Upper Reka - Misplaced Pages

(Redirected from Gorna Reka) Subregion of the Reka region

41°45′N 20°39′E / 41.750°N 20.650°E / 41.750; 20.650

Upper Reka (Macedonian: Горна Река, romanized: Gorna Reka; Albanian: Reka e Epërme) is a geographic area and ethnographic subregion of the broader Reka region of western North Macedonia, including settlements within the upper left portion of the Municipality of Mavrovo and Rostuša and of Gostivar Municipality. The region historically is home to both a Muslim Albanian community and Christian Orthodox Albanian speaking population. In the modern period, Orthodox Upper Rekans self identify as Macedonians, and due to their migration from Upper Reka, the remaining population by 2010s are Muslim Albanian Upper Rekans. Upper Reka is a mountainous and rugged region with animal grazing and highland pastures. In contemporary times, the largest inhabited settlement is the village of Vrbjani. Upper Reka is an isolated and underdeveloped region with limited communication links, whereby access and travel becomes difficult during the snowy winter months.

Historically Upper Reka inhabitants mainly engaged with agricultural and farming activities of which some of the remaining population continues to do. The region has experienced much depopulation over time due to seasonal or permanent migration to nearby regions and abroad in search of employment and better living standards. In the 14th century Upper Reka was part of the Lordship of Prilep, of the Mrnjavčević family, until 1395, when its territory was subjugated to Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire under which it remained until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Thereafter it became part of Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and eventually part of North Macedonia.

Geography and Environment

Location

The broader Reka region is divided into Mala (small), Dolna (lower) and Golema (large) or Gorna (Upper) sub-regions (ethnographic/geographic regions). Upper Reka alongside the wider Reka region was also considered (and from an Albanian point of view still considered) to belong to the larger region of Dibra that encompasses multiple sub-regions centered around the town of Debar on both sides of the Albanian-Macedonian border.

The region of Upper Reka is bordered by Kosovo to the north and by Albania in the west. It is a mountainous area with highland alpine pastures, situated at the northern end of the Radika river basin that continues on into Lower Reka all the way to the southern Boškov Bridge, near the area of Small Reka. Upper Reka's northern and northeastern territorial borders consist of the Vraca Mountains which are part of the wider Šar Mountains that extend nearby as the Ničpur Mountains with Lera peak at 2194 m. The northwest and western borders of Upper Reka go along the Korab Mountains with Golem Korab peak at 2753 m. A narrow pass at 1920 m above sea level, between the Korab and Šar Mountains exists that allows for communication and interaction with the ethnographic/geographic Gora region. Through this opening, located between the three point border mountain peak of Ksulje e Priftit at 2092 m and the Vraca Mountains is the most suitable communication link (consisting of an automobile road, pedestrian and mule paths) between the former village of Štirovica at the extreme northern end of Upper Reka and Restelica village at the southern edge of the Gora region in Kosovo.

The southern border of Upper Reka is on the right side within the valley of the river Radika. It is between the villages of Vrbjani in Upper Reka and Žirovnica in Lower Reka that are represented by geographical and communicative limitations presented by the imposing Korab Mountains. A road links both villages and is the main outlet for transitory communication between within the area that goes all the way to Debar. The eastern part of the southern border from the left side of the Radika river valley fully belongs to the Bistra Mountains with Medenica peak at 2163 m. An eastern road that intersects with the others at Volkovija village heads toward near Vrben village at Upper Reka's eastern limits. Onward that road continues toward to Mavrovi Anovi town and Mavrovo Lake and further on to Gostivar. Apart from the main Radika river, a series of tributaries that feed it are found throughout Upper Reka such as Dlaboka Reka (Albanian: Përroi i Thellë), Brodečka Reka (Ujë të Vaut, also Uji i Vaut), Ribnička Reka (Përroi i Rimnicës) and so on. Highland mountain alpine pastures used for livestock grazing by the local populace are found throughout the mountainous region such as Rečka Planina (Bjeshka e Reçit), Nistrovski Korab (Korabi i Nistrovës) and Ḱafa Kadis (Qafa e Kadisë). In total, the confines of the Upper Reka region covers an area of about 358.8 square kilometres (138.5 sq mi).

Upper Reka animal grazing and highland mountain pastures

Settlements

Upper Reka settlements within Mavrovo and Rostuša Municipality include Tanuše (Tanushaj), Nivište (Nivisht), Ribnica (Rimnicë), Žužnje (Zhuzhnjë), Nistrovo (Nistrovë), Ničpur (Niçpur), Volkovija (Vallkavi), Kičinica (Kiçinicë), Krakornica (Krakarnicë), Beličica (Beliçicë), Vrben (Vërben), Bogdevo (Bogdë), Sence (Sencë), Vrbjani (Vërbjan), Bibaj and Grekaj. Upper Reka settlements within Gostivar Municipality are Brodec (Va, definite form: Vau). Traditionally three other adjacent villages, Duf and Orḱuše (Orqushë) in Mavrovo and Rostuša Municipality and Gorno Jelovce (Jalloc i Epërm, also Jallofcë e Epërme) all within the neighboring Upper Polog region have at times also been considered belonging to Upper Reka, due to linguistic affiliations and cultural connections. Also due to uprisings in the Upper Reka region, former settlements such as: Trnica (Tërnicë), Reč (Reç), Dubovo (Dëbovë), Štirovica (Shtirovicë), Strezimir (Shtrezmir) and Zavojsko (Zavojskë) were burned down by Serbian and Bulgarian forces between 1912–1916.

Climate, fauna and wildlife

The Upper Reka region is the only area within North Macedonia to have a cold Alpine climate. Due to the high altitude, the region is exposed to winds from various directions. From the east, the strong gusts of what Upper Reka locals refer to as era bardh, literally the white wind, the rain-bringing warm southeast wind ladas and the northwest wind heralding weather change called era poshtr or low wind. The region is exposed to thunderstorms mainly during summer, while rain, frost, hail and rainbows occur according to seasonal weather patterns. The winter season is often long and snowy and so too is the summer season, while spring and autumn seasons are short. Snow mostly appears in the region from the middle of autumn lasting until mid-spring. It recent times snow fall continues late into spring and even at times into early summer. Due to snow fall, Upper Reka becomes an isolated region as communication for most of the year with neighbouring areas is severely limited and even impassable such as that with Albania through the Korab Mountains. In past times, the population was forced during the short summer season to supply food grains, salt, beans and other food stuffs as snow made communications difficult between nearby villages and the outside world. Most of Upper Reka along with Dolna Reka is located within Mavrovo National Park. In the area of Upper Reka, parts of the region still contain virgin forests of old and unique species of Beech trees (Abies borisii-regis) especially around Dlaboka river and the northern part of the Radika river valley. Parts of Upper Reka forests were felled until the 1950s to create pastures for sheep grazing. Upper Reka is also home to the critically endangered subspecies of Eurasian lynx, the Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus).

Demographics

Population and Identity

Old house, Krakornica (left) and Kulla architecture: Gligorovci house, Volkovija (right).

