Leska

Leska (Albanian: Leskë, formerly Lajthizë "place of hazelnuts"; Macedonian/Bulgarian: Леска) is a village in the Pustec Municipality of the Korçë County in Albania.[1][2] Leska is situated west of Lake Prespa, near the village of Pustec. The village is mainly composed of ethnic Macedonians.[3]

Leska

Leskë
Lajthizë
Леска
Village
Panoramic views of the villages Leska and Pustec (forefront is Leska)
Leska
Coordinates: 40°46′40″N 20°53′20″E
Country Albania
CountyKorçë
MunicipalityPustec
Municipal unitPustec
Population
 (2007)
 • Total350
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)

Name

In early 20th century scholarly works of Selishchev, Jaranov and Vasmer, the village placename is given as Leska, while Kanchov gives the form Ljaitiza which stems from the Albanian word Lajthi meaning hazelnut.[4] The toponym Leska is topographic referring to Hazel trees.[4]

In 2013, the village's official name was changed back from "Lajthizë" to "Leska".[5]

History

In 1939, on behalf of 15 Bulgarian houses in Leska, Lazo Traykov signed a request by the local Bulgarians to the Bulgarian tsaritsa Giovanna requesting her intervention for the protection of the Bulgarian people in Albania - at that time an Italian protectorate.[6]

Demographics

The "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne" survey by Dimitar Mishev (D. Brankov) concluded that village had 120 Bulgarian Exarchists residents in 1905.[7]

A 2007 estimate put the village population around 300 to 350 residents.[8]

People from Leska
  • Sotir Risto (mk) (1974 - ), poet[9]
Bilingual road sign directing to Leska, written in both Macedonian and Albanian

References
  1. Law nr. 115/2014 Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Census Data". INSTAT. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  3. Xhaxho, Manjola (2007). Minority Rights and the Republic of Albania: Missing the Implementation (Thesis). Faculty of Law, Lund University.
  4. Włodzimierz, Pianka (1970). Toponomastikata na Ohridsko-Prespanskiot bazen. Institut za makedonski jazik "Krste Misirkov". p. 143. "Леска... Во насловниот облик е забележена кај Селишчев (op. cit, 1), Јаранов и Фасмер (с. 192: Λέσκα), додека што К'нчов е запишана како Ляаитиза (алб. lajthi 'лешник'). Име е примарно, топографско, рамно на апел. Леска."
  5. "Pas Pustecit, edhe 7 fshatra të Korçës me emertime maqedonase" (in Albanian). Info Arkiv. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  6. Елдъров, Светозар. Българите в Албания 1913-1939. Изследване и документи, София, 2000, стр. 324-326.(in Bulgarian)
  7. D.M.Brancoff. "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne". Paris, 1905, pp. 170-171. (in French)
  8. Belo, Raki. Селищни имена в Мала Преска - Албания, в: Македонски преглед, ХХХ, №3, стр.135.
  9. Sterjovski, Vasil (26 May 2010). "Нов роман на Сотир Ристо". Retrieved 4 June 2014.
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