Sevasti Qiriazi-Dako (Sevasti D. Kyrias) (ca. 1871–1949) was an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

patriot, educator, Protestant missionary, author, pioneer of Albanian

female education Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

, and activist of the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

Early Life

Sevasti was born ca. 1870 to the patriotic Qiriazi (Kyrias) family of Tërnovë, Monastir, in today's

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

. She was the sixth of ten children. She began attending a Greek-language primary school at age four. As a child her family came into close contact with Albanian patriots and American Protestant missionaries who operated a school and religious services near their home in Monastir. Sevasti was enrolled in the Americans' school and graduated with the equivalent of a high school diploma in July 1888.

Education

Sevasti attended the American College for Girls at Constantinople from 1888–1891. Her brother

Gjerasim Qiriazi Gjerasim Qiriazi (18 October 1858 – 2 January 1894) was an Albanian Protestant preacher and educator. He is the founder of thEvangelical Church of Albania, (VUSH) Vëllazëria Ungjillore e Shqipërisëand the Kosovo Protestant Evangelical Chur ...

arranged her enrollment. She was admitted as a sophomore and graduated in 1891 with a class of eight women. She received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree, becoming the first Albanian girl to receive a college education. Her purpose for attending college was to prepare herself to help her brother Gjerasim open a girls' school in Albania. Sevasti identified her key influencers in college as: Clara Hamlin (the college's principal and the daughter of

Cyrus Hamlin Cyrus (Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus t ...

), Florence A. Fensham, Mary Mills Patrick, Ida Prime, Caroline Borden, and the Bulgarian Grandinaroff family. Gjerasim Qiriazi invited the influential Albanian Frashëri brothers ( Abdyl Frashëri,

Sami Frashëri Sami bey Frashëri ( tr, Şemseddin Sami Bey; June 1, 1850 – June 18, 1904) or Şemseddin Sâmi was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a pr ...

and

Naim Frashëri Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, rilindas and translator who was proclaimed as the national poet of Albania. He is regarded as the pioneer of modern ...

) to attend Sevasti's graduation. Naim Frashëri used his role in the Ottoman government to register her diploma officially and obtain an ''irade'' (official decree) for the opening of the first Albanian school for girls in Kortcha.

The Kortcha Girls School

Founding

After her graduation from college, Sevasti returned to Monastir and then to Korça, where she joined her brother Gjerasim in opening an Albanian-language school for girls. Sevasti was its director. The school operated under difficult conditions including poverty, prejudice against female education, political opposition from local Ottoman authorities, and politcal and ecclesiastical opposition from the Greek Orthodox Church.

Religious Instruction

At the time of its existence, the school was known as a Protestant school. Its founders were Evangelicals, it was supported by Protestant organizations, it required religious subjects with biblical texts as part of its educational curriculum, and its premises were used for Evangelical Sunday School and worship services. However, the school welcomed students of all religions and its teachers did not insist on conversion to Protestantism. It was praised by Albanians of all religions and classes as being a "national nest" (''fole kombëtare'').

Leadership

When Gjerasim Qiriazi died in 1894, Sevasti Qiriazi (at approximately 23 years old) assumed full responsibility for the school. She would eventually solicit the help of the American Protestant missionaries Phineas Kennedy and Violet Bond Kennedy, who arrived in Korça in 1908 (Violet was the daughter of an American Protestant missionary in Monastir, Lewis Bond, and was Sevasti's close friend throughout childhood and college).

Closure

The school continued to function through 1914, when the outbreak of World War I forced its closure.

In Albanian Cinema

The Korça School for Girls was immortalized in Albanian cinema by the beloved film
Mësonjëtorja
' (The School) (1979). The name of the main character, Sevasti Qiriazi, was changed to Dafina (played by Roza Anagnosti). Consistent with the official atheistic and censorial policies of the

People's Socialist Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...

, all religion was portrayed as anti-Albanian and the school was identified as completely non-religious (''laike'').

Protestant Missionary Activity

Though Orthodox Christian by birth, in her younger years Sevasti was part of an Evangelical Brotherhood founded by her brother Gjerasim. In Korça she led Bible studies and prayer meetings for women. She was a " Bible Woman" and was financed by the

ABCFM The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

's Woman's Board of Missions. She referred to herself as a missionary.