Upper Reka is inhabited by Muslim and Christian Albanian speaking people referred through demonyms in Macedonian as Gornorekanec (plural: Gornorekanci) and Rekali (plural: Rekalinj/të) in Albanian. By outsiders they are referred to as Shkreti, from the Albanian word and expression shkretë/i shkret meaning the poor ones, due to their isolated mountainous homeland and difficult living circumstances. The term was used by people from Upper Polog, Mavrovo Pole, and Lower Reka, regardless of ethnicity or religion. In the modern period, the term is used by people from the Mavrovo area and Lower Reka, its use in Macedonian is as a pejorative and in all neighbouring areas the word is used as a way to identify people from Upper Reka. Upper Rekans do not use the word to describe themselves and only say it when describing the hardships of the past.

Of the Albanian speaking populations who remained Christian Orthodox, they assimilated and identify as Macedonians, while those who embraced Islam consider themselves Albanians. Due to the migration of Orthodox Christians to urban centers a few decades ago, today the majority of inhabitants are Muslim Albanians, with a minority of Orthodox Albanian speakers, who self-identify as Macedonians. The 2002 Macedonian census listed Vrbjani as the largest Muslim Albanian settlement in Upper Reka with 625 inhabitants and the main Orthodox settlement was Vrben with 142 inhabitants. In Upper Reka, households are called shpi (Standard Albanian: shtëpi) or literally house and traditionally consisted of patriarchal extended families. These families, some affluent ones, lived in large and at times fortified multi story stone dwellings called kulla or tower house while other families had smaller houses.

Economy and Seasonal/Permanent migration

Due to difficult living circumstances and at times sociopolitical disturbances, especially in the 19th century, Upper Reka has historically been a region with much outward temporary and permanent migration. Traditionally the population was mainly engaged with animal husbandry and agricultural activities which some of the small remaining population still carry out. As such during the late Ottoman era, Upper Reka males (mainly adults) would seasonally go on kurbet or economic migration. Often they would find employment as pastry makers or as halva, salep and boza merchants and salesmen in the then Ottoman capital Istanbul or regional cities like Skopje and Edirne. In Romania and Bulgaria, some Upper Reka people were also employed in the housing construction industry as stonemasons or builders and likewise when the need arose in cities such as Shkodër or their local area too.

Permanent migratory flows during the late Ottoman era were mainly to neighbouring villages and regions where today these populations often form few households within a settlement amongst their wider Albanian population. In the region of Upper Pollog, Upper Reka people relocated to the following villages: Čegrane, Forino, Korito, Balin Dol, Malo Turčane, Dolna Banjica, Sretkovo, Novo Selo, Rečane, Vrutok, Pečkovo, Zdunje, Vrapčište, Kalište and Gradec. In Lower Polog: Gorno Sedlarce, Rakovec, Žerovjane, Radiovce, Tenovo, Lukovica, Sedlarevo and Gurgurnica. In villages within the vicinity of Skopje city: Crn Vrv, Krušopek, Sveta Petka and Patiška Reka, while near Veles at: Gorno Jabolčište, Sogle, Klukovec and Buzalkovo. In some villages, the Upper Reka population migrated there as Christians like in Lukovica and only converted thereafter to Islam. While in Patiška Reka, they remained Orthodox and Albanian speaking until World War Two, before relocating to Skopje thereafter. The population in these new villages outside Upper Reka still identifies as Albanian, the Orthodox part of the settlers from Reka after their relocation to nearby villages and towns where Slavic was the language of the majority gradually were assimilated ("Macedonicized") after the Second World War. The villages were inhabited by large populations of people whom in recent decades, have migrated to Skopje, Veles, Tetovo and Gostivar or the majority to Italy and Germany.

Some Upper Reka residents from Vrbjani have in recent decades migrated to the neighbouring Muslim Macedonian village of Žirovnica with municipal services in Lower Reka and number some 258 people. While Orthodox Christians migrated from the 1950s onwards to the then Yugoslav capital Belgrade, other cities like Skopje and to nearby Gostivar town where they form the main population of Durtlok neighbourhood. Due to the 2001 insurgency in northern Macedonia, the village of Tanuše was affected by the conflict which made some residents migrate thereafter to other places. Young Upper Reka people in recent times have also emigrated to Western countries, while some older inhabitants return to their homes in Upper Reka during the summer period.

Language and Culture

Upper Reka Albanian dialect

Observances, Customs and other folk culture

History

Origins

Various positions exist about the origins of the Upper Reka population within Balkan related scholarship. Some of those by historians and ethnographers were based on ideological or nationalist perspectives, referring either to an Albanisation or Slavisation of the population.

One of the earliest authors to write about the matter was Serbian journalist Spiridon Gopčević. In his now discredited work regarding the Balkans, Gopčević claimed that Upper Reka inhabitants were “Albanianized Slavs”. In the late 1890s Štilijan Čaparoski and folklorist Panajot Ginoski, both from Galičnik, Dolna Reka, maintained that Upper Reka inhabitants spoke a corrupted form of Albanian that was understood only by the locals, and contained a mixture of Slavic and Albanians words.

Due to some patronymic names of families, Serbian philologist Dušan Nedeljković contended a Vlach origin for some Upper Reka families in the villages Brodec and Reč, alongside Slavic origins that were Albanianized. Historian Nick Atanasovski, who did fieldwork in Lower Reka contends that the sub-regions of Small, Lower and Upper Reka were subjected to Islamisation, though not colonisation. While anthropologist Mirjana Mirčevska who did field work in Upper Reka during the 2000s, stated that both the Muslim and Orthodox population was mainly of Macedonian Slavic origin, with possible Albanian elements in their ethnogenesis. Mirčevska recorded local Upper Reka traditions in Bogdevo, Krakornica and Ničpur that attribute the founding of those villages to three brothers: Boge, Krako and Niko who originated from the Kolašin region located in contemporary Montenegro.

Galaba Palikruševa, examining medieval Ottoman tax registers or defters of the region in the 1970s regarding personal names, stated that there was a prominent non-Slavic element in Upper Reka of Albanian and/or Vlach origin. As such, Palikruševa contended that certain scholarship which stated that the contemporary Upper Reka population was Slavs who adopted the Albanian language to preserve their Christian faith is an untenable position. Historian Dimitar Bechev regards the Christian populace of Upper Reka as Orthodox Albanian speakers, whereas historian Noel Malcolm considers them to be Orthodox Albanians. Albanian philologist Edibe Selimi-Osmani who did fieldwork in Upper Reka during the 1990s and 2000s regarded the population as being of Albanian origin.

Linguist Qemal Murati, referring to both the Muslim and Orthodox population as Albanians argued that scholars who suggested the Upper Reka population are Albanianized Slavs have done so due to nationalist reasons so as to deny the historical Albanian element in the region. Murati also states that certain Upper Reka Albanian vocabulary regarding kinship attributed to a Vlach origin does not suffice. This is due to those Albanian words being direct borrowings from Latin that had not undergone an intermediate stage in Aromanian before entering the Albanian language. In the early 2010s, scholar Andrea Pieroni and a team of researchers from various national backgrounds did fieldwork and a comparative study of past and present Upper Reka botanical terminology. In their findings they concluded that the Upper Reka population was one that “had been heavily influenced by the Slavic culture - and not vice versa, as Spiridon Gopčević stated.” The research team attributed that acculturation process to the imposition of the border in 1912 limiting contact with Albania and extensive interactions with surrounding multiethnic regions where trade was undertaken. In addition Slavic languages and culture played a role in that process due to they being the national and dominating ones of the state. The team also identified that there was some Aromanian botanical terminology present in the Upper Reka dialect.

