Authored by Petrit Latifi

Prior to 1912, the Albanian malesoris of Rugova used to have their katuns (villages) in the region of Cmiljevica, in the Bistrica basin in the region of Berane and Rozhajë. The Albanian shepherds were then expelled from Cmiljevica in 1912 after the Serbian invasion. In the book “Глас Issue 336 1983” we read:

“The Rugovci (originating from the Klimenats, a northern Arban or Malisor tribe), who also have their katuns and settlements at the foot of Cmiljevica, in the Pećka Bistrica basin, made the mutual cross-cultural influences felt on both sides.”¹

“And even then, the quarrels between them were not over, Chetnik raids on shepherds and reapers continued on both sides until the invasion in 1912, when the Rugovci were expelled from Cmiljevica. Traces of that struggle can still be seen today in the numerous marbles of shepherds and reapers (49, 26-27).”²

Albanians living in various regions and katuns

“Klimenti mostly moved along the mountain ranges towards the valleys of the Ibar, Lim and Pećka Bistrica, taking the main passes on Čereni, Valbonska Ćafa, Vrmosa, Bogićevica, Hajla, Cmiljevica, Murgaš, Čakor, etc. When they settled down and established all the passes and approaches on the mountains, it was easy for the Clements to dominate the valleys of the mentioned rivers.”³

References

1. https://www.google.se/books/edition/%D0%93%D0%BB%D0%B0%D1%81/GK0rAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%D0%A0%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B0&dq=%D0%A0%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B0&printsec=frontcover ↩︎
2. imbid. ↩︎
3. https://www.google.se/books/edition/Posebna_Izdanja_Editions_Speciales/37c6AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%D0%A6%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%99%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B5+%D0%A0%D1%83%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B0&pg=RA2-PA58&printsec=frontcover ↩︎