Biography

The school was still known by the name of the Qiriazi (Kyrias) family, even after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. She moved to

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

and from there emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

together with her husband,

Christo Anastas Dako Kristo Dako (1876–1941), son of Anastas Dako, was an Albanian patriot and publisher of the early 20th century. Biography Born in Korçë, in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in 1876. Dako later migrated to Bucharest, Romania, wher ...

(1878-1941), a journalist, writer, and politician, and her sister Parashqevi, where she collaborated with the

biweekly A weekly newspaper is a general-news or current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly newspaper is published once every two weeks. Weekly newsp ...

''Morning Star'' ( sq, Yll' i mëngjesit).

would soon open the first Albanian school in America. Sevasti returned to Albania in the early 1920s. She became one of the founders and directors of the female institution named "Kyrias" (as per family name) in

Tiranë Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

and

Kamëz Kamëz ( sq-definite, Kamza) is a municipality in Tirana County, Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Kamëz and Paskuqan, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality ...

, in cooperation with her sister Parashqevi, and Dako. She and her sister were imprisoned and deported in the Anhalteleger Dedinje camp near

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

by the pro-Nazi units led by Xhaferr Deva for their anti-fascist views during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. They returned to Tirana after the war. Because of Dako's affiliation with

King Zog King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the t ...

, and him serving as minister in one of Zog's cabinets, Dako's name was thrown in darkness during the communist regime after World War II. His family was persecuted (including his sister in law Parashqevi) and two sons were arrested and imprisoned. Tired of many endeavors of her life, and stroke from her son's death, Sevasti died in August 1949.

Personal Life

Family

Sevasti was married to

Kristo Dako Kristo Dako (1876–1941), son of Anastas Dako, was an Albanian patriot and publisher of the early 20th century. Biography Born in Korçë, in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire in 1876. Dako later migrated to Bucharest, Romania, wher ...

on August 4, 1910. The ceremony was performed by Protestant missionary Rev. Charles Telford Erickson. They had two children, Aleksandër "Skënder" Dako (1910–1995) and Gjergj Dako (1913–1949) (the full English rendering of their names was Alexander Gerasim Dako and George Charles Dako). Both boys studied for eight years at

Robert College The American Robert College of Istanbul ( tr, İstanbul Özel Amerikan Robert Lisesi or ), often shortened to Robert, or RC, is a Selective school, highly selective, Independent school, independent, mixed-sex education, co-educational Secondary ...

Published Works

The following works are known to have been written by Sevasti Qiriazi-Dako: *"Këng' e foshnjavet ndë djep", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 93. *"Kur dotë bënemi nëna", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 108. *"Përse bënenë pemët t'ëmbëla nëpër drurët?", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 110. *"Rrobat e Olimbisë", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 112. *"Të-shkruajturit e babajt", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 117. *"Vjejtj' e Diturisë", ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 230. *"Fjalë / Zonja edhe Zotërinj" (fjalime të Sevasti Qiriazit për ceremonitë e mbylljes së viteve shkollor), ''Hristomathi'' (Sofje: Mbrothësia, 1902), f. 291–295, 298–302, 303–308, 308–313. * “Evangelistic Work”. ''The Missionary Review of the World'' 34. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1911, p. 851–853. *''Gramatikë Elementare për Shkollat Filltare'' (Manastir: Shtypshkronja “Tregtare Nërkombëtare”, 1912). *''Mjeshtëria për të shkruarë letra'' (Farmingham, Mass: Journal Press, 1917). *“Kujtime të paharruara” (series of 18 articles published in the Boston periodical ''Yll' i Mëngjezit'' from 1917–1918), republished as: ''"Kujtime të paharruar" dhe shkrime të tjera'' (Tirana: ISSHP, 2022). * "Një pjekje me Naim Benj Frashërin", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 1, nr. 3, 15 February 1917, p.75–77. *"Petro Nini Luarasi, shtylla e zjarrtë e Kolonjës", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 1, nr. 6, 30 March 1917, p. 176–178. * "Dr. Mihal Turtulli, ish-ministër i arsimit", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 1, nr. 8, 30 April 1917, p. 236–237. * "Miss Carolina Borden", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 1, nr. 11, 15 June 1917, p. 335–336. *"Prezident Mary Mills Patrick, Ph.D., direktoresha e kolezhit çupave në Stamboll", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 1, nr. 10, 31 May 1917, p. 297–299. *"Miku i Shqipërisë Zoti Charles Woods", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 2, nr. 8, 31 December 1917, p. 236–237. *"Të çdukurit e Manushaqes", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 2, nr. 8, 31 December 1917, p. 239–248. *"Spiro Bellkamen", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 2, nr. 9, 15 January 1918, p. 273–274. *"Mundimi i ndërgjegjes", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 2, nr. 11, 16 February 1918, p. 340–344. *"Gjaku ujë s’bëhet", ''Yll’i Mëngjezit'', vol. 3, nr. 5, August 1918, p. 142–146. *
Albania's Rights, Hopes and Aspirations
' 1918. *''My Life'' (completed in 1938 a
an unpublished memoir
and published in 2016, Tirana, ISSHP). Translated into Albanian and published as ''Jeta ime'' (Skopje: Instituti i Trashëgimisë Shpirtërore e Kulturore të Shqiptarëve, 2016).

