| Vermosh | |
|---|---|
| — Settlement — | |
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Vermosh
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Albania |
| County | Shkodër |
| District | Malësi e Madhe |
| Municipality | Kelmend |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gjon Hysaj |
| Time zone | Central European Time (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Car Plates | MA (Malësi e Madhe) |
Vërmosh (pron.: "vurmosh", definite form Vërmoshi) is the northernmost village of Albania, a rural part of the Kelmend municipality, District of Malësi e Madhe.
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Vërmosh is part of the "Accursed Mountains" (Bjeshket e Namuna in Albanian, Prokletije (gore) in Serbian and Montenegrin), a mountain range in northern Albania that extends to western Kosovo and eastern Montenegro and the highest point of which, Maja Jezercë, lies 18.8 kilometers (12 miles) south of Vërmosh, in the Theth and Valbona National Parks.
Vërmosh comprises the quarters of Pjetroja—also known as Qendra ("The Center"), Velan, Bashkim ("Junction" --with the Lepushë valley), Velipojë, and Maliaj. When first explored it was called Bjeshket e Seljanave.
Its mountain pastures are called Seferçe, Smutirogë, Lugu i Dolit, Përbicë, Greben, etc.
Vërmosh is the place of the border crossing with Montenegro near Vjeternik on the road from Shkodra (95 km (59 mi) away) and Koplik to Guci/Gusinje and Plav/Plava in Montenegro.
Vërmosh extends around the 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) of the Vërmosh river (Lumi i Vërmoshit in Albanian) which belong to Albania.
The Vërmosh river appears under the Montenegrin name of Vrmoša below the Maglič peak in the Kuči area of eastern Montenegro, just before running into Albania.
It re-enters Montenegro at Vjeternik under the name of Grnčar.
Receiving the stream Vruje from the right in Guci/Gusinje, it continues as the Ljuča for a few more kilometers where it empties into the Lake Plav (Plavsko blato in Montenegrin), creating a small delta.
There it flows out of the lake to the north, next to the mountain Visitor, under the name Lim for the remaining 197 kilometers (122 miles) through Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it joins the Drina at the Višegrad reservoir.
Vërmosh started being settled in the mid-19th century, first for the 4–6 months of the Spring and Summer because of the harsh winters (up to 3 feet of snow regularly).
Most of the families living there originate from Sëlca, 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) south of Vërmosh. Other settlers have come from places such as Kosovo, specifically from nearby Peja. The regional economy is based mainly on agriculture, immigrant remittances and tourism.
Most tourists come to Vërmosh for its mountain views. There are also more than 30 kinds of medicinal and endemic plants.
Popular activities in Vërmosh include hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and the "Miss Bjeshka" ("Miss Mountains") pageant.[1]
The border was drawn in 1878 by the Berlin Congress which gave Plav/Plava, Guci/Gusinje, Tuzi and Ulqin/Ulcinj to Montenegro at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. Although Vermosh was there before the border was drawn. The history of Vermosh comes from the story of the three brothers Seli, Vuli, and Nili. Their names resemble the villages of Selca, Vukli, and Nikci. Some families from Vermosh have came from Gusinje and Peje. They have changed their last names to a Albanian-Catholic last name and have became catholic and adopted the traditions of people from Vermosh. There is a book that was written by Pero Llesh Tinaj (the brother of Fran Llesh Tinaj) that states the families who have derived from Selce and the families from Gusinje and Peje.
Part of the Malësor highlanders, the local Këlmendi mountain tribe has been known for its warring tradition, mostly against foreign occupiers. It has been traditionally Catholic. Vërmosh is the birthplace of patriots Fran Llesh Tinaj, Mema Smajli, Marash Vata, Dod Prek Nika, Gjon Preci etc.
One big local hero was Prek Cali Hasanaj, famous for fighting Slavic aggression and Communist oppressors.
After Enver Hoxha died in 1990, many people from Vërmosh tried to leave. Most were caught by the Communists and brought to Shkodër.
Yet on June 10,1990 Genc Nikoll Tinaj and Gjergj Pjeter Vuktilaj left Vermosh for Yugoslavia for admission to the United States and they were the first to successfully escape in all of Vermosh and perhaps the whole municipality of Kelmend and six months later they made it to the United States. Two days later, 17 year-old Pëllumb Pëllumbaj left Vërmosh to try to cross the border to Yugoslavia through Hani Hotit. He was caught and the communist party killed him and dragged his body through Shkodër on a truck. When the people of Shkodër saw him they started arguing with the communists saying "why did you kill him, he didn't deserve to be killed"? They started rioting and the Communists had to call Albanian Communist President Ramiz Alia and Enver Hoxha's spouse Nexhmije Hoxha then in Gjirokastër. 500 people from Shkodra were killed because of the death of Pëllumb Pëllumbaj.
This also occurred in probably the same year when people from Bajza attempted to cross the border in Vërmosh and were caught by the Communists who carried their corpses on the back of trucks through the Kelmend municipality (Selcë, Tamarë, Lëpushë, and Vërmosh) and then down to Shkodër.