Bulgarians in Albania need state support in order to preserve their national identity

"You say you are Bulgarian, but you do not know Bulgarian" – this reproach from officials in Bulgaria has been faced by quite a few by our compatriots from the historical Bulgarian communities around the world. One of them is Bledar Alterziu from Albania. To the offensive remark he replied: "I do not know Bulgarian, because I have not had the opportunity to study it. But I have the desire...". And he calls on today's Bulgarian politicians to make sure that people like him – Bulgarians by origin and by heart, never hear such reproachful words again.

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Bledar Alterziu graduated in political science from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", and then earned a master's degree in public finance from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. He lives in the city of Elbasan, but comes from the Golo Bardo district, where 65% of the population identifies itself as Bulgarian (data from the national census in Albania of 2023). In recent years, Bledar has gained experience in local administration, engaging in various activities, including project management under European programs.

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Bledar Alterziu at the Bulgarian Sunday school in Elbasan

His first contact with Bulgaria was on August 6, 1998. He remembers it vividly to this day: "We seemed to be coming from another reality, because at that time institutional chaos reigned in Albania".

A new association and new hope for Bulgarians in the region of Golo Bardo, Albania

His decision to come to Bulgaria was completely rational and was related to the difficulties of the transition period in Albania, although these were years of numerous hardships also in Bulgaria. Bledar, however, is grateful that he had the opportunity, as a person of Bulgarian origin, to study in his ancestral homeland.

"It was difficult, but I was lucky to spend my first years in Sofia with Bulgarian roommates, which helped me study the language", he shares in an interview for Radio Bulgaria. "I got a TV in my dormitory. So, from television, from the radio, from newspapers, I learned the Bulgarian language better. Well, I don't know it perfectly, but at least I gained self-confidence and could get along with people."

The Bulgarian language is also the cornerstone for preserving national self-awareness among Bulgarians in Albania. The majority of them use an older form of Bulgarian, which is why the clash with its literary norm is a challenge for many Bulgarians from Albania. Today, Bulgarian Sunday schools, such as the one in Elbasan, in whose premises we are holding our conversation with Bledar Alterziu, help in mastering the modern Bulgarian language.

He tells us that in recent years the activities of schools and Bulgarian associations in Albania have been much more organized compared to the 1990s. With the help of the Society of Bulgarians in Albania and the Bulgarian state, the children in Elbasan now have their own Bulgarian Sunday school. The official recognition of Bulgarians as a national minority by the Albanian state in 2017 also played an important role in this process. But the Bulgarian language still remains a major challenge for university students in Bulgaria coming from Albania. What specific help can the Bulgarian state provide for this process?

"Children here learn about Bulgaria, hear about Bulgaria, but let them also be able to see this Bulgaria. Let there be mutual exchange. We sing and dance traditional songs and dances from our region, but let us participate in such festivals in Bulgaria. This way, knowledge will not remain just part of the classroom. Children will be able to feel and sense Bulgaria. This will certainly motivate them much more."

Thus, most Bulgarians in Albania will not look at Bulgaria as the country that gives them citizenship and a European passport, but also as a place where they enrich their knowledge and skills.

"In addition to the diplomas, I am also grateful for the fact that I got exposed to another world. My worldview expanded in Bulgaria. I managed to live in this society and understand it. I want the same for our children. This is a hidden gain that I have acquired from my stay in Bulgaria."

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To this day, Bledar Alterziu maintains contact with Bulgaria. He travels to Sofia often and never misses an opportunity to meet his friends from the university years. "Bulgaria is my second homeland," Bledar admits:

"I have visited a large part of the country - Sofia, Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, Kazanlak, Karlovo, Kyustendil... I like it everywhere. I feel at ease. I communicate in Bulgarian, people understand me, I know the mentality. I am 45 years old, and 25 years of my life have been connected with Bulgaria."

Kostandina Belo from Radio Bulgaria in conversation with residents of Golo Bardo

In a conversation about the needs of the Bulgarian national minority, Bledar Alterziu also made a recommendation to the Bulgarian society and institutions in Bulgaria to be more attentive and tolerant towards Albanian citizens of Bulgarian origin, and politicians - to be more active and work to protect the Bulgarian minority in Albania.

