Photo reportage about the island of Sazan 1915 – 1921
On October 30, 1914, the Italian cruiser "ETNA" landed a company of the Italian Royal Navy on the island of Sazan. According to the Treaty of London of 1915, Italy was promised, among other things, sovereignty over Sazan, Vlora and its hinterland. Italy began without wasting time an ambitious construction program to turn the island into a naval base for the Italian navy to control the Strait of Otranto, which with the outbreak of the First War assumed great importance. The photo album with 91 photos illustrates the progress of the fortification works throughout the First War; the military port in the bay of Saint Kolli, the artillery batteries, the decovil road, the cable car for the transportation of building materials, the buildings of support services and the command buildings. The seal of the military unit that carried out the constructions on the island can be seen behind the photographs; 'SESSIONS STACCATA GENIO MILIT .R. MARINA *BRINDISI*'. On the night of November 11, 1916, sailing between Vlora and Sazan, the ship of the Italian royal fleet 'Regina Margherita' sank with part of the crew. In memory of the fifth anniversary of the tragic event, on November 11, 1921, a memorial and a chapel were erected to serve the military personnel. Both objects were destroyed during the dictatorial regime.
Reportage on the construction of the port of Durrës
The Port of Durrës was built during the Albanian Kingdom through a 50 million Fr. loan. Ar. of Benito Mussolini's government, granted by the 'Society for Economic Development of Albania' - SVEA (Societa per lo Svilupo Economico delle Albania) for investments in Albanian infrastructure, half of which was intended for the construction of the port of Durrës. Work began in June 1928 and was completed in June 1934. The new port was designed by the eminent Italian port engineer Luigi Luiggi. The works were carried out by the Trieste company "Ing. Fratelli Mazorana". In conclusion, the new port of Durrës had a very modern infrastructure for the time and was connected by an underwater telegraph cable to Brindisi, for the transmission of the meteorological bulletin. Its surface after construction was 35,000 m².
Visit of Count Ciano
Count Galeazzo Ciano, Foreign Minister in Benito Mussolini's government, came to Albania several times during the years 1937-1940. The photos illustrate his visit in April 29, 1937.
Reportage from the city of Durrës
The images illustrate the old Ottoman city at the turn of the century, as well as the later public and civil constructions of 1929-1940.
Pilgrimage to "Altitude 731", Rehovë, Skrapar
A reportage of Istituto “LUCE”, describing the pilgrimage of June 3, 1941, commemorating the fallen in the battle of Hill 731, the bloodiest battle of Italo-Greek War.
A 1941 flight over Albania
Album of the Anonymous Society "ALA LITTORIA" with an aerial view from Albania. The company "ALA LITTORIA" was the Italian national line during the fascist regime which also operated in Albania in the years 1935 - 1943. During the 1940s the company improved and built new airport infrastructure and extended its activity throughout Albania. The aerial images document the cities of Gjirokastra, Tepelena, Lezha, Kruja, as well as the newly built structures of the aerodromes of Devolli, Kukes, Peshkopia, etc
Album on the construction of the Durrës - Peqin railway
The railway from Durrës to Peqin, known as the "Youth" railway, was built with the so-called voluntary contribution of Albanian young men and women. It was the first railway in the country, with a length of 44 km. The works for its construction started on May 1, 1947 and it was inaugurated on November 7, 1947 by Enver Hoxha.
Album of the collective of the Ministry of Construction on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Party, 1951
The album illustrates moments of the realization of 4 works: Hydropower plant "Lenin" and Textile Combine "Stalin" in Tirana, sugar factory "8 November" in Maliq, cotton ginning factory in Fier.
Album on the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Party, Korçë 1951
The main event was the inauguration of the "8 November" sugar factory in Maliq, a gift from the Soviet Union.
Album Ulza "Enver Hydroelectric Plant"
The photo album illustrates the construction of the "Enver" hydropower plant, which was later renamed "Karl Marks". The first four HPPs built in the 1950s - 1960s were named after the four classics of Marxism-Leninism, "VI Lenin" in Selitë, "Karl Marx" and "Frederik Engels" on the Mat river and "JV Stalin" on Bistrica river. The "Karl Marx" hydropower plant was built during the second 5-year period (1956-1960) and was fully financed by the aid package of the Soviet Union. Works on the HPP began in October 1954 and the first turbine was put into use in 1957. Photographer Jani Ristani.
