Trailing Off....: Albania: The Former North Korea of Europe

photo of communist Poland I found on line

“The first thing my parents bought were bananas,” our guide Gazi said as he explained what life was like when communism ended in Albania in 1991. I had heard this exact sentence six years ago when I was teaching in Wloclawek, Poland. In Poland, I had individual lessons with a very articulate man who had a high level position involving restructuring roads so that they met EU standards. He often talked about life before and after the fall of communism (1990) and reminded me often that as an American I would never have any idea what it was like. Too true. I've always had access to bananas. And freedoms I still take for granted.

We had a few hours to kill in Tirana, Albania before flying off to the more fashionable metropolis of Milan, Italy. S had done a quick search on TripAdvisor and found that of the only 10 or so recommended sites in all of Albania, a "City Walk with Gazi" was ranked near the top. This person was to meet you in front of the National Museum and give a two hour tour after which a tip was optional.

mosaic above entrance of National Museum

It was a miserable and drizzly Monday and we had little hope that anyone would be meeting us in front of the closed museum. But there he was with his tour guide badge. He welcomed us warmly and began what was to be three of the most interesting and educational hours I had spent in a long, long time.

Gazi is a couple of years younger than myself, so to put it in perspective: When I was a teen and worried about my ugly braces, who would ask me to prom, and how to get my bangs higher, he was living in a country that had banned religion, where people couldn't drive, where all the buildings were grey, where all news and information was censored, where there was little food and no bananas, where bomb shelters dotted the landscape, and where people were killed for speaking out against their leader.

I could have listened to and talked with Gazi all day. He was an absolute expert on his country and did his best to give us information in an objective, often humorous, but matter of fact way.

I didn't take notes and I only took a few pictures given the weather and the fact that it felt like we were the only tourists in the city.

So here are a few highlights from the tour, my recollection of their significance, and my general impression of this little known capital city.

Skanderberg Square is the main cultural area of Tirana. The guy on the horse is Skanderberg, Albania's most revered hero. Albania was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and forced to convert to Islam. He was captured and sent to Istanbul as a slave. Trained as a soldier, he became like a general and was well-regarded by the Ottomans. BUT he went back to Albania and led a revolt and helped convert the country back to Christianity (the Ottomans recaptured the area later). Unfortunately, I can't remember the significance of the flag, just that it has a double-headed eagle on a red background.

I can't really remember what he said about the 16th-19th centuries (I think it remained part of the Ottoman Empire), but it is the 20th century that really fascinated me.

Hoxha's house

Albania became an independent country in 1920 and for a short time had a leader named Zog who declared himself king after winning a presidency (something I imagine Trump would do, if elected). During WW2, the very small communist party led a rebellion that defeated the Germans who were occupying the country. The leader, Enver Hoxha, became the dictator for 40 years. His house, which is now empty, was considered a mansion compared to the tower blocks where everyone else lived.

Economically, during his period, Albania became industrialised and saw rapid economic growth, as well as unprecedented progress in the areas of education and health. He focused on rebuilding the country, which was left in ruins after World War II, building Albania's first railway line, eliminating adult illiteracy and leading Albania towards becoming agriculturally self-sufficient (Wikipedia).

But then he got paranoid and little by little the country became a giant prison. In the 70s, he cut off ties with all other countries (even China wasn’t Communist enough in his opinion) and the country became poor. Education was an on-going lecture about how great Albania was and how terrible other countries were. He built bomb shelters around the country. This one has been left as a reminder.

Travel abroad wasn’t allowed. Nor were cars.

Torture and death penalty were punishments for minor offenses.

He declared Albania the “first atheist state” and banned all religion. Men couldn’t wear beards as it was common among Muslims. Because the ban lasted so long, now most adults aren't very religious, but those who are have had nice churches built and there seems to be relative harmony among the Catholics, Orthodox, and Muslims.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania so she holds a special place in most Albanians' hearts, regardless of their religion. They are petitioning to have her remains brought to Tirana, but having been to her final resting place in Calcutta and seeing how revered she is there, I highly doubt that will happen.

The Pyramid Building (below) is a crazy eyesore that was designed and built by Hoxha's daughter as a monument to him after he died in 1985. It contained a museum which was mostly pro-Hoxha propaganda, but after the end of communism it became a conference building and then completely abandoned. Now no one knows what to do about it—to repurpose it and let is serve as a reminder or bulldoze the thing down. When we were admiring it, two teenagers casually climbed up the not-so steep walls to have a bit of a chat on the roof. What I find most ironic about this is that in the late 1990s, many citizens of Albania fell prey to a pyramid scheme that nearly bankrupted the country. People were so angry they broke into barracks and stole guns in case of a revolt. Gaazi told us he and his two brothers each had a machine gun until their father insisted they get rid of them.

There are many ways that this country is trying to distance itself from the Hoxha era. One interesting example is that a few years ago the mayor of the city (who is now the Prime Minister) thought it would be a great idea to go around and brightly paint all the buildings that were previously forced to be a dull grey. The result is.. well......

Now Albania seems to be in the zone of "let's get our shit together so we can be part of the EU" but is having its share of overdevelopment, lack of infrastructure, and a huge generational divide between those born before and after. Now that people know what a middle and upper class life can look like, they all want a piece of it, sometimes by any means.

future telecommunications company

It's a city of contrasts. There are markets that reminded me of southern Thailand; cab drivers who are more ruthless and cunning than those of India; and high-end shops and restaurants that would rival any of Tirana's wealthier European cousins. There are a lot of angry-looking men standing around smoking and not seeming to be doing anything important. And there are so many kind people, including the entire staff of the Jolly Hotel and the woman who showed us which bus to catch to get to said hotel.

Three years or even three decades is not enough time to truly know and learn about a place, so to get a sense of Tirana in three hours is just plain ridiculous. Despite the cold and underlying grimness of the city, I found it to be worth the visit. Few people know of this place and its harsh history. And Gazi was adamant that he would much rather we know something of his country other than what we see in "Taken".

PS.
What blog would be complete without a picture of food? The type of place that seemed popular with locals is a korcare, a place with a few simple choices of grilled meats served with bread, yoghurt, olive oil, and a ton of onions and some pickles. We downed it all with huge mugs of local beer at a simple wooden picnic table. Obscenely cheap and oh so good.