Andrea Pieroni and a multinational research team in the early 2020s found Slavic terminology was present in botanical terminology among neighbouring Albanian villages outside Upper Reka whose ancestral origins were from the region. The team's conclusion was certain Slavic botanical terminology associated with women entered the community through historic intermarriage with neighbouring Orthodox Slavic women of Gora and the Macedonian Mijaks. Slavic botanical terminology used by men, and not the household, came from trade and pastoral interactions with neighbouring Slavic areas.

Medieval Ottoman period

During the 14th century Upper Reka was part of the Lordship of Prilep, of the Mrnjavčević family, until 1395, when its territory was subjugated to Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire. In 1467 Ottoman defters list the region of Reka as a vilayet and in Upper Reka there were 15 inhabited villages and 3 uninhabited ones. The following villages recorded for the first time were: Štirovica, Ribnica, Vrben, Ničpur, Nistrovo, Volkovija, Žužnje, Brodec, Krakornica, Strezimir, and Ribničica (a former village), with Vrbjani being the largest settlement. Beličica, Kičinica and Leskovo (a former village) were listed as uninhabited. The villages of Nivišta, Bibaj, Grekaj, Reč and Tanuše where not registered as existing at that time. In light of the anthroponymic evidence provided by the archival material, Palikruševa comments that the attested non-Slavic personal names are generally ambiguous and do not necessarily indicate either an Albanian or Vlach origin of the bearer, although undoubtedly attest to an Albanian-speaking element in the region. On the other hand, Murati notes that the vast majority of the recorded non-Slavic anthroponyms (e.g., Gjin, Gjergj, Gjon, Tanush, Progon, Meksha, Bardh, Kola) were Albanian in character. In 1519, a few Muslim households are counted within Ottoman defters in villages like Vrbjani, Sence, Ribničica and Kučuk or Small Ribnica. A few Muslim households began to appear in the villages of: Krakornica, Strezimir, Štirovica and Žužnje.

Middle to Late Ottoman period

Intensive conversion to Islam occurred in Upper Reka from the late 18th to early 19th centuries, stemming in part from the closure of the Peć Patriarchate and demise of its parishes. The village of Štirovica was the last settlement where its 30 remaining Christian households converted to Islam in 1855. Various Muslim and Orthodox Upper Reka inhabitants still retain memories of family ties and distant common ancestors. A small Catholic population was also present that stemmed from some Catholic Albanians who migrated to Upper Reka from nearby areas located in contemporary Albania and later became assimilated.

Due to Upper Reka's isolation and difficult living conditions, some inhabitants turned to banditry during the 18th and 19th century while others migrated to cities and regions for work. In the late Ottoman period the wider Reka area formed a nahiye or district with its centre in Žirovnica village that had administrative officials and a small army garrison. Orthodox Christian villages of Upper Reka in the late Ottoman period either had a Bulgarian or Serbian village priest. Due to the Macedonian struggle, these priests were sometimes replaced with one or the other depending on the fluid church allegiances of a settlement's Orthodox inhabitants. Certain Orthodox individuals from Upper Reka during this time like Josif Bageri made significant contributions to the Albanian national awakening.

In the 19th century, due to the lack of Albanian language schools and books, but also as a result of foreign propaganda, the Albanians of Upper Reka were to prone to being assimilated.

Serbian researcher M.V. Veselinović wrote in 1890 there were fifteen Upper Reka villages that spoke Arbanaški, were of Serbian Orthodox faith, had Serbian liturgy and "celebrated the same religious holidays as the Slavs". Veselinović stated Upper Rekans and Serbs shared a religious affiliation, while "their language brought them closer to the Albanians". In the late 1890s Štilijan Čaparoski and folklorist Panajot Ginoski, both from Galičnik, Dolna Reka, maintained that Upper Reka inhabitants spoke a corrupted form of Albanian that was understood only by the locals, and contained a mixture of Slavic and Albanians words. Ethnographer Vasil Kanchov in his demographic study of Ottoman Macedonia (1900) wrote the Kaza of Reka had a total of 23 Albanian villages with a majority Orthodox population in the region. At that time, the Albanians of Reka accepted the authority of the Bulgarian church and attended Bulgarian schools. According to the newspaper Shkupi (1911), Orthodox Albanians of Reka informed the Constantinople Patriarchate they were against foreign languages being taught in their villages, or accepting priests without knowledge of Albanian. The inhabitants demanded Albanian be taught in the school and church, otherwise they would seek to become Catholic.

Yugoslav period

Monument in Trnica area dedicated to fallen civilians and partisans of the Beličica massacre in 1944

Ottoman rule lasted until the First Balkan War (1912–13) with the arrival of the Serbian army that annexed the region into Serbia. In 1913, Muslim Albanians of the region, led by imam Malik Mema, rose up against Serbian forces and managed to free the region and also some villages of the Gostivar area. During World War I, local resistance continued as the region passed to Bulgaria. As such Serbian and Bulgarian forces during 1912-1916 burned down the villages of Trnica, Reč, Dubovo, Štirovica and Strezimir. A number of Serbian authors of this period denied there was an Albanian ethnic identity for the Orthodox populations of Upper Reka. Serbian historian Rista Nikolić described the Albanians of Reka as Serbs, due to the fact they were of the Orthodox faith.

Bulgarian authors have also written about the Orthodox Albanians of Upper Reka. In 1915, historian Yordan Ivanov wrote Orthodox Albanians of Gostivar were undergoing Bulgarisation due to them being near the Bulgarian population. Linguist Stefan Mladenov stated in the Galičnik area counting Albanians accurately was difficult, especially in Upper Reka, because there were Christian villages such as Beličica, Duf, Kičinica and Sence who spoke Albanian and Bulgarian. He described the Muslim Albanians of Upper Reka keeping Christian traditions and living fraternally with its Christian Albanian population.

A Serb journalist visited the region and wrote a report (1927) for the newspaper Vreme about the "Serbs who only speak Albanian". He described the villages of Beličica, Brodec, Duf, Gorno Jelovce, Kičinica and Vrben, as "pure Serbian", continuing Serb naming practises and Orthodoxy dating back to the Ottoman period. Villagers had no knowledge of Serbian and spoke only Albanian, but identified as Serbs and wore similar clothing to the neighbouring Mavrovo region. The report described the opening of Serb schools and the hope children would learn Serbian "for the first time" and teach the "forgotten" language to their parents.

The region later became part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1941 after Yugoslavia's occupation by Axis powers, Upper Reka was attached to Albania by Fascist Italy. Communist partisan resistance emerged from villages like Beličica that fought against Albanian fascist Balli Kombëtar forces which supported Upper Reka's inclusion into Albania. On 19 September 1944, after 19 Partisans were captured, they along with 17 Beličica villagers were massacred by Ballist forces headed by Aqif Reçani near the area of the former village of Trnica. After World War II, Upper Reka became part of Communist Yugoslavia. The region remained isolated and undeveloped which resulted in migrations to distant urban centres like Belgrade, Skopje and Gostivar, and to Western countries.