Common Myths and Inaccuracies

* It is frequently reported without any evidence that it was Naim Frashëri who gave Sevasti Qiriazit the opportunity to attend college in Istanbul, but it was her brother Gjerasim with the aid of Protestant missionaries such as Alexander Thomson. * It is often said that Sevasti Qiriazi graduated from Robert College. More accurately, she graduated from its sister institution, “American College for Girls at Constantinople” which was founded by the Woman's Board of Missions. This college merged with Robert College in 1971, 80 years after her graduation. * During times of censorship under communism, Sevasti's School for Girls in Korça was said to have been completely non-religious (''laike''), but this myth has been debunked. * It is commonly reported that Sevasti attended the First

Congress of Manastir The Congress of Manastir ( sq, Kongresi i Manastirit) was an academic conference held in the city of Manastir (now Bitola) from November 14 to 22, 1908, with the goal of standardizing the Albanian alphabet. November 22 is now a commemorative da ...

in 1908. In truth, she could not attend due to her responsibilities in Kortcha, so her sister Parashqevi went as the representative of the Korça Girls School.

Legacy

* Sevasti Qiriazi and her sister

Parashqevi Qiriazi Parashqevi Qiriazi, also known as Paraskevi D. Kyrias (2 June 1880 – 17 December 1970) was an Albanian teacher of the Kyrias family who dedicated her life to the Albanian alphabet and to the instruction of written Albanian language. She was a ...

are known colloquially in Albania as "the Qiriazi sisters" ( sq, Motrat Qiriazi). They are considered the "mothers of Albanian education". * Several educational institutions and organizations in Albanian-inhabited areas of the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

bear their name. * In ca. 2017, a college bearing the Qiriazi name was opened on the property of the orignal Kyrias Institute (1922–1933) in

, Albania. * An Albanian-American Women's Organization (AAWO) in New York City bears their name. * For her role as a Christian missionary and "Bible Woman" in Korça, the Albanian Protestant community honors Sevasti Qiriazi as one the early members of the Albanian Evangelical community founded by her brother Gjerasim Qiriazi. * In 2022 the Bank of Albania made public its decision to mint a commemorative coin bearing Sevasti Qiriazi-Dako's image, to be released in 2023.https://www.bankofalbania.org/Shtypi/Njoftimet_per_shtyp/Vendimmarrja_e_Keshillit_Mbikeqyres_ne_mbledhjen_e_dates_7_shtator_2022.html

References

External links

Albanian-American Women Organization

"Parashqevi & Sevasti Qiriazi" University - History (in Albanian)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qiriazi, Sevasti Linguists from Albania 1871 births 1949 deaths Albanian educators Albanian Protestants Albanian schoolteachers People from Bitola Activists of the Albanian National Awakening People from Manastir vilayet Albanian women's rights activists Albanian suffragists 19th-century Albanian people Banjica concentration camp survivors Robert College alumni Congress of Elbasan delegates

Sevasti Sevasti ( el, Σεβαστή) is a village and a community of the Katerini municipality. Before the 2011 local government reform it was part of the municipality of Korinos, of which it was a municipal district. The 2011 census recorded 653 resident ...

19th-century Albanian women