Albania
Forget Communism...Or Sell It
T irana - Bunkers? Underground catacombs?
Submarine bases? Albania has been shaped
by one of the most bizarre communist regimes
ever and the potential to exploit it for tourism is
inestimable. The possibilities for what has been
termed as 'communist heritage tourism' are present,
but as with other post-socialist countries in
the region, the attempt at creating a communistfree
national identity since the 1990s is in conflict
with Western tourists' increasing interest in remnants
of the communist past.
"
If there are people interested just in these 50
years of history, why not offer it?" says Nevila
Popa, business development specialist for USAID
in Albania. While it remains a niche market,
some, as Gent Mati from the tourism agency
Outdoors Albania, confirm "there is interest for
this paranoid, psychotic regime." Several monuments
suffered destruction at the hands of angry
crowds when state socialism collapsed, but much
remains for the curious eye.
Architecture of socialism
"
We have so many elements of communism
that it is unavoidable; anywhere we drive you see
the signs," Mati told IPS. "It's an integral part of
Albanian history and more constantly present
than other monuments you would have to seek."
On arriving in capital Tirana it becomes obvious
that the architecture of socialism dominates the
urban landscape. Avisit to the National Historical
Museum, itself an example of socialist realist art,
will suffice to grasp just how much weight communism
had in Albania's recent history.
Communism came to Albania in 1944, and
relations with other socialist states were normal
up until 1961, when the country's leader, Enver
Hoxha, broke with the 'revisionist' Soviet Union
and decided to draw closer to China. Hoxha imitated
the concept of 'cultural revolution' from
China, but the alliance lasted only until 1978,
when Beijing normalised relations with the
United States and angered Tirana. Albania decided
to go its own, nationalistic and still Stalinist
way, resulting in complete isolation and even
harsher economic conditions.
the most telling example of this being the
building of around 750,000 bunkers between 1974
and 1986 to protect Albanian citizens from what
Tirana perceived as a hostile international environment.
The engineer who designed them was
said to be so confident of their indestructibility
that state officials had a bunker tested against
rockets with the designer himself inside. The
engineer survived, and mass production of bunkers
commenced.
Bunkers are omnipresent
These are now one of the trademarks of the
Albanian landscape. Some, mostly Albanians,
think the bunkers spoil Albania's beautiful countryside,
whereas others, mostly foreigners, see in
the mushroom-like structures a chilling but fascinating
sign of an obscure political history. What is
undeniable is that Albania's bunkers, whose concrete
could have solved much of Albania's housing
problems, are omnipresent: outside cities
and towns, on mountain slopes and hills and on
the seaside, in varying sizes. They are mostly
abandoned, and used as public toilets, waste containers
or lover hideouts.
Yet some have been given a more creative
function: a few concrete structures have been
covered with psychedelic pink and purple motifs
following an initiative of the culture ministry. In
the coastal resort of Durres, less than an hour's
drive from Tirana, bunkers have been re-interpreted
in a more commercial fashion, and now serve
refreshments to sun and water bathers.
Yet some of the attractions of the potential communist
heritage tourism are not as ubiquitous, and
one will literally have to sink deep to find them.
" The ministry of defence is being lobbied to open
unused military bases, some of which are at very
beautiful places, and which could be restored at
museums," Mati told IPS.
One of these places is the bay of Palermo, on
Albania's southern shore, where a former Soviet submarine
base, now abandoned, is begging for visitors.
The World Bank, in cooperation with the ministry of
tourism, is already on the case trying to open up the
infrastructure for tourism. The base is carved on a
cliff in the idyllic bay, which also happens to be one
of the most attractive spots for unspoiled Mediterranean
swimming.