From Agim Xh. Dëshnica
Memorie.al / Many people, like a weary traveler after a long journey, cast their gaze back at the path they have traveled, trying to find the place they set out from. They notice, in the distance, only a faint mist in the shape of mountains, which change colors and fade away, much like the years. In those moments, they recall the months and years when sorrows prevailed over the joys of youth, feeling in their souls the repetition of those moments, something contrary to the saying of the Florentine poet, envisioning a long line of people starting from their grandfather and continuing with the generation of descendants. Behind them are school friends, good collaborators in life and work. The others, the mysterious people of that difficult time, are wiped from memory like leaves in the autumn wind, just as waves wash away footprints in the sand.
Albanian Schools
Around the years of great deception, 1945 and 1946, schools were opened like those before the war, even with the quality books of that turbulent time due to the world war. After primary school, which consisted of five grades, high school continued in Tirana with eight grades, divided into real and classical branches, which was later dissolved. Subsequently, classes continued with “unique” schools that had three grades, and the secondary schools had four grades, one of which was named after the unproclaimed Gymnasium “Qemal Stafa.”
On the right side of Elbasan Street, during the 1945-1946 school year, the voices of primary school students were heard from the inheriting and meaningful school named “Kosova.”
There, typically, children from cultured families living in ‘New Tirana’ studied. In the fifth grade, somewhere in the front rows, sat a boy of average height with noble features, Viktori from the Kasimati family, born in the flower month of 1935. He was attentive in his studies, always ready to answer, kind and generous with friends of all levels, unwavering in his friendships during leisure time.
One day, the new religion teacher, having just entered the classroom for the first lesson in Islamic education, said that anyone who wanted to listen to him could stay. A girl with curly hair, wearing a thin dress and a pink collar stood up and spoke: “I don’t believe,” and she left the classroom, holding her head high.
Later, she would stand out as a ballerina. No one else moved from their seats, not even Viktori, who until recent years was among the worshipers on the first day of Eid at the Et’hem Bey Mosque, greeting his friends. As is known, after some time, the teaching of religion was banned. The ballerina’s family had their villa with a swimming pool and garden nationalized. Viktori continued school with excellent grades in ‘Uniken-3.’ The classic school building previously served as the Historical and Ethnographic Museum. In the courtyard, around lay headless statues, armor, shields, and dark marble bas-reliefs discovered by English and Italian archaeologists in Durrës, Apollonia, and Butrint. During the break, the students would sit on the armors and stone shields and eat five biscuits each from UNRRA supplies.
As it is often known in school, during the week, there were also days of joyous events for everyone. In the cold winter season or on rainy days, a covered wagon with two horses would stop in front of the school gate. Suddenly, Viktori appeared, descending under an umbrella, accompanied by his kind and noble mother. That was enough. The next day, in the wall newspaper, where Viktori also contributed, a cartoon of a boy in the rain, hiding under a blanket, could be seen. The following day, many people would gather in front of the newspaper for a humorous piece by Viktori, which narrated how the Natural Science teacher, while explaining the lesson about the “slugs,” addressed the “painter” K.D., who was scratching his ear: “What do you have with that ear, boy, a gold mine?”
Later, Viktori graduated from the “Qemal Stafa” high school, aligned with graduates who would distinguish themselves in life, in fields such as economics, physics and chemistry, construction and architecture, health and sports, including Shefqet Ndroqi, Petrit Radovicka, Barjam Preza, Osman Kraja, Viktor Kasimati, Besim Daja, Egon Gjadri, Zihni Gjinali, and Rexhep Spahiu, among others. In the field of letters: Jakov Xoxa, Mustafa Grablleshi, Mihal Hanxhari, Petro Zheji, Fatos Kongoli, etc. Artists such as Naim Frashëri, Sandër Prosi, Robert Ndrenika, etc. Painters like Nexhmedin Zajmi, Sali Shijaku, Ksenofon Dilo, etc.
