Kristo Luarasi (December 15, 1876– July 7, 1934) was an Albanian nationalist figure, printer and publisher. He was one of the activists of the Albanian National Awakening. He was one of the first Albanian printers.

Early life

Kristo Luarasi was born on 15 December 1876 in Luaras community in the region of Kolonjë region in

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, back then

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. He attended the Albanian school of Hotovë village where he was taught by Petro Nini Luarasi.

Albanian Colony of Bucharest

After the prohibition of Albanian schools in 1892, he emigrated to

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

where he started taking lessons in the Albanian school established by Nikolla Naço, back then leader of the ''Drita'' ("Light") Society and publisher of the newspaper ''Shqiptari'' ("The Albanian"). Luarasi also worked in a printer shop where he mastered the printer profession. He would spend a few years there in full contact with other Albanian nationalist figures and ideas.

Albanian Colony of Sofia

In 1896 he moved to

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

together with his friend Kosta Jani Trebicka, joining another Albanian emigrants colony there. Luarasi started as the manager of the printing press Mbrothësia (''Progress''). The printing press was established by the Albanian colony of Sofia, grouped mainly under the "Dëshira" ("Desire") Society founded in 1893, with the aim of spreading knowledge and Albanian-language instruction between Albanians, and serving the national cause. It was located at the Vitosha Boulevard. Together with Kosta Trebicka and Midhat Frashëri he would publish the ''Ditërëfenjës'' or ''Kalendari Kombiar'' ("National Calendar") which appeared annually with some lengthy interruptions from 1897 to 1928. The Albanian almanacs were rather important in the history of Albanian literature, like 19th century almanacs in North America they would be present in many homes, and spread the existence of Albanian literature even there where Albanian poetry or prose could hardly be found. Mbrothësia press would publish also 37 books of Albanian literature, including works from Sami Frashëri, Spiro Dine, Mihal Grameno,

Papa Kristo Negovani Papa Kristo Negovani (), born Kristo Harallambi and also known as Kristo Negovani (1875 – 12 February 1905), was an Albanians, Albanian national figure, priest, poet, teacher, writer and publisher who was killed by Greek nationalists in 1905 fo ...

, etc. From 1901 to 1908 together with

Shahin Kolonja Shahin bey Kolonja (; 1865–1919) was an Albanian journalist, politician, and member of the Ottoman Parliament during its Second Constitutional Era. Early life Shahin Kolonja, was born Shahin Teki Ypi in 1865 or 1867 in Starje, Kolonjë, at ...

, Luarasi published in Sofia the journal '' Drita'' with some financial support of

Austro-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. ''Drita'' would be perhaps the most influential periodical of Albanian diaspora of the National Awakening period. The alphabet used was the ''Istanbul Alphabet'' of Sami Frashëri until 1908, and afterwards the standard Albanian alphabet which came out of the Congress of Monastir. After the

Young Turk Revolution The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908; ) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. Revolutionaries belonging to the Internal Committee of Union and Progress, an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II ...

, Luarasi transferred his printing press to

Salonika Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

, where over 60 works were produced within one year: books, magazines, newspapers, and distributed to a large of Albanian population. In March 1910, after the press attracted attention of the Ottoman authorities, Luarasi moved his press back to Sofia. Three he published the newspaper '' Liri e Cqiperise'' ("Freedom of Albania") from 1911 to 1915. On 2 November 1911

Fan Noli Theofan Stilian Noli, known as Fan Noli (6 January 1882 – 13 March 1965), was an Albanian Americans, Albanian-American writer, scholar, diplomat, politician, historian, orator, bishop, and founder of the Albanian Orthodox Church and the Albania ...

visited the Albanian community of Sofia responding to their invitation with the initiative of Luarasi. The Bulgarian

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

made possible for Noli to give two sermons in the Sveti Spas () church in Albanian. During the late Ottoman period, Peçi supported Austro-Hungarian assistance toward Albanian geopolitical interests in the Balkans.

Return to Albania

In 1921 Luarasi returned to Albanian and settled in Tirana, together with his press which would be one of the majors in the country. After his death, the press was renamed after him "Shtypshkronja Kristo Luarasi". It was operated as such until 1947 by Luarasi's son Theodhor, when the

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

government turned the premises into state property. It was located in today's Kavaja Street in Tirana.

Family

During all above he would find a great support from his wife, Polikseni Luarasi, born Polikseni Dhespoti in Lunxhëri,

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë moun ...

. She had studied at the First Girls School of

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...

and had served as a teacher as well. Polikseni was in charge of the correcting proof of the printing materials, and helped also at the printing press, as well as during packaging and shipping.

Awards and acknowledgements

;Luarasi received several titles posthumously: *Order for Patriotic Activity of Second Class, 1962 –

Socialist People's Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, () was the Marxist-Leninist state that existed in Albania from 10 January 1946 to the 29 April 1991. Originally founded as the People's Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1976, it was governed by the P ...

*Order for Patriotic Activity of First Class, 1992 – Albania * Honorary citizen, 2011 – Ersekë Municipality *A street in Tirana, Albania bears his name

Books about Kristo Luarasi

*''Dy rilindës shqiptarë : Kristo Luarasi e Shahin Kolonja : dokumente'', Koço Luarasi, Drejtoria e Përgjithshme e Arkivave, Tirana 2003. OCLC 435640650. LCCN 2006417562 *''Kristo Luarasi : vizionar i shtetit shqiptar'', Lavdosh Ahmetaj; Qemal Velija, Universiteti "Kristal"; Instituti i Studimeve Albanologjike "Alex Buda", Tirana 2008, *''Kristo P. Luarasi : jeta, vepra dhe familija e tij'', Uran Asllani, "Plejad", Tirana 2009,

Notes

References

Sources

# # # # # # {{DEFAULTSORT:Luarasi, Kristo 1876 births 1934 deaths Albanian journalists Albanian publishers (people) Activists of the Albanian National Awakening People from Kolonjë 20th-century Albanian writers 19th-century Albanian writers Albanian expatriates in Romania Albanian expatriates in Bulgaria