Modern North Macedonia

Upper Reka became part of the Republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia), when the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, a republic within Yugoslavia, gained independence following a referendum in 1991. During the 2001 Albanian insurgency some Macedonian military police, stationed in the village of Tanuše, damaged the village mosque to prevent its possible use by NLA guerrillas. In the 2000s, among the wider Macedonian population, there was little awareness of the existence of an Orthodox Christian population which used Albanian as a language of everyday communication. In the 2010s, Upper Reka came to national attention when a few prominent Upper Reka Orthodox Christian individuals like Branko Manoilovski declared an Albanian identity or Branislav Sinadinovski who called for an Albanian Orthodox Church to be present within the region. These moves have been overwhelmingly opposed and denounced by most Orthodox Upper Reka people who see them as the outcome of politics and propaganda. Orthodox Upper Rekans view their identity as Macedonian, consider Macedonian their mother tongue and religious tradition as historically Slavonic. Orthodox Upper Rekans acknowledge Albanian was a spoken language, but according to them they did so in past times as a way to protect their community from the actions of armed bands in the region.

In the mid 2010s, there was some cultural revival within Upper Reka such as the festival Takimet e Rekës së Epërme (Upper Reka gathering), first held during August 2014 in Ribnica and the creation of a cultural association named Josif Bageri by some prominent Muslim and Christian Upper Reka individuals aiming at socio-cultural, historical and linguistic preservation of Upper Reka heritage. Historical village relations and bonds between Muslim and Orthodox Upper Rekans had lapsed and become nonexistent by the 2010s.

Gallery

Two Upper Reka men: A man from Reč on the left and a man from Strezmir on the right.
Two young men of Štirovica showing off opingas (shoes).
Man smoking, in the upper Reka valley near Debar.
Young Albanian in the upper Reka valley near Debar.
Albanians in the Upper Reka valley near Debar.
New kulla (tower house) in Brodec, 1907
Brodec village, 1907
Albanian from Upper Reka valley near Debar, 1907
View from the lower neighborhood of upland houses, Volkovija
Korab motel located in area of former Trnica village
Vrben village
Upper neighbourhood, Vrben
Vrbjani village
Autumn in Vrbjani
Autumn season just prior to coming of Winter, Vrbjani
Old houses, Beličica
View of Beličica village from nearby church
View of Ribnica village
View of Ribnica and Tanuše villages with peaks and mountain pass of Korabska Vrata in background
Entrance of the Kicinica village

Notable people

Bajazid Doda - author and photographer
Paskal Sotirovski - astrophysicist, specialist in Solar Physics
Branko Manoilovski - politician in North Macedonia
Ismail Strazimiri - revolutionary, military and educational activist.