The Kasimat Family
Viktori, just as his name suggested, remained unforgettable forever. This heir comes from a generation of jurists, engineers, doctors, and patriotic scholars. These capable Albanians, with studies in Paris, Rome, and Istanbul, faced varying fates; some survived, while others tragically lost their lives, but their memory and deeds live on. His maternal grandfather was Sulejman Delvina, the Prime Minister elected by the Congress of Lushnja. His paternal grandfather was the Libovar jurist Abdurahaman Kasimati, the father of five children, all with higher education, serving their homeland. Among them was Eng. Refi Kasimati, Viktori’s father, who graduated in Paris and worked in the Ministry of Public Works, while Sabiha Kasimati was a biologist graduated in Rome, working at the Institute of Sciences.
In the novel “November of a Capital,” published in the dark year of 1975, the capital being seized by liberating partisan brigades is masterfully described, with nighttime knocks, abductions, and killings without trial in the eastern part of the city, or in Old Tirana. These were days of panic; some families of old officials were leaving the city. The novel stated among other things: “The Kasimat family is leaving! Why is the writer, with his rich imagination, driving away the patriotic Kasimat family? At their door in New Tirana, only three German soldiers with automatic rifles knocked, demanding the family piano for just one night. The Kasimats had not even considered taking to the roads of exile. Why did engineer Refiu need to leave when he was so necessary for the country’s reconstruction, damaged by war? And what about the unforgettable scholar Sabiha, who needed to leave her work at the Institute of Sciences? And the two brothers, one a doctor, so sought after that year, and the other a jurist?
Crime and Barbaric Punishment!
As understood, “enemy beylers” in this imagined exodus turned out to be poor Sabiha, returned in 1945 to be brutally massacred on the cold night of February 1951 for a bomb thrown by the State Security in the yard behind the Soviet Legation, which shattered some of the building’s rear windows. Her message lives on today: “evolution is in the nature of things. One cannot move towards socialism or democracy by force; it leads only to destruction.” A few years ago, the writer of these lines dedicated these painful verses to the victims of that murderous night. Here is just a fragment:
“The Erzen mournfully flows at the Bridge of Beshiri, swirling and spinning into a whirlpool by the bank beneath the leaves. With rustling in the mud, upon the grass falls tear-streaked blood no matter the crime in the darkness, quietly spreading the word…! The windows of shadows, the niches and thickets, tell of a martyr’s pit in silence, and the stones lament. And the black earth for good people without guilt, among barbed wire stitched alive, from end to end.”
From the pit, from the pit, the souls soared high, with the divine breeze, every anguish was calmed.
An angelic, nimble spirit of the waters, Sabi, Sabiha, morning breeze! In rivers, sea, ocean, her call is heard, the child’s spirit wanders in paradise. The waves murmur: Sabi! Sabi! Sabiha! The waves roar: Sabiha! Sabiha! Sabiha! The Erzen awakened, flowing at the Beshiri bridge, winding and swirling under flowers and leaves, with rustling in the mire and on the grass drop tear-like puddles,
For crimes of darkness, the echoing word spreads…!
At that time when the bloody dictatorship was halted by the echoes of crime, Viktori was turning 16 years old. Two years later, in 1953, he was accepted unconditionally into the University of Tirana, in the Faculty of Civil Engineering, which he completed, as always excellently, in 1958. Trustworthy students, even those with below-average grades, were sent abroad to universities in Moscow, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, and some in Rome or Paris. Viktori did not have that luck; he was not sent to any foreign school, despite being at the top of his class and a master of French and Italian, as well as using English and Russian during his work.
Regarding his employment, as is known, documents that showed the origin of his family background were examined. The diploma that testified to his abilities received a cold glance, as expected. Unlike many others, after completing his studies in 1959, he was assigned to the Technical Department of the Construction Enterprise, with the code name “21 Dhjetori.” This meaningless nickname, according to custom, is still used today by many, not knowing that it refers to the birthday of a brutal Soviet dictator. Where “Kavaja Road” intersects with the Ring Road, the offices of that enterprise used to be located.
Together with the center’s site, there were several sections, such as carpentry for doors and windows, the vehicle workshop, and a park of construction trucks, etc. In the technical department, Engineer Viktori worked for about two years, overseeing the technical control of construction in Tirana. He was then transferred to the Building Materials Combine in Laprakë, responsible for the laboratory that conducted analyses of cement, sand, and concrete. Later, he was tasked by the Ministry of Construction to study and experiment with pre-stressed concrete, a challenging and responsible task. This research work, unknown until then in our country, aimed to reduce the amount of steel in concrete through cold drawing of the steel.
