Albanian Orthodox Community of Upper Reka

[Droog]

A couple of weeks ago an organization of Uper Reka(Gorna Reka) led by Branko Manojlovski asked during a ceremony about Josif Bageri(Albanian Catholic journalist of the region) the inclusion of the orthodox population of upper reka in the Ohrid agreement as they consider themselves Albanian.

Mr. Manojlovski and his organization have requested Mr. Ademi's the previous DPM intervention for the opening of Albanian-language schools in the area.

Manojlovski's speech ended with: "Someone asked me: why do you care about Albanianism, why are you changing[your identity]? I replied to him: No, my identity was changed but now I am returning to my roots"

http://www.yllpress.com/31316/simpozium-shkencor-kushtuar-josif-bageri-t.html

Any input?

[Risto the Great]

No idea what you are even saying.

[vojnik]

No idea what you are even saying.

Neither do I when I saw that you posted I was hoping you deciphered the above

[Daskalot]

Branko wants to be Albanian? Who knows? Droog please give us some more input and a complete translation of your source.

[Voltron]

Well, Google says the below from the article.

Scientific symposium dedicated to Joseph BAGERI-t
Honorary President of the Association 'BAGERI Joseph', who is also co-organizer of the event, Branko Manjollovski, tearfully thanked the organizers for this event, asking them to eventually Macedonia, to raise the issue of Orthodox Albanians.


On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Ohrid Agreement, the SUT, has organized a scientific symposium on the life and work of Joseph BAGERI Albanian patriot from the Gostivar region Reka, who was one of the most prominent figures of our national renaissance.

He was a poet of rare talent, narrator, journalist and publicist and patriot of the fires, which all work devoted his life and the Albanian national question, he said among others in this symposium.

Honorary President of the Association 'BAGERI Joseph', who is also co-organizer of the event, Branko Manjollovski, tearfully thanked the organizers for this event, asking them to eventually Macedonia, to raise the issue of Orthodox Albanians.

"I was like a lost sheep, but thanks to you I found myself again. On what should one say you Albanianism bre, why change. I said no no I do not commute, I've been changed by now, I just went back to my country. I've talk to They were my years but thanks be unto God that you and I see this day arrived, and I mean what I said Josef BAGERI "Branko Manjollovski, honorary chairman of the Association" BAGERI Joseph. "

While Deputy Adam, in his speech said that there is nothing wrong that a decision to establish this rilindësi bust in downtown Skopje.

"When we talk about cultural heritage of the Albanians must also mention the establishment of memorials and cemeteries, archaeological excavations in the castle, Skopje and Tetovo, the establishment of the bust of our national hero Skanderbeg in Skopje, but also setting the torso in Nexhat Agolli, Peter Bogdani but the bust of character dedicated to the scientific symposium BAGERI Joseph.

Today we are convinced that we not only managed to change the ethnic character of the project a year 2008 2014 Skopje, but we were fully entitled to determine exactly are the great bust of Joseph BAGERI to be placed in the center of Skopje, "said Abdulaqim Adam, Deputy / prime.

Bageri Joseph was born in 1870 in the village Nistorvë, which at that time belonged administratively Sanjak of Debar, and now - Gostivar district. The organizers of this symposium planned for tomorrow have a visit to the birthplace of the Nistrovë BAGERI. Union Solomon

[Voltron]

From what I gather its to support the Orthodox Albanians in Macedonia.
I guess they have been left out in comparison to their Muslim brothers.
I can only hope the Christian Albanians raise a strong voice against the islamification of Macedonia.
IMO they should be supported and brought in by the ruling government in some way to counter the Muslims.

[Droog]

Branko wants to be Albanian? Who knows? Droog please give us some more input and a complete translation of your source.

Branko Manojlovski is the head of a local organization of Upper Reka that held a a symposium to honor Josif Bageri and at the same time to raise awareness about their non-inclusion in the Ohrid Agreement. They claim that although the people of Upper Reka self-define as Orthodox Albanians there aren't any Albanian-language schools in their area and they're not recognized as part of the minority by the government. In their symposium they invited the deputy prime minister Ademi and asked him to intervene about their issue.

[Voltron]

Branko Manojlovski is the head of a local organization of Upper Reka that held a a symposium to honor Josif Bageri and at the same time to raise awareness about their non-inclusion in the Ohrid Agreement. They claim that although the people of Upper Reka self-define as Orthodox Albanians there aren't any Albanian-language schools in their area and they're not recognized as part of the minority by the government. In their symposium they invited the deputy prime minister Ademi and asked him to intervene about their issue.