The visit of the high delegation to China, Vietnam, Korea and Mongolia in June 1960
The senior Albanian delegation consisted of the President of the Presidium of the People's Assembly Haxhi Lleshi, Liri Belishova, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and other high authorities. The delegation held high-level meetings in the People's Republic of China, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of Mongolia.
Albanian pioneers in the "Wilhelm Pieck" camp in the German Democratic Republic
Album on the participation of Albanian pioneers in the international summer camp of the Republic of Pioneers "Wilhelm Pieck" in the German Democratic Republic in 1961.
Enver Hoxha's visit to Permet on May 24, 1964
The Përmet Congress, the first anti-fascist congress of the National Liberation Movement, where the post-war form of government was outlined, was one of the most emblematic dates in communist historiography, which was commemorated and celebrated with greatness by the regime. The album illustrates the visit of the senior leaders of the communist regime to the 20th anniversary of the Congress.
Construction of the "Frederik Engels" hydroelectric plant
The second hydroelectric plant on the course of the river Mat, in the mouth of Shkopet, began to be built in 1959 and was put into operation in 1963. Until the end of the 1990s, it was known as "Frederik Engels". The album illustrates the different stages of the construction of this hydropower plant
From the album on the history of the plant "Tirana"
Visit of the deputy prime minister Adil Çarçani and the chairman of the Executive Committee of Tirana Abdyl Këllezi, to the "Tirana" plant. The small department within the "Partizani" plant in 1967 was separated to create the "Tirana" plant, which was known for the production of various equipment such as bicycles, baby carriages, various lighting fixtures, etc.
Enver Hoxha's visit to Permet on May 24, 1969
May 24 was one of the most emblematic dates of communist historiography, which was commemorated and celebrated with greatness by the regime. In addition to the annual celebrations, every 5 years the highest leaders of the communist regime landed in Përmet. The album illustrates their visit on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Përmet Congress.
GIOVANNI RUGGIERO - August 8th 1991. The desperates of "Vlora".
The twenty thousand of Vlora had a dream of freedom which was shattered in Italy in little more than a week. A few months earlier, in March, other compatriots had attempted the same fate. It had gone well for them, but this time, the Italy that they had believed was a second mother and had begun to know and love clandestinely - like a secret lover - through our television programs, showed itself to be a stepmother.They were fed in the stadium by throwing sandwiches and quenched their thirst with other throws of bottles of mineral water. The order was to exhaust them to induce them to leave, mortifying them. Too bad we were there with our notebooks and our cameras. The Italian Caritas rose, and half the world pointed the finger at Italy.In these shameful days began my love for Albania and its people. I would have liked to ask each of them, when I was wandering around the stadium in deep dejection: «But where are you running from, to run away like this?» I wanted to know. GIOVANNI RUGGIERO - 8 Agosto 1991. I disperati di “Vlora".I ventimila della Vlora avevano un sogno di libertà che s’infranse in Italia in poco più di una settimana. Qualche mese prima, a marzo, altri connazionali avevano tentato identica sorte. A loro era andata bene, ma questa volta, l‘Italia che avevano creduto fosse una seconda madre e avevano cominciato a conoscere e ad amare in modo clandestino – come un’amante segreta – attraverso i programmi della nostra televisione, si mostrò matrigna.Venivano sfamati nello stadio con lancio di panini e dissetati con altri lanci di bottiglie di acqua minerale. L’ordine era quello di sfiancarli per indurli a partire, mortificandoli. Peccato ci fossimo noi con i nostri taccuini, le nostre telecamere e le nostre macchine fotografiche. Insorse la Caritas Italiana, mezzo mondo puntò il dito contro l’Italia.Ho cominciato in questi giorni della vergogna ad amare l’Albania e la sua gente. Avrei voluto chiedere ad ognuno di loro – quando giravo per lo stadio in un profondo avvilimento – agli Altin, ai Bashkim, ai Meti o agli Ilir: «Ma da dove scappi, per scappare così?» Volevo sapere.