Bulgarian cultural center in Tirana.
In the 1989 census a total of 782 people claimed either Romanian, Bulgarian or Czechoslovakian nationality. The US Department of State background note for Albania, dated 4 January 2011 further reported that the population is composed of various ethnic groups including Bulgarians. The Encyclopaedia of the Nations in its section on Albania's ethnic groups, undated, also has included Bulgarians. The CIA World Factbook 2011 has also counted Bulgarians in Albania. The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad states that about 40,000 to 50,000 persons of Bulgarian origin are living in Albania.
See also
- Macedonian Question
- Albania under Bulgarian Empire
- Ballshi inscriptionBallshi inscriptionThe Ballshi inscription is an epigraph from the time of the Bulgarian Prince Boris I testifying to the christianization of Bulgaria...
- Gorani (ethnic group)
- Macedonians of AlbaniaMacedonians of AlbaniaMacedonians of Albania are an officially recognized ethnic minorityin Albania. In the 1989 census, 4,697 people declared themselves Macedonian. The condition of the Macedonian population living in the Prespa area is described in positive terms and particular praise is given since all the villages...