References

Citations

^ Bechev 2009, p. 188. "Several villages in the Upper Reka subregion were, in the past, populated by Orthodox Albanian speakers who have been largely assimilated by the Slavic Macedonians."
^ Pieroni et al. 2013, pp. 2–3."Locals are now exclusively Muslims, but Albanians of Christian Orthodox faith also lived in the villages until a few decades ago. For example, in Nistrovë, one side of the village (with a mosque) is inhabited by Muslims, while the other side was inhabited by Orthodox believers. The entire population of Orthodox Christians migrated to towns a few decades ago, but they return to their village homes sometimes during the summer. Most of the houses in this part of the village are however abandoned even though the Church has been recently restored. According to our (Albanian Muslim) informants, these migrated Orthodox Christian Albanians assimilated within the Macedonian culture and now prefer to be labelled as "Macedonians", even if they are still able to fluently speak Albanian. Contact between these two subsets of the village communities, which were very intense and continuous in the past, no longer exists today. All Albanian inhabitants of the upper Reka are – to different degrees depending on the age – bilingual in Macedonian."
^ Mirčevska 2007, p. 132."Горнореканците со муслиманска религија денес себе си се идентификуваат како Албанци, додека православите христијани како Македонци. "
^ Book 5 - Total population according to the Ethnic Affiliation, Mother Tongue and Religion, The State Statistical Office, Skopje, 2002, pp. 167, 272.
^ Mirčevska 2007, p. 24.
^ Osmani 2012, p. 9. "Historikisht Reka njihet kyresisht si vend blegtoral. ; p. 10. "Banorët që kanë jetuar dhe jetojnë në fshatrat e lartpërmenduara janë marrë dhe merren me veprimtari agrare-blegtori, kurse industria nuk është fare e zhvilluar. Shumë të rinj të kësaj ane herët kanë marrë rrugën e mërgimit. "
^ Mirčevska 2007, pp. 53, 280–287.
^ Bužarovski & Bužarovska 2004, p. 46.
Osmani 2012, p. 7. "Ndonëse Reka si toponim krahinë është unikal në tërë Shqiperinë dhe s’ishte e nevojshme që në emërtim të shtohej edhe një përcaktor vendor që bënte të ditur fqinjësinë me Rekën se psh. fjala e Dibrës, apo si gjejmë në kohët e ndryshme të jetë bërë zakon të thuhet: Reka e Dibrës, Reka e Tetovës apo Reka e Gostivarit, qytete këto fqinje me Rekën, ashtu sikurse është edhe Dibra. "; p.8. "M. Tirta, shënon se Reka e Epërme, si veçori traditash shkon me krahinën e Dibrës, me qendër qytetin e Dibrës; shtrihet në viset malore në rrjedhën e sipërm të lumit Radika qe derdhet në Drinin e Zi. Si krahinë kemi Rekën, e ndarë në: Reka e Epërme, në rrjedhën e sipërme të Radikës, Reka e Poshtme në rrjedhën e poshtme të të njëtit lumë dhe Reka e Vogël. "
^ Mirčevska 2007, pp. 15, 22–26.
^ Doda 2007, pp. 15–21.
Osmani 2012, pp. 8–9.
Mirčevska 2007, pp. 16–22.
Islami 2011, pp. 137–138.
Mirčevska 2007, p. 22."Село кое по сите етнички карактеристики е во групата на овие села (јазик, носија, брачни врски) е селото Дуф, кое во постојната етнографска поделба спаѓа во Горни Полог. "; p. 283. "Сите жителина Горно Јеловце денес се билингвисти, освен македонскиот го зборуваат и албанскиот јазик. "
Osmani 2012, p. 9. "Gjithashtu ka fshatra që nuk shtrihen buzë lumit Radika, si: Dufi me 5 lagjet e shpërndara: Çejani, Ballaboni, Arqevishi, Brezoveci, Tojlani. Ky fshat me lagjet e shpërndara traditën, veshjen, folklorin dhe të folmen e kanë të përbashkët me atë të Rekës së Epërme. Fshati Jellovcë e Epërme, ka tradita, veshje dhe gjuhë e dialekt të përbashkët, edhe pse janë në distancë të largët me Rekën e Epërme. "
Kaso 2005, p. 134."Gorno Jellovce/Jellovcë e Epërme: Dikur ishte fshati i madh. Banorët, pa dallim të konfesionit fetar, kanë qenë shqipfolës. "
Mirčevska 2007, p. 22.
^ Osmani 2012, p. 9."Tërnica, Reçi, Boletini, Dëbova, Strezimiri, Zavojska dhe Shtirovica deri në vitin 1916 u dogjën nga serbët dhe bullgarët. "
^ Doda 2007, p. 21.
"Tourist map of the National Park "Mavrovo"". National Park Mavrovo. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
^ Knapp 2013, pp. 11–12.
Melovski et al. 2013, p. 88.
Osmani 2012, p. 8. "Studiuesi M. Mitroviq thotë se në rrethin e Dibrës, me të fuqishmit janë shqiptarët. Në Dibrën e Epërme, që quhen Rekali, ka shqiptarë të krishterë dhe myslimanë. "
^ Mirčevska 2007, p. 138."Некои од нив имаат куќи во кои престојуваат во текот на летните месеци, додека другиот дел од годината живеат во Гостивар и Скопје, заедно со семејствата на синовите. "; p. 162. "На пример, во Белград, каде и денес живее релативно голем број на горнореканцко македонско население, познати се како Рекалии. "
Evans 2012, p. 48. "The Gorna (Upper) Reka region, from the village Brodec to the village Volkovija is mostly abandoned today, but, in the past, was inhabited by Albanian-speaking Macedonians, called Shkreti."
^ Mirčevska 2007, pp. 162–163. "Сето горнореканско население, повторно без оглед на етничката и верска припадност, во соседните предели е познато под егзонимот "Шкрети". И не случајно е задржан овој егзоним до ден денес. "Шкрето" во албанскиот говор значи "пусто". Според описите на етнолошките и етнопсихичките карактеристики кои ги даваат некои од авторите (Цвијиќ, Недељковиќ, во одредена мера и Смиљаниќ) генерално за горнореканското население, може да се согледа дека било навистина тешко и мачно да се живее во постојан страв од напади, пљачкосувања и убиства, да се живее во "оваа пустелија" како што изјавуваат и денес Горнореканците. Дека пределот бил "пуст", во смисла тежок за живеење најмногу во однос на грабежите, знаело и населението од соседните предели особено од Мавровско Поле, но и од Горни Полог и Долна Река. Така користејќи ја албанската форма "шкрето" за "пусто", токму населението од мавровско Поле го употребувало овој егзоним најмногу. Етнонимот/егзонимот се користи и денеска во пределот, но само од страна на Мавровци и Долнареканци, додека еден Горнореканец за себе никогаш нема да рече дека е "Шкрет". Додека разговарав со Горнореканките кои живеат во пределот, многу често го употребуваа зборот "шкрето", кога сакаа да објаснат колку тешко живеат во минатото во Горна Река. Дури кога зборуваат и за други работи кои немаат врска со тешкиот живот во минатото, сепак го употребуваат. За нив зборот "шкрето" нема статус на етноним, но за сите други во соседните предели тоа е етоним/егзоним со кој ги идентификуваат Горнореканците. "
^ Murati 2011, p. 123. "Namik Durmishi, mësimdhënës në Universitetin e Tetovës, edhe vetë nga Zhuzhnja e Rekës së Epërme, në një lagje të quajtur Durtllok të Gostivarit, të populluar kryesisht me rekas ortodoksë nga të kësaj krahine, maqedonasit atyre u thonë si me përbuzje Shkreta/Shkreti: Kaj si bre škreta, me cilësimin pezhorativ "shqiptarë të shkretë, që kanë ardhur nga një krahinë e shkretë, njerëz viranë". "
Doda 2007, p. 64.
Mirčevska 2007, p. 154.
Mirčevska 2007, pp. 196–207.
Doda 2007, pp. 88–94.
^ Doda 2007, pp. 88–92.
Doda 2007, p. 92.
Murati 2011, p. 89. "Vlen të shënojmë këtu që nga fshatrat ortodokse shqiptare të Rekës e ka prejardhjen dhe gjyshi i poetit tonë kombëtar Migjeni, Nikolla Dibrani (po nga ajo krahinë ku ka lindur edhe poeti e patrioti shqiptar Josif Jovan Bageri), i cili qe shpërngulur nga mesi i shek. 19-të, si murator nga mjeshtëria, dhe thonë se mori pjesë në ndërtimin e kishës ortodokse në Shkodër. Kemi plot këso familje të shpërngulura në këtë qytet të Veriut: Gjergaj, Trimçev, Siliqi, Banushi, Kadiqi, Dibra e të tjera (Migjeni 2002). "
^ Berisha et al. 2022, pp. 2–3.
^ Idrizi 2003, p. 55. "Patishka - Reka (Патишка Река). Fshati ka qenë i banuar me shqiptarë të krishterë dhe shqiptarë myslimanë. Tani aty jetojnë vetëm shqiptarë të konfesionit mysliman, ndërsa shqiptarët e krishterë janë shpërngulur pas vitit 1945. ... Dihet se fshati ka qenë i banuar edhe me shqiptarë të krishterë (ortodoksë) edhe me shqiptarë myslimanë. Një informator me emrin Bajram thoshte: "Ne zhakun (gjakun) t'përziet e kena. Shqiptarët e krishterë janë shpërngulur në Shkup pas vitit 1945 e mëtej dhe të gjithë e kanë humbur identitetin kombëtar shqiptar, janë maqedonizuar. Shqiptarë të krishterë në këtë fshat ka pasur deri në vitet 60-ta.
