Isa Boletini (1864-1916)
Isa Boletini was born in 1864 in Boletin, a small town/big village to the north of Mitrovica, in the Highlands of Shala e Bajgores. His family was patriotic, and at the age of seventeen, Isa Boletini joined the Albanian Prizren League which aimed at defending Albanian territories against Serbs, Montenegrins & Turks. He participated as a teenager in the battle of Slivovë, in 1881. After this, he pursued the patriotic duties by fighting for the autonomy of our territories from the high Porte. He was therefore deported to Istanbul, from where he returned to Kosova in 1906.
He was a true patriot but also chivalric and with a good sense of honor/justice. Thus, when a couple of robbers harassed the Serbs who lived in Boletin, he and his men searched them up and punished them, returning the stolen property to their Serb neighbours. But this didn't mean he was ready to accept serfdom and Serbian occupation. When the Serbs invaded Kosova in 1912, he was one of the prominent patriots to lead the resistance. It became, however, obvious that the 20-30,000 poorly armed Albanians, despite valiant resistance (for instance, in Merdare, within just a couple of days, they killed around 1,500 Serbs) they could not resist with victory against the over 300,000 strong Serb troops, armed with better weapons.
Isa Boletini travelled to Vlora, South Albania, where he served as Kosova's delegate in the declaration of independence of Albania 1912, November 28th. His precious Kosova was, however, annexed by Serbia, but he continued fighting with weapons as well as diplomacy (travelling together with Ismail Qemali to Vienna, Lodnon etc) for the liberation of Kosova and its union with the Albanian state. In 1916, he was to be found in Montenegro which als had occupied Albanian territories (such as Ulqin/Ulcinj, Plava & Gucia/Gusinje, Highlands around Hoti & Gruda) and this great patriot's presence made them feel threatened.
At the bridge of Ribnitza (Ribnica) the Montenegrins set up a trap for him and his closest warriors when they were leaving Cetinje. The Montenegrins were led by a certain Radomir Vesovic and outnumbered Isa and his men. Radomir shouted "Predajte ozuzje" (Give up your arms) ... but in Albanian traditions back then, surrending your arms without a fight (the Spartan saying 'molon lave' is a good parallel) was dishonorable, thus Isa Boletini answered
"O Veshoviq, a din me kand po flet? Jam isa Boletinin s'iu dorezoj armet as mbretit as karlit,
jo ma ty, se i kam armet si atin dhe birin"
(Vesovic, do you know who you're talking to? I am isa Boletini, I will not surrender arms to kings let alone you,
since they are like my father and son). The confrontation was inevitable.
The first to trigger the gun was Pero Buric, of the Vasovici clan. Isa's men answered immediately, as did Isa. Jonuz Boletini, Isa's nephew, having two guns started emptying them on the Montenegrins, and despite beeing hit several times, he continued fighting even as he lied dying, until hus bullets were finished. Halil Boletini, Isa's son, besides shooting with guns also threw a bomb he had received from a certain Niko. Isa's other son Sejdi, after killing the Montenegrin who stood infront of him, took the dead one's gun and emptied it on the Montenegrins until he died. Niman Misini, although having no gun of his own, did not run, but stood by Isa and fell heroically as well. The dead martyrs were;
Isa Boletini - 51 years old
Halil Boletini - 24 years old, Isa's son
Seidi Boletini - 18 years old, Isa's son a student in Vienna
Jonuz Boletini - 26 years old, Isa's nephew
Halit Boletini - 24 years old, Isa's nephew
Hajdar Selim Radisheva - 30 years old, from Drenica, married to Isa's daughter.
Idris Bislimi - Hajdar's nephew, 18 years old
Misin Niman Bala - from Isniq, Isa's cousin, shaljân.
Of the Montenegrins, some 7-8 were killed and some 12 were wounded.
Isa Boletini was killed by Montenegrin forces on January 23rd, 1916, in an abortive attempt to capture the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica in the wake of an Austro-Hungarian military advance.
Isa Boletini bound his and his family’s life with the destiny of his fatherland, for which his love and loyalty are remembered with his words: “I am well when Albania is well” (“Unë jam mirë kur asht mirë Shqipnia”). He was noted for always wearing the traditional Albanian white cap (plis) and national dress.
In 2004, Ibrahim Rugova, president of Kosovo awarded him the highest order “Hero of Kosovo” along with Adem Jashari, Hasan Prishtina, and Bajram Curri.
Isa Boletini's heroic deeds and heroic death made his name immortal, cheerished in ballads.