Along our travels Matt took a special interest in the local oddity of abandoned military bunkers that are a common sight scattered across the landscape (an average of 24 bunkers for every square kilometre of land).
After nearly forty year's of crazy, dictatorial, isolationist rule over the People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Enver Hoxha left behind a legacy of more than 700,000 bunkers - one for every four inhabitants. They were built in every corner of Albania. They created a permanent sense of paranoia for Albanians who encountered their sniper windows at every turn; but the enemy never came. Having fulfilled their expensive yet worthless function, the bunkers were abandoned following the collapse of communism in 1990. Most are now derelict or have been removed, but a small number have been reused including for residential accommodation, cafes, storehouses and shelters for animals or the homeless.
Starting as a Soviet ally, Hoxha declared the USSR to be revisionist and anti-Marxist after the death of Stalin, and soon all of the Warsaw Pact nations ended their allegiance with Albania. Hoxha then took China as Albania's ally, which only lasted until 1977, after which he tried to make the country self-sufficient.
During his control of the country, Hoxha banned religion, foreign travel, and often used his secret police to stop any dissent. Almost a quarter of the budget went to the military, much of it spent on building bunkers. The prototype for the bunkers was built in the 1950s, with the chief engineer assuring Hoxha that it would withstand a full assault from a tank. Hoxha decided to test it, with the engineer inside, and when he emerged unscathed from the attack mass production began.
Fearing an invasion from his former Soviet allies or NATO, Hoxha had enough concrete and steel bunkers built to meet an army of millions. They grew like sinister grey mushrooms from the mountains to the coastline, sprouting up in neighbourhoods, fields, playgrounds, cemeteries, and on beaches.
In 2009, T-59s, a Chinese version of a Soviet-era tank, were rolled onto the Albanian beaches to destroy some of the bunkers that were threatening safety. Several people had drowned in the whirlpools around the bunkers, and the concrete was eroding and cracking from the ocean waves. The years of communist isolation followed by uncontrolled capitalism have left Albania one of Europe's poorest countries.
As such the around 800 euro cost to destroy each bunker is a huge drain for the country as it attempts to move out from the shadow of Enver Hoxha.
Starting as a Soviet ally, Hoxha declared the USSR to be revisionist and anti-Marxist after the death of Stalin, and soon all of the Warsaw Pact nations ended their allegiance with Albania. Hoxha then took China as Albania's ally, which only lasted until 1977, after which he tried to make the country self-sufficient.
During his control of the country, Hoxha banned religion, foreign travel, and often used his secret police to stop any dissent. Almost a quarter of the budget went to the military, much of it spent on building bunkers. The prototype for the bunkers was built in the 1950s, with the chief engineer assuring Hoxha that it would withstand a full assault from a tank. Hoxha decided to test it, with the engineer inside, and when he emerged unscathed from the attack mass production began.
Fearing an invasion from his former Soviet allies or NATO, Hoxha had enough concrete and steel bunkers built to meet an army of millions. They grew like sinister grey mushrooms from the mountains to the coastline, sprouting up in neighbourhoods, fields, playgrounds, cemeteries, and on beaches.
In 2009, T-59s, a Chinese version of a Soviet-era tank, were rolled onto the Albanian beaches to destroy some of the bunkers that were threatening safety. Several people had drowned in the whirlpools around the bunkers, and the concrete was eroding and cracking from the ocean waves. The years of communist isolation followed by uncontrolled capitalism have left Albania one of Europe's poorest countries.
As such the around 800 euro cost to destroy each bunker is a huge drain for the country as it attempts to move out from the shadow of Enver Hoxha.
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