Mirčevska 2007, pp. 284–285.
Murati 2011, p. 89. "Por edhe sipas të dhënave të P. Skokut, nga viti 1941, gratë shqiptare nga vendet e banimit të luginës së Shkupit (me origjinë nga Reka e Epërme – Q.M.) flisnin vetëm shqip, me gjithë simbiozën me popullsinë sllave dhe fenë e përbashkët ortodokse...Në Patishkë nuk flasin serbo-maqedonisht as ato gra shqiptare që janë të fesë ortodokse (Skok 1978). "
^ Berisha et al. 2022, p. 3."According to historical sources and our informants, the population of the villages was and still is entirely Albanian, and locals settled in the present villages during the past few centuries after migrating from the Reka Valley. Today the five villages are entirely Sunni Muslim, whereas until the end of WWII all the villages were mixed, being home to both Orthodox Christian Albanians and Sunni Muslim Albanians. During the past several decades, the Orthodox population has relocated to nearby towns and villages and adapted to the Orthodox Macedonian majority, nowadays being essentially “Macedonicized”."
Kaso 2005, p. 375. "Gjendet në një lartësi mbidetareprej afro 900 metrash, në shpatijet e malit Deshat. Kohëve rë fundit është shtuar migrimi i banorëve Vërbjanit. Këtu ka shkollë tetëvjeçare në gjuhën maqedonase. Fshat ka ambulance, postë, disa objekte ekonomike dhe tri xhami. Këtu të gjithe banorët janë të konfesionit Islam. ."
^ Kaso 2005, p. 328. "Xhamia e fshatit ekzision si një monument i së kaluarës. Gjatë vitit 2001 forcat ushtarako-policore të Maqedonisë e përdhosën pjesën e brendshrne të xharnisë me qëllini që të mos u shërbejë njësive të UÇK-së. "
Pieroni et al. 2013, p. 2. "The same villages were inhabited a few decades ago by hundreds of locals, who mostly migrated to the nearby towns of Gostivar and Skopje, as well as abroad for work or (as in Tanushaj) as a consequence of a (minor) Macedonian portion of the last Yugoslavian Wars."
Friedman 2005, p. 35.
^ Mirčevska 2007, p. 137. "Денешната состојба со Македонското Горнореканско население во однос на употребата на албанскиот говор во секојдневната меѓусебна вербална комуникација е непроменета. Сите кои живеат во пределот, дури и малите деца, го користат албанскиот говор, иако го знаат и македонскиот. Кога јас работев во овој предел, со мене се разбира комуницираа на македонски, но во меѓусебниот разговор повторно се служеа со албанскиот. Ваквата состојба недвојбено ни укажува на тоа дека и во минатото Македонскиот јазик се користел во меѓусебната комуникација на Горнореканците, бидејќи само со континуирано користење на еден јазик тој може да се зачува, во спротивно би се изгубил, што во Горна Река не се случај. Во горнореканските села, македонско население го знае само говорниот албански, но не знае да чита и пишува на албански. Спротивно пак, чита и пишува на македонски иако ретко го користи во секојдневието и тоа само помладата популација. Горнореканците кои живеат во Скопје, или во други градови во Македонија или надвор од неа, во поранешните југословенски простори, иако најголемиот дел од нив го знаат албанскиот горнорекански говор, сепак многу ретко го откриваат тоа. Бидејќи имаат македонско христијански имиња и презимиња тоа не им претставува тешкотија, но од друга страна зборува за личниот, помалку или повеќе, негативен став кон албанскиот јазик, кој особено е присутен последниве години. Дури останатото македонско население од државава воопшто не знае за постоењето на дел од македонската нација која го користи албанскиот говор секојдневно, и сознанието за постоењето на оваа појава им изгледа неверојатно. Оваа појава не е карактеристична само за Горна Река, туку и за Скопски Дервен, Дебарско, Голо Брдо ити. "
^ Doda 2007, pp. 65–68.
Elsie 2000, pp. 22, 40.
Elsie 2001, p. 131.
Osmani 2012, pp. 27–81.
^ Berisha et al. 2022, p. 11.
Promitzer 2015, pp. 204–205."In 1889 the journalist Spiridon Gopčević (1855-1936) published an allegedly scientific, but for all intents and purposes Serbian nationalist monograph on Macedonia and “Old Serbia” (i.e. Kosovo). Gopčević’s biographer nevertheless argues that the monograph is not the result of authentic experiences and that he was never in Kosovo. While his manipulations with respect the allegedly Serbian character of Macedonia have already been the topic of exhaustive research, his views on the mutual relations between the Serbian and Albanian populations of Kosovo, in particular with respect to the contested notion of so- called Arnautaš” (Albanians of alleged Serbian (descent), have been only addressed superficially by various authors. Whatever the final judgment might be, Gopčević’s monograph represents a singular attempt to combine sympathies for the cultural development of the Serbian nation with the aspirations of Austria-Hungary as a Great Power in the Balkans."
Pieroni et al. 2013, p. 2. "The upper Reka Valley in Western Macedonia represents one of the very few Albanian-speaking areas in South Eastern Europe where a very detailed ethnographic account - including important notes concerning local food and medicinal plant uses - was written in the first decade of the 20th Century. Bajazid Elmaz Doda (approx. 1888 – 1933) was the personal assistant and long-term partner of one of the most famous scholars in the field of Albanian studies: the Hungarian aristocrat and palaeontologist Baron Franz Nopcsa von Felsö-Szilvás (1877 – 1933). Doda finalised a manuscript in 1914, probably written in collaboration with his mentor/partner, which was focused on the daily mountain life of his village, Shtirovica, located in the upper Reka Valley (approx. 1400 m.a.s.l.). This manuscript remained unpublished until the Albanologist Robert Elsie found it in the Austrian National Library and edited it in 2007. Doda apparently wrote this account to challenge the argument of the Serbian-Austrian historian and astronomer Spiridon Gopčević (1855 - 1928), who described the Albanians of the upper Reka Valley as “albanicised Slavs”. Doda’s village of Shtirovica was completely destroyed in 1916 by the Bulgarian army. However, a few surrounding tiny Albanian villages still survive to this day, despite the fact that the local population has been dramatically eroded by recent migration waves, both to the main centres in Macedonia and also abroad. The aim of this study was to record the traditional plant knowledge of the last remaining Albanians living in these villages of the upper Reka Valley and to compare this with the ethnobotanical notes found in Doda’s work in order to better understand trajectories of change in plant uses."
^ Anastasovski 2008, p. 86. "At the end of the nineteenth century in the Upper Reka district villages, a corrupted form of Albanian was spoken by both Muslims and Christians alike. It was neither the language of their forefathers, nor their mother tongue, but a mixture of Albanian and Macedonian words, making the language unique and comprehensible only among themselves."
^ Murati 2011, p. 91. "Vo Mala Reka se zborvit mijački jozik, nego go zborvet i Turci i risjani; a vo Golema Reka se zborvet arnautski jozik, ama sporti drugiot jozik arnautski (škipetarski), rekanskiot jazik arnautski je podebel i mešan so mijački. A vo selata ščo se na jugoistočna strana vo Gorna Reka poveќe zborvet mijački, otkoli arnautski. Vo Beličica i Kičenica se izgovarajet obata jozika: mijački i arnautski. "
Mirčevska 2007, p. 152. "Постоеле и неколку семејства чии презимиња завршувале на “мон” односно “мун” (печамон-ци и чикрамон-ци во Бродец, Димоном-ци во Реч) појава која Душан Недељковиќ ја врзува за подалечно аромунско влашко потекло. "
Anastasovski 2008, p. 86. "The Reka districts of Dolna, Mala and Golema were affected by Islamicisation but not colonisation."
