During travels in Albania you will observe a large number of concrete bunkers or, as they are also called, DOTs - long-term firing points of different sizes. Some of them have already been significantly destroyed, some are used for agricultural needs, and some have a cafe by the sea. Now bunkers are Albania's business card, you can see their photos on postcards, postage stamps, etc.
History of the origin of bunkers
When the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha quarreled with a powerful state of the USSR led by Stalin, he decided that war was inevitable and it was necessary to save his fellow countrymen by any means. Over 40 years of government, according to various sources, 600 to 900 thousand bunkers of different sizes appeared on the bunker for a family. More often, DOTs can be found on the territory of the alleged attack, i.e. along the coastline and on the border.
Considering that each of the bunkers cost about $ 2,000, the entire budget of the country was directed to their construction. The country was absolutely impoverished, the majority of the population were beyond the poverty line, almost half of the people were illiterate and could neither read nor write. Armed conflicts in Albania have never been, so bunkers were built in vain and money went to nowhere.
Legend
According to the legend, Enver Hoxha instructed the best military designers to create a DOT, which will withstand not only gunshots, but also a nuclear explosion. He had many projects of fire points of different sizes and shapes, but he liked the concrete hemisphere, similar to a plate of alien creatures. The dictator was not sure of the reliability of this structure and ordered the construction of this bunker, and in order to test it for strength, plant the designer in a bunker and shoot it for three days and at the end throw off a small bomb. The bunker was tested, the designer survived and after this experiment went mad, and the country began to appear the same in form, but different in size bunkers.
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Types of bunkers
Outside, all the bunkers in Albania look the same, but only after looking closely and going inside you can see that there are several differences. Small concrete hemispheres about 3 meters in diameter, located low to the ground and with a small fire window - these are anti-personnel bunkers. The second kind of bunkers was created already for artillery, they also represent a concrete hemisphere, but a larger diameter, with an armored door behind and a window under the barrel of a large caliber gun. The windows were directed towards a probable attack along the shore. There is also a government bunker in the city of Envera, so that in case of an attack all the elite of the state could be saved and survived in the bunker. Since 2010, bunkers can be visited by tourists.
In addition to fire bunkers, Albania also built bunkers for the preservation of military equipment in the event of an attack from the air and repair work of marine equipment. To date, there are two bunkers, intended for artillery and aircraft. In one of them you can get there - there are about 50 decommissioned aircraft and some of the guns. Also, two subsea submarines were built to repair submarines.
Practical use
Considering the fact that it is problematic to demolish these structures, local residents try to somehow remake them for their own needs. For example, they are used for agricultural purposes: grain and hay are stored in them, they are converted to hen houses and barns, they are equipped with showers. In cities and on the beaches of them make locker rooms, small warehouses, shops. Also in Durres you can visit the restaurant of Albanian cuisine on the beach of Bunkeri Blu ("Blue Bunker") and see a kiosk for ice cream from the concrete hemisphere. Most bunkers can be accessed without hindrance, but if you want to see the fields dotted with concrete structures or get to the depot of decommissioned aircraft - contact local guides, they will help you get there and have excellent excursions to interesting places.
Albanian authorities initially planned to completely destroy the echoes of dictatorial heritage, but this is quite expensive. Therefore, it was decided to rebuild the bunkers for cheap hotels to attract more tourists. In the town of Thale, not far from the wonderful resort of Shengjin , enterprising students have already opened one such hostel. If this type of alteration will be in demand, other major bunkers in Albania will be rebuilt.
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