Nuredin Nuredinaj from Gòra: "We must return to human values and preserve our identity"

Nuredin Nuredinaj comes from the historical-geographical region of Gòra in Northeastern Albania, where 90% of the inhabitants identify themselves as Bulgarians (data from the census in 2023).

Although his roots are in Gòra, Nuredin lived in the capital Tirana from a young age, where he graduated from a language school with English and Spanish. Continuing his education, in 2009 he graduated with a degree in European Union Law in Bulgaria, and in Tirana he earned a second master's degree, in Law of Institutions and State Governance. He currently holds a PhD in Migration Law, has his own law firm in the Albanian capital, is a sworn translator at the Bulgarian Embassy and supports his compatriots from the Bulgarian national minority with various activities.

We ask Nuredin how does he make it on his own in such a competitive field as law, is it not difficult?

"I wouldn't say. Every person who wants to be successful has to rely mainly on themselves. And there are always difficulties. Life is such that if you don't face difficulties, you cannot succeed and become strong. Personally, I turned to migration law following my family's experience. My parents have always worked in the civil service, and my father, my grandfather and my great-grandfather all had higher education and had the view that one should educate oneself, fight and achieve one's goals. That is why I say to all the people of the Bulgarian minority that it is important to continue their education, not to stop learning. This is the only way to succeed in life. Otherwise we cannot work for our ethnicity, for our future."

View from the village of Tsarnalevo in Gora

Even though he has not been living in Gòra for a long time, Nuredin Nuredinaj does not stop working for the cause of the Bulgarians in Albania and for their better future.

"Since I have had a contract with the Bulgarian Embassy as a sworn translator, more than 10 years, I have been working for the Bulgarian cause. We have achieved many things, but we still have a lot of work to do. The areas inhabited by Bulgarians need to develop, to have normal infrastructure, good schools, and Bulgarian culture needs to reach our people more easily. Sometimes this is difficult because of the remoteness and poor infrastructure.

Bulgarians in Gora still preserve their language and culture, but need support from the homeland - Part I

For those of us who live in big cities, it is easy. But for people in the villages, it is not. They don't have enough information, they don't know what's going on around them and around the world. For example, they don't know that they have the possibility of scholarships when studying, they don't know that as Bulgarians they can receive higher education in Bulgaria subsidized by the state, they don't know that despite their older manner of speaking, they speak the same language as Bulgarians in Bulgaria and that they can adapt very quickly and easily in Bulgaria and in Bulgarian universities. Using the same language they speak at home, they can succeed in Bulgaria, even without special language courses."

Grandma Kadire from the village of Tsarnalevo in Gora region

What kind of people are Bulgarians from Gora? And how can they be helped so that they feel supported as soon as possible?

"Honestly, the people of Gòra are known for being very curious and eager to learn. Many of them work in state and municipal administration, in private organisations, in the business sector. And they are successful everywhere. Because they are open to others, they have no prejudices that become obstacles. But every process needs time. Considering also what historical periods we have gone through - communism, transition to democracy, etc., things cannot develop in a year or two.

Bulgarians in Gòra still preserve their language and culture, but need support from the homeland - Part II

I have already mentioned that people do not have enough information and do not know that Bulgaria supports them, they do not know where and what to look for. And now is the right time for us to pay more attention to them, to invest in their schools, to invest in their people so that they continue to respect their traditions, to protect their cultural values and their Bulgarian identity. This is our task, which requires both time and patience."

There are many young teachers working in the Gòra region who also want the best for their fellow citizens, but also to improve themselves and become better in their professions.

"This is a fact - they are young in age, but they have a great desire to contribute to education," Nuredin confirms our observations. "They want to continue their education, complete a master's degree in Bulgaria and then return and apply their knowledge here, in Bulgarian. I hope that we will achieve success. We are working for that, and by law we have the right to open Bulgarian language courses."

Miriyan Dauti - teacher of mathematics, Albanian language, Man and Nature

Until recently, many Bulgarians did not know that they have compatriots in Albania, that there is an old Bulgarian community. But, according to Nuredin Nuredinaj, this is changing very quickly.

"When I was a student, none of my colleagues knew that there were Bulgarians in Albania. When I told them I was Bulgarian, no one believed me, even though I spoke Bulgarian. Even after I showed them my certificate of Bulgarian origin, everyone was surprised how come there were Bulgarians in Albania. Well, yes, there are. History shows it. But today it seems to me that more people know about us, and there is a bit more information in the media. And thank God, because we have all worked for this - at least the Bulgarian state should know that there are Bulgarians in Albania.

Participant in a working meeting between Bulgarian Ambassador Ivaylo Kirov and the Mayor of Kukas A. Khalilai

And the attitude of the Albanians towards the Bulgarians here is wonderful. They treat us with respect, they accept us as part of society, as close friends. There is even a saying that says that our best neighbour is our Bulgarian neighbour."

So you are integrating normally and well into Albanian society, right?

"Yes. And I will give an example from my life. When I started school, I didn't know Albanian. At home we only spoke in Bulgarian. But I didn't encounter any obstacles. And as a Bulgarian I also had no problems - neither at school, nor at university, nor in the neighbourhood where I live. My father, who works in the civil service, has never faced any obstacles because of his background either."

Deputy mayor of an Albanian municipality wants a better life for the Bulgarians there

Finally, Nuredin's message to Bulgarians in Bulgaria and around the world...

"Let us not forget where we come from, let us work to preserve our identity, let us preserve our traditions and culture. The world has sunk into consumerism. And it is destroying our identity and our own sense of who we are, what we are and where we come from. It cannot be all about material things in this world. So let's get back to ourselves and to human values."

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Photos: Krasimir Martinov, personal archive - facebook.com/nuredinaj.nuredin

English publication: Rositsa Petkova