Bulgarians in Albania were recognized as a national minority in 2017 but we do not have official data on their number, as final data from last year's population census have not yet been published. Quite a few Albanian citizens with Bulgarian self-awareness come to look for education or professional realization in Bulgaria, while the Bulgarian passport opens the doors to other EU countries and the world. Cindy Nikolofski has also made such a choice. She has been working in the Albanian embassy in Sofia for a year as a financier and secretary to the ambassador. However, she will soon face a new challenge – a trip to Alaska, where she will work as a waitress. When she returns home, she wants to start programming. In addition, she hopes to start working in the Albanian section of Radio Bulgaria from September.

"My name is Cindy Nikolofski. I lived in Albania until I was 18 years old. My parents are Bulgarian and Albanian citizens. My mother is from Ukraine, but she also has a Moldovan passport and years ago she came to Blagoevgrad to study. My father is part of the Bulgarian minority in Albania and also came to Bulgaria to study. They met in Blagoevgrad and went to live in Albania."

Cindy told us that the reactions of some people she meets in Albania and Bulgaria surprise her:

"Our village is called Vërnik. There are many people there who speak a Bulgarian dialect. They have been accepted as part of the Albanian society. We never felt bad in Albania, but many times I heard some people say: ‘you are not Albanians’. Then we came to Bulgaria and some people told us that we were not Bulgarians, but Albanians, as if we had no identity. However, I have had a very good time both in Albania and in Bulgaria. I feel good in both places and if you ask me whether I am Albanian or Bulgarian, I cannot give you a definite answer."

She is also grateful for the support that Bulgaria provides to Albania on its way to EU membership. She says that since the Bulgarian minority has been recognized there, people who want can easily get a Bulgarian passport. "There are many young people from our village who study in Sofia and work various jobs. Bulgaria and Albania have always been close countries and have very good relations," Cindy tells us.

She told us a little bit about her parents. Her father is no longer with us and her mother works as a psychologist in the town of Bilisht, located in the administrative region of Korça, where she helps children who are part of the autism spectrum.

Cindy's favorite places in Sofia are the parks where she goes for a walk at every opportunity. In addition, the city gives her a sense of calmness, which she has never felt before. This is undoubtedly an interesting and certainly different look at everyday life in our capital city.

See also:

• The patriotic activity of Ahmet Bala and the Bulgarian community in Albania

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

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

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photos: personal archive