In the spring, long ago, in 1973, I had the opportunity to visit Albania. Communist Albania was then in total isolation; it could not be entered or traveled from. This also applied to ordinary citizens, and especially to journalists, who were prevented from visiting this "land of eagles". There were "various communisms", soft, hard, softer... Tito also characterized Eurocommunism; Communist Party of Spain Santiago Karilja and legendary La Passionarie, then the Communist Party of Italy, which he led Enrico Berlinguer...
Albanian leader Enver Hoxha, modeled on Soviet communism; He closed Albania, completely isolated it from the rest of the world. They say he was a striking, extremely beautiful man. He cooperated closely with Tito until 1948, so then a high delegation of the Albanian secret service Sigurimi visited Cetinje and visited the Montenegrin Udba. And when Tito broke down Stalin, giving him the famous "no", Enver broke off cooperation with Yugoslavia, although diplomatic relations, such as they were, existed...
The Soviet leader also came to Shkodra Nikita Khrushchev.
Yugoslavia, however, was answered by Albania, which did not join the blocs. Tito never visited Albania, but he treated it with care. He also used visits to Montenegro for messages to Albania.
- We have more or less normal and friendly relations with all our neighbors. We also want to have good relations with Albania. Admittedly, our systems are different, but that should not be a reason for weak relations on the state line - said Tito on August 7, 1970 in Žabljak. - I think we have opportunities for successful cooperation in matters of preserving independence, integrity and non-interference in our internal affairs. We have common interests here. In addition, there are opportunities to expand our relations on the economic level. We want good relations with Albania. And I believe that the Albanian people will not refuse the hand that we extend to them in order to improve mutual cooperation...
...In March, 1973, "Sutjeska" from Nikšić played a European match with "Labinotia" football players from Elbasan. "Inturs" from Titograd, which operated as part of the powerful "Industriaimport", organized two buses for football players, the management of "Sutjeska", fans and journalists. The Titograd Television team traveled in a "sitroen" - a "shark", previously unseen in Shkodër, which aroused particular interest.
Even from the border, we could see extremely well-cultivated fields up to the edge of the road itself. Even the gravelly soil is patterned and planted with walnut trees. Much attention, apparently, was paid to agriculture; poultry farms and covered beds where the first tomatoes will soon turn red.
The fans were mostly from Titograd and Tuzani who had many relatives in Shkodër. Shocking scenes; tears, sobs. Many, after many decades, met their fellow man. A large crowd gathered.
We had lunch in a Skadar restaurant with a delicious dish made with rice. We thought about Shkodër. We were a little late, so the football players of "Sutjeska", Joja Damjanović i Drago Kovačević Četka, justifiably angry that tomorrow they will play the game tired and sleepless...
There were no private cars and no private apartments in Albania at that time. A horse-drawn carriage passed by. They're all on bikes. Churches and mosques were transformed into houses of culture. Stores modestly stocked; mainly Chinese goods, pencils, fountain pens, school crayons. Bread was also sold "in slices". Time is scarce of all. Diplomatic representatives of countries that had embassies in Tirana were supplied with food products in Titograd.
And a reminder: one afternoon I was sitting in the Titograd restaurant "Ribnica" with a city official Voj Raičević. He came across Novak Pribićević, Yugoslav ambassador to Albania. He was on his way to Tirana. Vojo Raičević told his driver to go to the butcher and buy a few kilograms of meat. The driver brought a package of meat that Raičević handed to Pribićević. The ambassador thanked for a long time...
...On a March day in 1973, I walk through the streets of Shkodër, emblazoned with slogans "Long live Marxism-Leninism", "Not eight hours of work, but eight hours of work", "Enver Hoxha" and the like. Stalin's bust on the square. I took my camera and took as many photos as I wanted. Surely the Sigurimi was zealously watching my every move, but no one bothered me. It seems that even then, even though Enver was still in power, some embryo of Albanian openness, freedom...
While I was sitting in a tavern in Skadar, a seventy-two-year-old woman approached me. He said his name was Đuka Drasković, a native of Nikšić. She got married in Shkodër to Mark Dodu, who had come to Nikšić "for work".
- I would be happy to come to my Nikšić, which I haven't seen in more than half a century! - old woman Đuka tells me. - To see Montenegro, then to die...
