Department of Slavic and Balkan Languages

The origin of the Department of Slavic and Balkan Languages dates back to the year 1947 when it commenced as a two-year Institute of the Russian Language chair. Subsequently, with the establishment of the Higher Pedagogical Institute in 1951, the scope of Russian language instruction expanded significantly. By 1955, the Russian Language Department consisted of 20 lecturers and a large number of students.

Upon the establishment of the University of Tirana in 1957, the Russian Language Chair became affiliated with the Faculty of History and Philology. As student enrollment at the university surged, the chair underwent division into two distinct units:

a) The Russian Language Chair, alongside its branch, Russian Language and Literature, which, until 1972, was dedicated to preparing educators proficient in both Russian and Albanian languages for upper secondary education. After this year, the focus shifted solely to awarding Bachelor’s Degree in Russian Language Teaching.

b) Russian Language Department serving the broader academic community across various faculties of the university.

In the mid-80s, a consolidation occurred, merging the aforementioned  chairs back into a unified one.

In 1995, a significant restructuring ensued with the transformation of the Russian Language Chair into the Department of Slavic and Balkan Languages. This department, in addition to its continued emphasis on Russian language studies, expanded its purview to encompass the study of other Slavic and Balkan languages.