After numerous tests with loads, the set goal was achieved. In collaboration with the Institute of Construction Technology, this new work was disseminated even to other regions. For some time, Viktori also directed the technological bureau of the Combine. However, during his work, he was not free from concerns caused by misguided interventions from above, even in ordinary concrete, with dangerous consequences. Unlike the powerless architects against these interventions, Engineer Kasimati, with his known wisdom, did not allow any changes to be made in the reinforced concrete constructions. Thus, while architecture advanced in the world, in our country, beginning with the capital, ordinary buildings were seen, with an unattractive appearance from the outside and many deficiencies inside. The opposite occurred with their stability, thanks to the adherence to technical conditions, especially for the concrete, for which the constructing engineer worked with determination.
Viktor Kasimati participated in every technical meeting and gladly collaborated with economists. His name was regularly noted in the committees for drafting manuals for the Ministry of Construction. In the factories and yards of the Combine, work was laborious with three shifts. The construction sites were supplied with materials to support the erection of standard apartments. Meanwhile, a new direction emerged, such as the construction of new factories for heavy industry, such as the Tractor Factory, Tank Factory, Metallurgical Combine, and finally the defense bunkers for the army. This political and economic madness, planned, ended with the collapse of the socialist system and the fall of the dictatorship. However, Engineer Viktori’s concerns did not separate from those who sent letters upward.
Thus, a poet machinist, returned without a diploma from the capital of an Eastern country, in addition to his work as a mechanic, began to gather data on construction issues from all over. Often, in the course of conversations, he would ask and note explanations related to pre-tensioning. Viktori, beloved by everyone, would describe that theory to him with almost all its details. All these were enough for the poet mechanic to send a dangerous letter to the Prime Minister, complaining that bureaucrats and technocrats, like Viktor Kasimati and someone else, had hindered his advance to master the art of concreting.
Suddenly, at a meeting in the Combine, the grim and strict Minister of Construction, Rrahman Hanku, appeared. After questions and answers, everything was clarified. A bit later, around 1974, engineer Viktor Kasimati, having been confined for fourteen years in the smoky Combine filled with dust and intrigues, left triumphantly, appointed to the Institute of Studies and Projects for Hydraulic Works, to engage in further research. In the novel, as previously mentioned, a year later it was written: “The Kasimat family is leaving!”
The Triumph of the Dreamed Time
In 1992, engineer Viktori was an employee at the Institute of Construction Technology and later became its director. Unfortunately, even today, we read in the daily press erroneous writings about the value of concrete works. Many people are concerned about these frightening terms from journalists. Reinforced concrete constructions in our country, rich in stones and poor in wood, are the only possibility for the construction of ports, dams, bridges, apartments, etc., in accordance with technical conditions, scientifically approved by specialists like engineer Viktori and his collaborators.
Serious violations are noted only in architecture with project planning and the construction of multi-story buildings, which pose difficult problems over a flawed urban plan. In every case, engineer Viktori’s experience and assistance, along with other constructors, are triumphant. There are numerous examples when, after the reckless use of explosives, buildings remain steadfast, just like the beloved name Viktori, “Victorious.”
From 1992 to 1997, engineer Viktor Kasimati’s new activity was as director of the Department of Economic Relations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Therefore, after a lengthy experience, he would work with new economic ideas, with services in countries such as Greece, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Turkey, etc. Meanwhile, a long-held dream of difficult youth was realized as he crossed the imaginary border between slavery and freedom, alongside diplomats at international meetings.
Briefly, the Works of Engineer Viktor Kasimati:
Technical control of construction materials, especially concrete, steel, reinforced concrete, and other cement-based materials.
Designer in the Maritime Ports Sector. Participated in the development of projects for: the eastern pier at the Port of Durrës (pier, squares, engineering networks, roads, railways, etc.)
Dredging at the Ports of Durrës, Shëngjin, and Vlorë.
Complete project concept for the New Port of Vlorë.
Project organization for the construction of the western breakwater at the New Port of Vlorë.
Pier in Himara.
At the “Port Project” studio: From 1999 to 2010: Engineer for port design at the “Port Project” studio, consultant, and designer. Participated in the development of projects:
For renovations and constructions at the Port of Shëngjin (pier, squares, breakwater, dredging).