Mirčevska 2007, pp. 48–53, 156. "Но некои од овие термини имаат словенски завршетоци, како што е модифицираниот турскиот термин “дајџевиц” (е) - вујна. Како реликти од влашката терминологија на сродство се називите “крушк” – “круушк”, со значење “сват-сваќа”. "; p. 233. "Обратно пак, кај родовите, семејставата со христијанска православна вера, денес преовладува појавата тие да се декларираат како етнички Македонци, иако присутниот билингвизам навестува можно присуство на албански елементи во етногенезата, со оглед на фактот што припадниците на двете конфесии во Горна Река функционираат како единствена етничка група. "
Mirčevska 2007, p. 139. "Богдевци, Кракорчани и Ничпурци имаат зачувано предание дека селата ги основале тројца браќа, Боге, Крако и Нико, кои се од татко со потекло "некаде од Црна Гора, од Колашин".... Во делото Мијаци, Горна Река и Мавровско Поље, авторот Тома Смиљановиќ не дава никакви информации за црногорското потекло на населението од овие три села. Несватливо е, како е можно оваа информација авторот да не ја регистирал во ниту едно од трите села, бидејќи (денес) сите ја знаат. Кога информаторот Методија Јосифовски од с. Кракорница, бил на отслужување на воениот рок во Црна Гора, при една посета на некоја кафеана во градот имал прилика да присуствува на разговор кој се водел помеѓу неколкумина Црногорци кои според него, зборувале на албански јазик ист како и албанскиот говор на Горнораканците. Нашиот информатор дознал дека луѓето се православни Црногорци од два села во Црна Горна, Дајбабе и Пармири (Лични теренски истражувања). Но, во разговор со професорскиот факултет во Белград, дознав дека населението од овие села зборува само на српски јазик. Очигледно, ова прашање бара детални и комплексни истражувања како би се добиле попрецизни податоци за потеклото на ова население." " In the work Mijaks, Upper Reka and Mavrovo Polje, author Toma Smiljanovic does not give any information about a Montenegrin origin of the population of these three villages. Can not understand why as possible this information the author has not registered from none of the three villages because (now) everyone knows. When the informant Metodija Josifovski from Krakornica village was serving in the military in Montenegro, during a visit to a restaurant in the city had the opportunity to attend a talk that ran between several Montenegrins according to him, he spoke in Albanian, the same Albanian speech of Upper Reka inhabitants. Our informant learned that those people are Orthodox Montenegrins from two villages in Montenegro, Dajbabe and Parmiri (Personal field research). But in conversation with the teaching faculty in Belgrade I found that the population of these villages only speaks the Serbian language. Obviously, this issue requires detailed and complex research in order to obtain more accurate data on the origin of this population.]"
^ Murati 2011, pp. 104–105. "Këtë e pohon dhe studiuesja e njohur Galaba Palikruševa, këtu e 40 vjet më parë në një punim të saj të përmendur këtu sipër (Nekoi elementi na etničkata istorija na Gorni Polog, Mavrovsko i Gorna Reka). Duke hulumtuar rreth kësaj problematike në Rajonin e Rekës së Epërme qysh nga gjysma e shekullit 15, në defterët turq të regjistrimeve të popullsisë, kjo dijetare vëren praninë e konsiderueshme të elementit josllav në këtë rajon: Krejt e kundërta është situata në Rekën e Epërme, - nënvijëzon ajo -, ku mbisundon elementi etnik josllav, për të cilin nuk mund të pohojmë me vërtetësi absolute në çfarë përmasash është elementi i grupit etnik shqiptar kundruall atij vlleh. Në fshatin Ribnicë e Vërben janë më të shumtë personat me patronimika më –iq, por në mesin e tyre tek emrat sllavë dalin dhe emra personalë që dëshmojnë për prejardhje tjetër si Gin Cicoviq, Ninçe Lazaroviq, ose Miho Tanusheviq (nga Tanush). Në fshatrat e tjera dalin raste të ngjashme si Gin Mihaiq, Gjon Qirkoviq, Doka Mihaiq etj. Ndikimi nga jashtë për ndryshimin e patronimikave këtu gjithsesi është i qartë. Por në thelb emrat dhe mbiemrat në këtë zonë flasin për përkatësinë josllave të bartësve të tyre. Për ilustrim do të përmendim dy-tri fshatra nga kjo krahinë: Niçpur: Gjon Dum, Pop Nikolla, Mesio Sholed, Gjon Shirqe, Gjoro Qirqe, Kole Dum, Çiko i biri i Qirkos, Petko i biri i Miko-s; Brodec: Like Mihail, Plise Nikosllav, Stanishe Xaxi, Llazar Mihail; Strazimir: Kole Shirki, Kole Riç, Gjon Shirki, Kole Mihail, Pal Mihail; Vërben: Girgj Lluç, Markin Popoviq, Vasill..., Menko...Vasko Lluç, Llazar Kolje, Petar Skore, Shuk Rusi, Kole Dornaj, Petar Riç, etj. Si rezultat i kësaj, pra i pranisë së ndjeshme të elementit shqiptar në Rekën e Epërme qysh në gjysmën e shek. 15, kjo studiuese arrin në konstatim e drejtë kur thotë: "Elementi dominant etnik josllav në Rekën e Epërme në këtë periodë (në gjysmën e shek. 15) na jep një pasqyrë krejt tjetër rreth çështjes së gjuhës amtare shqipe te popullsia e krishterë e kësaj zone, e cila sot ndjehet dhe si maqedonase. Shpjegimi i shfaqjes së këtij fenomeni nga disa punonjës shkencorë si rezultat i pranimit të gjuhës shqipe nga ana e sllavëve maqedonas me qëllim që ta ruajnë besimin e krishterë, vështirë se mund të pranohet”. Po t`u referohemi regjistrave turq të sheh. 15-të, në Vilajetin e Rekës (Vilayet-i Reka, Defteri Nr. 508, 1467), shohim se edhe në vendbanime të tjera të Rekës së Epërme dhe asaj të Poshtme hasim me shumicë persona që mbajnë emra shqiptarë, si: në Vollkovi: Progon Tome; Tërnicë (regjistruar Tirniça): Gerg, i biri i Andreas; Vërben (Virbin): Petar Tanusheviq, Gin Shimjat, Gin Gegoviq; Krakornicë: Gon Duçe, Gon Kirkit, Miho Meksha; Nistrovë: Kole Bard, Gon Pashajet; Ribnicë: Miho Tanusheviq, Bojko Tanusheviq, etj. (TD 1976). "
Malcolm 1998, p. 9. "The people of Debar and its surrounding villages (which include, almost uniquely among the northern Albanian population, a cluster of adherents to the Orthodox Church) were famously independent-minded, and this was often the last area to be subdued when Albanian rebellions were crushed by Ottoman armies."; p.198. "Of course it must be must be true that the ancestors of the Muslims were originally Christians, whether Orthodox or Catholic. Some may have been Albanian-speaking members of the Orthodox Church: a group of villages in the Reka district north of Debar consists of Orthodox Albanians to this day."
Osmani 2012, p. 8. "Upper Reka is composed mainly of the Orthodox population, though there not a small Muslim population. But we should know that according to some sources the past, the population of Upper Reka up in 60's of the XIX century, all spoke Albanian, and was Albanian."
^ Murati 2011, p. 94. "Të shumtë janë autorët sllavë që janë marrë me problematikën e Rekës së Epërme nga këndvështrime të ndryshme: antropogjeografike, gjuhësore, dialektologjike, etnografike, historike, folklorike, etj., e ku që të gjitha hulumtimet e tyre i përshkon si një pe i kuq pansllavizmi, pra mohimi i autoktonisë së shqiptarëve në trojet e tyre etnike, të tashme dhe historike, dhe mbiçmimi i elementit sllav. "; p.102. "Emërtesa e termave të farefisnisë, me burim të pastër e të vjetër shqiptar e latin si: motër, vlla, kunat, kunaat, kusherin, krushk, krushk (kjo leksema e fundit sipas Mirçevskës me prejardhje vllahe, - e që nuk është aspak e vërtetë, - sepse arumunët për krushk e krushkë përdorin cuscru, cuscră e nuntaš), dhe me ndonjë term mbishtresor të proveniencës turke e sllave, e mbështet për muri “tezën” e kësaj studiueseje për prejardhjen sllave të kësaj popullsie a për “sllavë të albanizuar” (nëse do të flitej për “sllavë të albanizuar”, ata nuk do ta ndërronin deri në këtë shkallë terminologjinë familjare të gjuhës së tyre të parë). "
