Cerje ( sq-definite, Cerja, mk, Церје, bg, Церие) is a village at the southeastern end of
Pustec Municipality
Pustec Municipality ( sq, Bashkia Pustec; mk, Општина Пустец, ''Opshtina Pustets''), previously known as Liqenas Commune ( sq, Komuna Liqenas) from 1973 to 2013, is a municipality in the Korçë County of Albania. The population at th ...
which is officially recognised as a Macedonian minority zone located in the
Korçë County
Korçë County ( sq, Qarku Korçë, italic=unset), officially the County of Korçë ( sq, Qarku i Korçës, italic=unset), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the seventh most populous of ...
of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, near the border with
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. The village is composed of
ethnic Macedonians
Macedonians ( mk, Македонци, Makedonci) are a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group native to the region of Macedonia in Southeast Europe. They speak Macedonian, a South Slavic language. The large majority of Macedonians identif ...
, which form part of the larger
Macedonian minority in Albania. According to Bulgarian sources, including researches by a Bulgarian scientist from Albania, the local inhabitants are
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
.
History
In 1900,
Vasil Kanchov
Vasil Kanchov ( bg, Васил Кънчов, Vasil Kanchov) (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a Bulgarian geographer, ethnographer and politician.
Biography
Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school in Lom, ...
gathered and compiled statistics on demographics in the area and reported that the village of Cerja (Церя) was inhabited by about 120 Bulgarian Christians. In 1904, following the
Ilinden Uprising Ilinden (Bulgarian/ Macedonian Cyrillic: Илинден) or Ilindan ( Serbian Cyrillic: Илиндан), meaning "Saint Elijah's Day", may refer to:
Events
* Republic Day (North Macedonia), 2 August
Geographic locations Bulgaria
* Ilinden, Blagoev ...
, Cerje came under the
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
.
In 1911, the village was recorded by Georgi Trajčev as a Bulgarian village having six houses and 54 inhabitants.
In 1939, on behalf of 15 Bulgarian houses in Cerje Fote Fotev signed a request by the local Bulgarians to the Bulgarian
tsaritsa
Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; bg, царица, tsaritsa; sr, / ; russian: царица, tsaritsa) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (mona ...
Giovanna
Giovanna is an Italian feminine first name. It is the feminine counterpart of the masculine Giovanni, which in turn is the Italian form of John; it is thus the Italian equivalent of Jane, Joanna, Jeanne, etc. In Brazil, the feminine name Giovann ...
requesting her intervention for the protection of the Bulgarian people in Albania - at that time an Italian protectorate.
Demographics
According to a 2007 source, Cerje is the least populous village in Pustec Municipality, having only a small amount of elderly residents.
[Бело, Раки. Селищни имена в Мала Преска - Албания, в: Македонски преглед, ХХХ, №3, стр.135.]
References
Populated places in Pustec Municipality
Villages in Korçë County
{{Korçë-geo-stub