Kostandina Raki Bello from Radio Bulgaria’s Albanian language service is a lead character in the film by journalist from public service TV BNT Boyko Vassilev, entitled “Bratonchedi. Voices from Albania”, with a focus on the word bratonchedi, meaning cousins in Albanian, which is, in Bulgarian bratovchedi, a difference of just one letter. To make the documentary, Boyko Vassilev and cameraman Mihail Vrabchev met with a great many people to illustrate the bond with Bulgaria.

One such person, Kostandina – the grandmother of our Kostandina – spoke Bulgarian all her life, even though she only saw Bulgaria in her later years. Her son, Raki, graduated from the university in Blagoevgrad, and today studies and teaches the Bulgarian and the Albanian language. Her granddaughter is doing law in Sofia, and is a member of the staff of Radio Bulgaria’s Albanian language service.

The Bellos are from the Bulgarian minority in Albania. The Bulgarian language they speak goes back centuries. And bratovchedi and bratonchedi is just part of the story in the documentary “Bratonchedi. Voices from Albania”.

22-year old Kostandina was born in Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria, and has been a professional translator from and to Albanian. She is holder of several poetry translation awards, she has also translated Stefan Ivanov’s novel Song of the Nightingale to Albanian. Kostandina also has experience as translator and anchor of Bulgarian-language news at the Albanian radio and TV. She is currently doing law at the St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia. She joined the staff of Radio Bulgaria’s Albanian language service in November 2022.

Compiled by Krasimir Martinov

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: Krasimir Martinov