^ Pieroni et al. 2013, p. 16. "This is especially true in those areas where the Albanian population was historically in extensive contact with the South-Slavic cultures, such as the Gollak area in eastern Kosovo, the Pešter plateau in south-western Serbia and the Sharr Mountain (Šar Planina in Macedonian) in western Macedonia (Figure 3). This may confirm the findings of both our linguistic analysis on the folk plant names carried out in Table 1 and also Franz Nopcsa's ethnolinguistic analysis of the terms referring to the material culture in upper Reka, which showed very important loans from the Romanian and especially Slavic languages. It can thus be postulated that the upper Reka Albanians had been heavily influenced by the Slavic culture - and not vice versa, as Spiridon Gopčević stated. Study participants confirmed that over recent decades their most important markets and “exchange” centres have been the multi-ethnic (Macedonian, Albanian, and Turk) towns of Gostivar in Western Macedonia and Prizren, in Southern Kosovo. Moreover, it must also be noted that over the span of the last century, the Albanians of the upper Reka lived outside of the borders of the Albanian state (founded in 1912), and for the major part of this period within the former Socialist Republic of Macedonia within Yugoslavia, where the dominant culture and languages have been Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian. In other words, the remarkable “ interference” of the Slavic cultures found within the domain of Albanian traditional plant knowledge of the upper Reka represents a unique phenomenon, which nowadays is not easy to trace back in detail. This could be due to the difficulty faced in establishing to which degree the Slavic culture influenced the traditional knowledge among Albanians in the upper Reka, considering the role that ancient “hybridisations” may have played, as both Gopčević and Nopcsa, although in a different way, have underlined in their respective works."
^ Berisha et al. 2022, pp. 11–13.
Mirčevska 2007, p. 118.
Mirčevska 2007, pp. 148–149. "Во Пописниот дефтер од XV век во тогашните населени места во горнореканскиот простор се среќаваат лични имиња од словенски и од несловенски карактер. Релатвно е тешко да се утврди потеклото на овие имиња, дали станува збор за влашки или албански имиња. Но, бидеќи во денешните албански имиња не постои ниту едно од тогашните, се чини дека влашките лични имиња во тој период преовладувале во пределот. На тоа ни асоцираат имињата Блаше Тануш, Гон Влаш, Дука (Дока) Михаил, Лазар (син на) Калина, Михо Шалис. Неспорно е дека дел од овие горнорекански семејства имаат подалечно влашко потекло кое во периодот пред XV век почнало интензивно да се словенизира. Но, претрпува и ароманско (влашко) влијание врз имињата претрпува и албанската популација во овој предел, како и во некои од соседните. Токму затоа, речиси е невозможно со сигурност да се каже дали во некои случаи станува збор за албанско, влашко или меѓусебно етничко проникнување сведочат и имињата: Герг син на Андреја, Дабич Лоз(е), Прогон Томе, Цеко син на Герг, Михо Мекша, Петко син на Михо. "; p. 150. "во Жужње е регистриран Кирк Бард... И од селото Нистрово војнук Гин Шерк (или Ширк) и јамаците Павле Шерк од спомнатото село и Гего Шерк, од спомнатото село.
Mirčevska 2007, p. 119.
^ Salihi 2022, p. 87.
^ Mirčevska 2007, p. 91."Според кажувањата, “латински” гробишта во с. Богдево, до 1945 г. биле оградени, но по војната оградата “го расипаа” и не ја поправиле. Во истото село, на местото на денешната црква Цв. Димитрија, изградена во. 1910 г., имало “римска црква”. Информатор Софрониевски Јордан, ц. Бродец. Остатоци од “латински гробишта” има и кај селото Нистрово. Информатор Јовановски Јован (Лични теренски информации). "; p. 154. Еден од информаторите се сеќаваше дека некои од неговите роднини од ц. Жужње (мајка му била по потекло од ова село) многу добро живееле со една од тогашните муслимански албански фамили, велејќи му дека тие имаат заедничко подалечно крвно потекло, дека некогаш биле една фамилија. "
Doda 2007, p. 18.
^ Doda 2007, p. 16."Seiner Größe nach steht Nitschpur etwa zwischen Wau und Schtirowitza und ist wie Schtrezmir zu Halfte von Orthdoxen, zur Hälfte von Mohammedanern bewohnt. Zu einer scharfen Trennung in zwei ist es zwar hier nicht gekommen, doch wird die eine westliche Dorfecke von Mohammedanern, die östliche von den Orthodoxen bevorzugt. In Nitschpur treffen wir nebst einer Moschee einen Pfarrer als Seelsorger, der früher dem Exarchate angehörte, sich aber seit 1903, wo die Bulgaren in der Türkei sich verhasst gemacht hatten, samt seinen Glaubensgenossen zum Patriarchate zugewendet hatte. Diese Glaubensänderung ließ sich damals wie an allen anderen Orthodoxen des Rekatales, so auch an den bisher erwähnten, konstatieren, und seither nennen sich diese Leute, die zuvor ,,Bulgaren” gewesen waren, immer ,,Serben”. Dem Popen von Nitschpur obliegt außer der Seelsorge in Nitschpur selbst auch die der Dörfer Retsch und Schtrezmir, die, wie erwähnt, Kirchen, aber keine Seelsorger hatten. "
Clayer 2007, p. 436. "Le journal comptait un peu plus d’une dizaine de collaborateurs reguliers. Âgés de dix-sept à trente-trois ans en 1902, il s’agissait, pour Ia plupart, de chrétiens orthodoxes originaires de la region de Korçë et vivant dans la diaspora. Un musulman du Sud, en l’occurrence Midhat Frashëri, qui collaborait déjà au Kalendari Kombiar, envoyait aussi des articles à la Drita. Il incarnait en fait les liens anciens noués entre les Albanais d’Istanbul et les diasporas de Roumanie et de Bulgarie. Un chrétien de la région de Debar, Josif Bageri, avait été intégré à ce réseau parce qu'il avait émigré à Sofia. ."
Zekolli 2014, pp. 199–207.
^ Salihi 2022, p. 86.
Kaso 2005, p. 328.
^ Salihi 2022, pp. 87–88.
^ Markovski 1975, pp. 8, 27, 21–23, 27, 33, 37, 41–42, 80–86.
"Më thonë Branko Manojlovski, por unë jam shqiptar [The call me Branko Manojlovski, but I am Albanian]". Zeri. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
"Shqiptarët që po trondisin Maqedoninë [Albanians are shaking Macedonia]". Koha Jona. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
"Kujt i pengon përkatësia etnike shqiptare e z. Sinadinovski?! [Who prevents the Albanian ethnicity of Mr. Sinadinovski?!]". Klan Macedonia. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
"Manojlovski thotë se Sinadinovski është kushëriri im, edhe ai shqiptar [Manojlovski says Sinadinovski is his cousin, and an Albanian]". Koha. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
Giorgievski, Branko. "Branslav Sinadinovski specijalen sovetik na liderot Ali Ahmeti: Liturgiite ne se dovolni, sakame posebna Albanska Pravoslavna Crkva [Branslav Sinadinovski special consultant to leader Ali Ahmeti: Liturgies are not enough, we want a separate Albanian Orthodox Church]". Dnevnik. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
^ Arsovska, Elizabeta. "Eksluzivno: Večer vo poseta na Mavrovsko-gornorekanskiot kraj. Zboruvame albanski, no nie sme makedonci i majčin jazik ni e makedonskiot! [Exclusive: Večer visits Mavrovo-Gorna Reka region. We speak Albanian, but we are Macedonians and our native language is Macedonian!]". Večer. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
"Branislav Sinadinovski- Pravoslaven Albanec ili običen Izmamnik? [Branislav Sinadinovski - Albanian Orthodox or lovable rogue?]". Fokus. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
"Takimet e Rekës së Epërme – Manifestimi qendrorë 10 Gusht 2014 – Rimnic [Upper Reka gathering - Central event 10 August, 2014 - Ribnica". Reka e Epërme. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
"Takimet e Rekës së Epërme – Manifestimi qendrorë 08 Gusht 2015 – Rimnic [Upper Reka gathering - Central event 08 August, 2015 - Ribnica". Reka e Epërme. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
"Në 100 vjetorin e Josif Bagerit, shqiptarët ortodoksë në Maqedoni kërkojnë kujdes [On the 100th anniversary of Joseph Bageri, Orthodox Albanians in Macedonia seek attention]". Koha net. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.

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