Droog, what do you know about Gjorgji Pulevski 1817-1893 (Gjergj Puli).
Was he a part of the Orthodox Albanian community in Macedonia that you are referring to ? I read in another Balkan forum that there were many "Albanians" in Macedonia that now self identify as Macedonians. Kind of like our Arvanites if you will. Is this true ?

[Daskalot]

Pulevski was an Albanian, I am amazed.

[Voltron]

Well thats what I read Daskalot. In the balkans everybody is claimed by everyone. Page 5 is an intersting read.

http://mahimahi.uchicago.edu/media/faculty/vfriedm/118Friedman97.pdf

[Mastika]

A couple of weeks ago an organization of Uper Reka(Gorna Reka) led by Branko Manojlovski asked during a ceremony about Josif Bageri(Albanian Catholic journalist of the region) the inclusion of the orthodox population of upper reka in the Ohrid agreement as they consider themselves Albanian.

Mr. Manojlovski and his organization have requested Mr. Ademi's the previous DPM intervention for the opening of Albanian-language schools in the area.

Manojlovski's speech ended with: "Someone asked me: why do you care about Albanianism, why are you changing[your identity]? I replied to him: No, my identity was changed but now I am returning to my roots"

http://www.yllpress.com/31316/simpozium-shkencor-kushtuar-josif-bageri-t.html

Any input?

Yes, I do have input. What is this Branko Manojlovski talking about? Is he aware of how big the Albanian Orthodox Community of Gorna Reka is?

In all of the former 21 villages which recorded Albanian speaking Orthodox inhabitants in the past, there now live only 178 Orthodox people in total. All of these Orthodox people declared their ethnicity to be Macedonian, and that their mother language was also Macedonian. In fact, according to the 2002 census, there is no evidence that even one Orthodox Albanian lives in Gorna Reka

The only Albanians that live in Gorna Reka are muslim ones, who have full minority groups.

The question where can these Orthodox Albanians be found? They do no longer exist in Gorna Reka. Try Skopje, you will have more luck there.

[Droog]

Droog, what do you know about Gjorgji Pulevski 1817-1893 (Gjergj Puli).
Was he a part of the Orthodox Albanian community in Macedonia that you are referring to ? I read in another Balkan forum that there were many "Albanians" in Macedonia that now self identify as Macedonians. Kind of like our Arvanites if you will. Is this true ?

Well, if you remove the suffix from his surname it just means poultry breeder in Albanian. However, I wouldn't stretch that to him being Albanian as after all his own views about his identity were very obvious. Even if all of his ancestors were 100% Albanians it still wouldn't matter. An interesting fact is that one of the terms he used for the Macedonian language was "Serbo-Albanian".

In this work, he paired Macedonian under the name of 'Serbo-Albanian' with Serbian, Greek, Ottoman, and 'Arbano-Arnautian' (Albanian).

[Voltron]

Even if all of his ancestors were 100% Albanians it still wouldn't matter.

I share the same view, but just for the sake of the argument. Do you think he has Albanian roots ? How many Albanians (of most likely orthodox faith) have become Macedonians ? Are they even worth mentioning as a group ?

[Droog]

I share the same view, but just for the sake of the argument. Do you think he has Albanian roots ? How many Albanians (of most likely orthodox faith) have become Macedonians ? Are they even worth mentioning as a group ?

There's no concrete evidence pointing to such a theory, so I would say "no". In Macedonia today there are no Orthodox Albanians with the exception of small groups like the upper reka one, so I'd say that if there ever were any they have been assimilated. No, I wouldn't compare any of these groups to Arvanites for various reasons and mainly the fact that Arvanites as a community were used by the "palaioelladites"(who didn't want the refugees and their supporters to become powerful) to strengthen the relations with Albania up to the establishment of the communist regime of Albania. The whole "don't mention what language Arvanites speak" issue was created in the 1960s because everything related to Albania was considered an endorsement to "stalinism" and in fact many Arvanites who were actively involved in matters related with preservation of Arvanitic culture were indeed members of KKE(!).

[Voltron]

Ok, so no significant mention of them as a group of people. I was reading up by chance in an Albanian forum and they were saying how there were many Albanians in the VMRO and assisting the cause for an independent Macedonia. So I thought that there might of been a group such as Arvanites that now self identify as Macedonians. I was referring basically to assimilation.