Vraka

Vrakë (Montenegrin and Serbian: Врака, Vraka) is a village in Shkodër District in Albania. The village is located on the shore of Lake Scutari, some 7 km north of the city of Shkodër.

Montenegrin minority

The village of Vrakë and the surrounding area is most significant as centre of the Serb and Montenegrin national minority in Albania (They are listed together in the census). Estimates of population of Montenegrins in Vraka area vary from 1,000 to 2,000. They also inhabit surrounding villages of Gril (Grilj), Omaraj and Boriçi i Vogël (Mali Borič).

The Montenegrins in this area had retained their compactness as a national minority, their native language, culture, religion and traditions. The association of Montenegrin minority, "Moraca-Rozafa", represents the interests of this minority in Shkodër.

History

Montenegrins and Serbs began migrating to Vraka in the late 17th century. From confirmed documents, one of the first families to inhabit the area of Vraka was in 1705 were the Đurčevići from the village of Momče in Kuči. A certain Jerko Đurčević was the only one from his clan in Vraka to convert to Islam. His descendants later became known as the Jerkovići, who are found in the village of Štoj, near Ulcinj.

According to Jovan Erdeljanović, in his book "Stara Crna Gora", all descendants of Jovan Martinović, who has been mentioned since 1687, have emigrated to Vraka.

A period of immigration existed between 1925 and 1934. This wave marked the return of many Montenegrin families to Montenegro, leaving their homes in Vraka behind.

Vraka is known for having been the place where Millosh Gjergj Nikolla was a teacher in the 1930s. It was in this period that the poet started to write prose sketches and verses.