WHICH NIGHTIN KUKAJ?

It is said that one does not find themselves in a specific place and time by chance.

Everything began in 2009 when, in the abandoned village of Kukaj with only three inhabited houses, the film “Donkeys of the Border” was being shot. After the shoot wrapped, actor Bislim Muçaj purchased a ruined house in the village and invited his friend, the performing arts professor Fadil Hysaj, to visit.

Mesmerized by the natural beauty and harmony of the surroundings, Fadil Hysaj immediately bought a piece of land with a house, which he clad in stone. In 2010, he transformed the old house previously used as a stable into the first Ethno Theatre in Kosovo. On May 26, 2010, it hosted the premiere of the play “The Pear Beyond the Well” by Arta Arifi, directed by Iliriana Arifi.

The play, written especially for this theatre and dealing with a taboo theme of family drama, marked a significant cultural event, drawing extraordinary public and media interest.

The yard was shaped to follow the hilly terrain, naturally creating cascading levels that inspired the construction of a future amphitheatre. In June 2011, this space became home to the Festival of Traditional Arts and Culture, ETNO FEST. Meanwhile, Ilaz Hysaj bought the oldest house in the area, which, after renovation, became an authentic venue for traditional gatherings, book promotions, ethno performances, exhibitions and plays as part of the festival.

The first edition of ETNO FEST was held from June 26 to 30, 2011. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, it offered the public a diverse multimedia programme including songs, dances, ancient rituals, painting and sculpture exhibitions, ethnographic displays, student performances, plays from renowned Albanian theatres, artistic installations, concerts, debates, book launches, traditional games and songs, and local cuisine.

The success of this edition attracted many artists, ethnologists, scholars and heritage researchers, who joined the growing project year after year. Many bought land and started building in the area. This wave of activity convinced the few remaining villagers to abandon their plans of leaving and encouraged others to return to their ancestral homes. The trend of migration reversed, and today dozens of residential houses have been built in Kukaj.

Alongside the expansion of its programme, ETNO FEST also experienced significant infrastructural growth. New performance and exhibition spaces were built year after year, together with artisan and agricultural product stands, museum areas, small cottages and guesthouses for staff and festival guests, gradually transforming it into the largest ethno-complex in the Balkans.

Today, the Ethno-Complex in Kukaj boasts 12 stages, theatres and amphitheatres, an ethnographic museum, dozens of galleries and exhibition stands, fireplaces, multiple traditional ovens, three ethno bars and two restaurants. This year, a new large-scale stage is being added, capable of accommodating around one thousand spectators. The increasing participation of artists and groups from other countries is paving the way for ETNO FEST to become a prestigious international festival.

Together with other nearby structures such as “Oda Dauti”, “Kulla Dielli” and the cultural-touristic complex of Iliriana and Arta Arifi, Kukaj is taking on the shape of a cultural village with great potential for the development of agro-cultural tourism and a beautiful oasis for the promotion of both spiritual and material heritage.