Elena Gjika (Dora D’Istria, 1829 – 1888), Romanian writer and publicist of Albanian origin, was born in the Romanian capital. She actively participated in the progressive cultural movement of Europe, as a fighter of free thought and as an opponent of despotic monarchical rule and national oppression. She warmly supported the Albanian national movement, maintained close ties with its prominent activists, such as Jeronim de Rada, Dhimitër Kamarda, Zef Jubani, Thimi Mitko, etc., and thought about the organization of the national movement, especially in the years of the Albanian League of Prizren. In a series of studies: “La nationalité albanaise d’après les chants populaires” (“Albanian nationality according to folk songs”, 1866), “Gli scrittori albanesi dell’Italia meridionale” (“Albanian writers of Southern Italy”, 1867), ” Gli Albanesi in Rumenia” (“Albanians in Romania”, 1873) etc., she pointed out, through historical folk songs, the centuries-old struggle of the Albanian people against the Ottoman rule, affirming at the same time the values of folklore traditions as an expression of the soul and the national identity of the peoples. (In the photo: Elena Gjika)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary — Vol. 1, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 834.
Photo: © Andrea Llukani
Graphic processing: AHCF