For new constructions at the Port of Saranda (pier and squares).
Project concept for port infrastructure for the processing of oil and liquefied gas products in Porto-Romano in Durrës.
Changes and Updates in the Expansion of the “O” Pier in the Port of Vlorë
For the loads of designing civil and industrial building structures.
For studying the effect of wind on construction structures.
Designing reinforced concrete structures for civil buildings.
Scientific Articles in the Press from 1961-1973:
1961: Assembly stairs, the first pre-stressed slabs.
1962: Assembly stairs, two-story prefabricated assembly buildings.
Reinforced concrete column in the shape of a “T”, for the reinforcement of my galleries. Columns with cylindrical reinforced concrete. Trusses and crane bridge girders of reinforced concrete. Pre-cast “F” slabs. Pre-cast “V” slabs for spans up to 15 m. Standardized mass pre-fabricated units, priority for pre-tensioning before concreting.
1973: For necessary products, adapting existing workshops or establishing new workshops. The installation of a CAP crane and the expansion of the prefabrication polygon.
Some Sad Thoughts!
Reflecting on the entire activity of the patriotic scholar, as one quickly glances at Volume 2 of the Albanian Encyclopedia Dictionary prepared by the Academy of Sciences, with a clearly oppositional stance, even in 2008, the heavy spirit of the class struggle is felt. From the Kasimati family, a very poor entry only briefly mentions Sabiha Kasimati, the scientist daughter, whose fame has long crossed the borders of Albania.
In that poorly revised Encyclopedia Dictionary, names of engineers who lived are seen, under the level of Engineer Viktor Kasimati. Even in the pathetic appendix, names of forgotten martyrs of the nation, such as Gani Butka, or of freedom poets who were executed, like Vilsoni and Leka, the beautiful name of Viktori, secretly persecuted, is missing, perhaps as revenge for the name of his massacred Sabiha, whom he revived with his powerful interviews.
Familiarity with all this activity of the patriotic scholar, when taking a quick glance at Volume 2 of the Albanian Encyclopedia Dictionary prepared by the Academy of Sciences, with a clear oppositional stance, even in 2008, the heavy spirit of the class struggle is felt. From the Kasimati family, a very poor entry briefly mentions only Sabiha Kasimati, the scholarly daughter, whose fame has long crossed the borders of Albania.
In that mismanaged Encyclopedia Dictionary, names of engineers who are alive are seen, below the level of Engineer Viktor Kasimati. Also in the miserable appendix, names of forgotten martyrs of the nation, such as Gani Butka, or poets of freedom who were executed, like Wilson and Leka, the beautiful name of Viktori, who was secretly persecuted, is missing, perhaps as revenge for his murdered mother Sabiha, whom he revived with his powerful interviews.
The End of the Life of a Creative Scholar
The ascent of a bright star into the sky. In his free time, Viktori also engaged in reading literature in Albanian, French, Italian, etc. He enjoyed reading opposition newspapers, such as ‘RD’ among others. Nevertheless, in his rich library, most of the books were publications in the technical field. Every week, on a determined day and hour, he would meet with his work friends in a café at the top of “Hoxha Tahasim” Street.
On anniversaries, he was always present at the commemoration meeting for the 22 victims of the Beshir Bridge. His interviews about his own mother, Sabiha Kasimati, are well known. On various occasions, he would meet old employees, technicians, and engineers from the Combine. In July, he would spend time with family, somewhere in a warm bay on the southern side of Himara.
In these hot holiday days, in a warm bay in Himara, the good residents of that area and the blue waves of the Ion will no longer see Viktori sitting on the shore, in the clean air, gazing into the distance. Instead, suddenly, in early July 2015, on the second day, his weary heart ceased to beat. He departed from life, a life so desired by him. However, as a continuation of it, his friends will remember him, especially his tireless colleague, Engineer Elsa Kasimati, with her descendants, among them the young nephew, Konstantin, the hopeful new man of Albania.
Curiously, this name reminds us of the hymn:
“Flag that Saint Constantine bequeathed / Unites Islam with Christianity / Proclaims brotherhood among religions / A generous flag for Humanity.” The triumph of free thought elevated a bright star in the sky: Viktori, the excellent student, the talented engineer, the science journalist, the capable diplomat, the patriot, and the idealist of human love. Memorie.al