We stayed in Durres, at the "Volga" hotel, and from there we went to the match in nearby Elbasan. The stadium is full, and the audience is in a theatrical atmosphere. "Labinoti" beat "Sutjeska" 2-1. No aberration; more than a game! It was a significant step forward in a country that was then tamed, neighboring us...
I wrote, of course, the text for my register paper "Pobjedu", and then me Sergije Lukač, the editor of NIN asked me to send them a text from my trip to Albania at the time. I sent the report and five photos. All this, under the title "Leje, parole, bicycli", was published in NIN number 1160 from April 1, 1973. That's how my twenty-year collaboration with NIN began.
- Between NIN and Slobodan Vuković, a special relationship was established in which there was mutual respect and mutual respect for integrity, which brought great profit for both parties - he said Slobodan Reljic, editor-in-chief of NIN.
NIN also published a book of reports for me "Between Two Heavens".
- Let's go to Shkoder! - said my daughter and wife in unison. I didn't need to be told twice. I'm an old traveler. We sat in the car last weekend and headed for Skadar. At the border only with an ID card! Within an hour we were in Shkodër, the fourth largest Albanian city, an important economic and cultural center of northern Albania.
Admittedly, the distance is too short for me. I flew kites to Australia for nineteen hours, and once, on the way to Latin America, we landed in Cape Verde! Then there are thirty-two flights across the Atlantic... But, as the people of Staro Podgorica would say - they want it!
And: here I am in Shkodër, after fifty years! As if it was not me, but some old man, a former world traveler, still plowed for travel... I immediately noticed that the meadows and fields were not cultivated as before; weedy. Apparently, we no longer live only from agriculture...
And Skadar na Bojana is always in the hearts of Montenegrins. In many Montenegrin houses, there were some beautiful things, bought in Shkodër. It was a concept of trade, but also of dynamic consular times. A few buildings are left that remind us of that time. I came across the house I photographed fifty years ago! It's still standing. Admittedly, it was plastered with some advertisements, but there were no more political slogans on its wall.
Shkodra, then and now.
The city has almost changed its face in recent years. He also received the University, which, by the way, is developing successful cooperation with the University of Montenegro. Modern buildings were built. The mosque, the cathedral and the Orthodox church coexist in a prominent place. Instead of Stalin, a bronze figure was placed Mother Teresa. It is promoted by numerous young people. Swarms of cars; "Mercedes", "Golfs", "Audi", "BMW", "Volvo"... Parking is hard to find. Cyclists, everywhere; it is, without a doubt, part of the culture of this city. Shkadranka and Shkadran on bicycles. It's also nice to see the weather ladies deftly turning the pedals. Although there are bike lanes, they ride on the road; equal participants in traffic, and flat Skadar suitable for driving. On a bicycle and older Skadrans in suits, with ties. They drink cappuccino with a glass of wine in cafes. I too, in the cafe across the street from the National Museum, sipped an excellent cappuccino; by the way: cheaper than in Podgorica.
There is some elegance, warmth, in Skadranki and Skadrani; it remains from the famous Skadar consular times. She lived in Shkodër and Jelena, daughter Duke Gavro Vuković, long-term minister of foreign affairs of the Principality of Montenegro; married to Aleks Martinović, since 1914, the Montenegrin consul in Shkodër. Montenegro opened a consulate in Shkodra as early as 1863.
Shkodra is a Mediterranean city; only twenty kilometers from the Adriatic Sea. You can see it in the old architecture.
Cars with license plates of Podgorica, Tuza, Cetinje, Nikšić, Tivat, Danilovgrad, Bijelo Polje drive by. I didn't notice that they were particularly interested in shopping. They come to Shkodra to have a nice day; they have a good lunch of superbly prepared carp grilled or in a pan, most often in a fish restaurant in Bojana, not far from the medieval Rozafa fortress...
In the afternoon we headed to Montenegro. Albanian border guards are friendly, as are Montenegrin ones; smiling, funny. We cross the state border with an ID card. This will be the case when Montenegro enters the European Union. And not only that; it will be possible to get a job in any country of the Union. Will we see it!? I hope so...
Bonus video:
