Albania. To go and come back

Albania wants to leave forever immediately after crossing the border. In principle, such a desire arises when you visit many countries. The uniqueness of Albania is that this desire does not disappear with time.



Forget everything you know about Europe, if you are traveling to Albania - the country closer to Europe is only geographically: vendetta, urban studies in Tirana and other Albanian horrors of capitalism - all it is a new edition of "Buzzing in slush».

After the collapse of the socialist regimes of Eastern Europe and the elimination of the Albanian socialist republic new authorities have chosen a liberal course. The Soviet system of permits, certifications and regulatory authorities were in fact dismantled and the public was given a long-awaited economic freedom. The results of this can be seen today in Albania with the naked eye:



We talk to Ghent - the only one he considers representative of the creative class in Albania "Here are all live in families and clans. You may not be able to do anything (which characterizes the majority of the population), but you must be part of the family and clan. All therefore they live in large heaps, and when 10 years ago I told my parents that I will shoot myself a separate apartment, everyone was shocked. They thought that with me that something is wrong! "Now Gent after many years of work as a translator at the international organizations in Tirana is trying to promote a web-design. Beginning not found understanding on the part of potential customers, as most limited to the creation of the page in Facebook.

The actual elimination of the licensing system in the building led to the fact that the owners of the apartments began to build up and expand their balconies and happy inhabitants of the first floor and all illegal extensions were added, grabbing the pavement:



Real unemployment in Albania, according to some experts, up to 40%, and get workplace can in practice only through family ties and clan. Some clans are better than others - the correct name of still defines much of Albania on which way your salary will differ from the average of 250 euros a month, before you and I will talk to traffic police.

Illegal markets occupy city squares:


Corruption permeates all the past 20 years, again gave rise to the phenomenon, which is almost finished under the communist regime - a blood feud. Deliberate killing of one member of the family / clan leads to the fact that the clan is required to kill the murderer or his family member - otherwise the family loses their status in society. As a rule, does not end there, because Family killer begins to take revenge too. It can reach the point that all men are killed in the two clans. "It would be logical to stop killing the murderer. It seems to be a negative one - it all fits together, revenge accomplished, you can go home. But why it is so rarely get. Perhaps they have something with mathematics, "- sad joke Gent.

Brodyahie dogs have become one of the signs of Albania:


In Albania, all signs of poor Asian countries: stray dogs, broken homes, slums, private business captured the public space, the intricacies of wires in the streets, garbage and natural markets. At the same time all the right laws exist, but they are not implemented: in the cafes and restaurants and full of smoke ("But no longer smoke in city buses but» & quot; - notes Gent), car parked in several rows on the sidewalks, and in any place there illegal advertising.

Illicit trade:


Road traffic is a chaos of cars, pedestrians and cyclists traveling in all directions:


Another resident of Tirana Sokol says, "I tried to speak with the owner of the restaurant, which has exposed all the tables on the pavement, and people are forced to go out on the road and risk their lives. I asked him to explain why he did it. Does not he understand that this is everybody's way ?? He told me he did not know, and that some customers like to sit on the sidewalk. But this is our sidewalk - me and another two million Albanians! "Falcon did not stop talking, and made a statement to the police. "They looked at me like I was crazy, turned away and just left! It does not need anything to anyone! "Six months later, the tables and stand on the old site.

Here the sidewalks are busy fish:


Typical street near the center of Tirana - no asphalt, lighting, sidewalks, and travel on her car is fraught with serious damage:


10 years ago, the mayor of Tirana, the Albanian emigrant became artist from London. Having inherited a city with huge problems in almost everything he found nothing better than to paint the Soviet five-story building in the center of a different color. "He is a draftsman, and that's done, he can," - joking Gent. Our homegrown urbanists recently admired how he changed the face of great dull Soviet city. "It's just tasteless - to paint it all in cheerful colors! Instead, he virtually eliminated the system of building permits, resulting in Tirana looked like the Asian Shanty Town, filled with illegal constructions. It is necessary to call the inside yard - there is simply no place for all the built-up area. Not even the numbering of houses. If I need to get to a certain address, I have to call and ask friends to meet, "- said another Falcon. Mayor emigre was not talented nugget of Bohemia, and the heir of a powerful clan party. Now the former mayor became Prime Minister of Albania, and the five-story building 10 years later peeled off again and are a sad reminder of how dangerous amateurs in management:


The tanks on the roofs accumulate tap water, which is supplied on schedule. There are great restaurants generators - as frequent power outages.

Another characteristic of Albania, which is easy to find anywhere else in Europe, people are digging in garbage containers. It Gypsies have traditionally engaged in the collection and sorting of plastic waste:


As in Cairo, there its like the city scavengers. We accidentally got there at night, wandering around in a car for a broken city glades to find the right address. Finally, at the end of the street there is dark glow - a Roma harness them unnecessary garbage. Not being included in the clan system in Albania, the Roma have become the default lower class of local society. Family Murad living in this place for over 100 years:


Already sorted waste:


During all this time they have managed to build only a primitive huts from pieces of roofing metal found in landfills wooden parts. Heating by means of small stoves:






Authorities regularly promised relocation to a more comfortable housing, but so far, nothing happens. When he left, we leave the children chocolates, which they eagerly pounce.


Murad and his family

Most of the working population engaged in agriculture, and has only the most basic education. This affects the appearance and the mentality of the locals: severe frowning face, black leather jacket and gopnicheskoe behavior unmistakable to those who lived in Russia in the 90s. Such repulsive people I have not seen in any other country.

Try to find at least one is a nice person:


Trying to find on the navigator cozy coffee shop with internet in the center of Tirana (McDonald's or BurgerKinga not here), among dozens of names I can not find any where I would like to go: in the eyes dazzled by the cafe "Sport", "Maria", "Valentino" and "Mercedes". Especially "Mercedes". "In Albania, there is some special cult" Mercedes ". Just Mercedes - it's a good car. Since many machines are stolen in Europe since the government does not ask questions about the origin of a car, why not steal a Mercedes if the car still goes free. "- explains Gent.

In 2010, the citizens of Albania were allowed visa-free entrance of the Schengen area.