I will never forget an incident from the time I was at university in Bulgaria – I was a freshman, the first snow had fallen, and coming out of the dormitory, I saw a girl in the elevator, a beautiful girl. I introduced myself to her and when I told her where I was from, she confused the seaside resort of Albena with Albania. And she asked me how I was from there, since no one lives in Albena because it is a seaside resort. I mean, I want to say that many people in Bulgaria do not even know that there are Bulgarians in Albania. And not only that – there are also politicians who are not aware of this. Or, maybe, they are not interested to know.

When talking about Bulgarians abroad, somehow everyone focuses on relations with North Macedonia. Yes, I do not want us to be the center of attention, but I want people to know that there are Bulgarians in other places as well. And that in Albania there are also people who work for the Bulgarian spirit, do their best to preserve our culture and they should be encouraged. My recommendation is that politicians should take this fact into account when making decisions. Thank God, in recent years, Bulgaria's interest in us has increased, politicians, ministers, Vice President Iotova are visiting us. So, I expect this activity from Bulgarian politicians to continue. In addition to their presence, they should also be up-to-date with projects aimed directly at the people of our minority, which help their development - culturally, socially, economically, educationally...".

Bledar Alterziu also returns to his childhood memories, when the totalitarian regime of Enver Hoxha was in force in Albania.

"At that time, the life of Bulgarians in Albania was different. For example, in our region - Golo Bardo, we did not have the opportunity to study literary Bulgarian. And this must be acknowledged to these people – the difficulties they faced and the efforts they made to preserve their language, culture and traditions, despite being under pressure from the state and public prejudice. This was not the case in the region of Korça (Eastern Albania), where the state, in one way or another, gave the Bulgarian minority the opportunity to study up to the fourth grade. And here you could not even think about it.

The school in the village of Golemo Ostreni, Golo Bardo district

During communism, I only traveled to Golo Bardo once. And I remember then that my father had to ask for special permission from the police in Elbasan to visit these places, because they were then in the border zone between Albania and the then Yugoslavia. And to get to Golo Bardo, you had to pass through two or three police checkpoints with a thorough check, i.e., in your own country you had to ask for permission to travel. That's how difficult it was for people from there to travel to their native places. And what about the Bulgarian language in school, etc. Politicians should also know these things when they make decisions. I say this, bearing in mind what I have suffered and experienced over the years in Bulgaria.

When we went with my fellow citizens to submit documents for Bulgarian citizenship, I was personally addressed with the words: "You are a Bulgarian from Albania, but you don't know Bulgarian". I don't know the language because I haven't had the opportunity to learn it. But I have the desire. And how do you expect a person of 40 or 50 years to know literary Bulgarian when they never had the chance to study it?!

In the home of a family from Golemo Ostreni, Golo Bardo district

The results of the work of the Bulgarian Sunday schools that are already operating here will be seen in years. Today, teachers are already educating young children in literary Bulgarian. And the results of this will be seen in the future. It takes at least 10-15 years for this training to have a result. The good thing is that there are still people here who work and deal with these issues. That is why we expect support from the Bulgarian institutions. Their attention will give more motivation to preserve our identity, and people will know where and who to turn to".

What is the relationship between Albanians and Bulgarians, what do we have in common?

"First, we are two peoples in the Balkans, secondly – both countries were under the Turkish Domination so they shared the same difficulties. In social and family relations, in principles we are almost the same. The only things that separate us are the borders, the language and the fact that Islam is predominantly practiced here, and in Bulgaria – Orthodoxy. But this does not prevent us from being close to each other. We love the same cuisine, our value system is almost the same, we have almost the same traditions in our families and in communicating with our friends… We are much warmer, compared to the Western world, where relations seem colder… We get excited about the smallest things, in the Balkan way. And this is probably because we drink rakia here… (laughs)."

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And how do you get informed about Bulgaria? Are you interested in what is happening here?

"Yes, I keep myself informed. And I want to know what's going on in Bulgaria. It's like that every day. I even have various news apps from Bulgaria downloaded on my phone. I am a Bulgarian citizen and it is normal for me to be informed about the processes and events in Bulgaria - culture, sports, politics, economy. Yes, it's true, I live in Albania, but Bulgaria is my second homeland and I am connected to this country - emotionally, legally, and economically."

Learn more about the life of the Bulgarian minority in Albania:

Photos: Krasimir Martinov, Kostandina Bello, Pixabay

English publication: Rositsa Petkova