Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al/publishes the State Security document with the initials “Top secret” where a summary is made regarding the files of foreign women, Russian, Romanian, etc., who were married to Albanian citizens, such as: Nadezhda Kabashi, Zoje Gulina, Roza Gulina, Nina Pumo, Eleni Pëllumbi, etc., who were arrested and convicted in 1973-’75 on charges of being agents of Soviet Intelligence.
The breakdown of relations between communist Albania in 1961 with its close ally, the Soviet Union, as well as with other Eastern European countries or as they were then called “People’s Democracies”, marked a real drama for a large number of citizens of foreigners belonging to these countries who had come to Albania after the marriages they had made with Albanians studying in those years in their countries, when relations with these countries were flourishing. For example. with the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, etc. As it is already known, most of the foreign women who were in Albania at that time where they had established their families, after numerous pressures and even threats from the specialized structures of the Albanian state (mainly, the Democratic Front and the Security of State), were forced to return to their countries of origin, taking with them children born here in Albania.
For example. the wife of the famous writer, Dritëro Agolli, of the famous sculptor, Thanas Papa, etc., who returned forever, to the former Soviet Union of that time, to reunite with them only after 1991, when in Albania they the collapse of the communist regime.
But the drama of these two Russian women as well as that of many of their compatriots, who became the object of “Witch Hunting” by the Albanian communist regime, would be here and there compared to some others, their friends., who refused to divorce their Albanian spouses and stayed in Albania. Most of them, after undergoing strict surveillance, were accused of being agents of foreign intelligence and ended up in the political prisons of the communist regime for years, going through an unprecedented ordeal both in the cells of investigators and in camps and prisons, where they remained isolated until released and repatriated to their places. For example. Poles, Barbara Orgocka and Barbara Mullaj, Russians Natasha Pengili, Inja Tarasova Dyrzi, etc.
(Regarding the great drama of foreign women in Albania and their tragic fate under the communist regime, which is undoubtedly one of the darkest stains of that regime, after the ’90s, the famous writer, Ismail Kadare, would write “The Frightened Sorkadets”, a work which has been adapted into a screenplay by world-famous filmmaker Yuri Arabov and director Alexander Sukurov, making it into a feature film that is already in process. of the well-known Bulgarian director, Adele Pieeve, who has made a documentary on the tragic fate of Russian women in Albania).
Regarding this fact, the tragic fate and the great drama that foreign women suffered and experienced in Albania from the beginning of the ’50s until the fall of that regime, speaks this archival document with the logo “Top secret” of which was “For internal use” by the superior State Security bodies of that time and served to “record the successes over the years” of the secret services of that regime. We are publishing the document in question on Memorie.al
Detection and crackdown on some foreign residences and discoveries
From the attacks that became more active come the revisionist revelations with the Soviet one at the top, which in this period, in addition to their open and secret channels, also used their agents sent to carry out agency-subversive activities, although they were camouflaged under the guise of women married to Albanian citizens and had also obtained Albanian citizenship.
The “Fox” blow
In 1975, a Soviet intelligence-led group led by Roza and Zoja Gulina, nicknamed “Foxes”, was attacked. This group has been active for 19 years, from 1955-1975.
Roza Koçi was deported from Albania in 1961, for her hostile activity. She had put in her service, her husband, Mandi Koçi and Zoja Gulina. Roza Koçi was a resident and after her expulsion, Zoja Gulina was left as a resident. It turns out that the Soviet Intelligence, when it brought in cooperation, Zoja Gulina, Nina Puma and Nadjezhda Kabashi, had told them that they would be headed to Albania by Roza Koçi.
Mrs. Gulina has been in Albania since 1958 on the pretext that she was married to an Albanian citizen who was a student in the Soviet Union. Based on the tasks given to her by the Soviet Intelligence, she became a Russian language teacher, and with this camouflage developed subversive intelligence activities. He initially kept in touch with Soviet intelligence through correspondence he sent to his “mother” in Moscow.
Well prepared by the Soviet Intelligence, I came to create a wide social circle mainly with Russian women such as: Nina Pumo, Nadjezha Kabashi, Taise Pisha, Roza and Mandi Koçi, etc., who were pursued by the Security organs as potential agents of the Soviet Intelligence. From the data of “Mimoza” and other collaborators who were directed as well as from the observation, TO, etc. (Operational Technicians, eavesdroppers, our note), it was confirmed that Zoja, not only contacted superiors, but also developed agitation of hostile propaganda.
Since in her social circle there were some connections that were followed by the Security bodies Tirana, Shkodra, the problem was centralized with the nickname “Fox” and was followed by a plan of joint operational measures. The result was given by the collaborator “Kabashi”, who turned to Nadjezhda Kabashi and managed to get involved in the Soviet Intelligence. The combination between her and Zoja was performed with the collaborator “Frekuneca”, where it turned out that the object was developing agitation and hostile propaganda, the character of Eleni Pëllumbi’s relationship with Zoja was learned. The good observation work was organized in their direction, where the connections were determined and their evaluation was done. The materials of Mandi Koçi were studied and as an important link of Roza Koçi, after her sentence, was him. With the arrest of Nadjezhda Kabashi, the processing in the isolation rooms and the connections outside was better organized.
Thus, was confirmed the activity of Our Lady, who was arrested on 14.5.1975. With her strike, a joint operational-investigative plan was drawn up to dismantle her as an agent of Soviet intelligence. During the investigation, she claimed to have been placed in the service of Soviet Intelligence and to have served as a resident, from 1961-1975, keeping in touch Nina Pumon, Nadjezhda Kabashi and Mandi Koçi. “When I went to the Soviet Union in 1960, to give birth to a child, I was instructed by the Soviet Intelligence cadres, how to work, to join the ranks of intelligence and youth, to cooperate with Nadjezhda Kabashi, Nina Pumon, under the direction of Roza”, deposited Zoja Gulina. For the work he had done in 1960, when he was in Moscow, he was rewarded with 3000 rubles. It was established that these had links with the Soviet consul and that with the breakdown of diplomatic relations, they maintained links with the Soviet Intelligence through the Czech embassy, the Soviet intelligence cadre, Zdonea Kovodeleka, II secretary. Nina Pumo also came to Albania in 1960, on the pretext that she married an Albanian citizen. It was put into active processing as an agent of Soviet Intelligence on 17.9.1973. For her being an agent of the Soviet Intelligence, Mrs. Gulina also testified, which she had connections with. During the investigation, she claimed to have been an agent of Soviet intelligence since 1961. That she was put on duty there, receiving both the slogan and the counter-slogan to associate with Our Lady. He did so until he was arrested on October 15, 1975 Nadjezhda Kabashi was arrested for agitation and hostile propaganda in 1973. She testified that she was an agent of Soviet intelligence and had links to Our Lady. When she came to Albania in 1975, she started hostile activity in the form of agitation and propaganda. In 1973 he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Mandi Koçi, was put in the service of the Soviet Intelligence, since 1961, through his wife, Roza, who was a member of the Soviet Intelligence. From 1961 when Roza was deported, he was kept in touch by Our Lady, until 1975, when he was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in prison as an agent of Soviet Intelligence.
Eleni Pëllumbi, of Romanian nationality married to an Albanian citizen, came to Albania before the liberation. In 1970 he went to the School of Foreign Languages, where he became associated with Our Lady and collaborated with the group of Our Lady, with which he had known since 1964. On June 9, 1975, he was arrested and convicted as an intelligence agent. Soviet.
From these and other blows that have been done, it results that the Soviet Intelligence has actively used the channel of Russian women married to Albanians in the agency-subversive activity against our country. The discovery and crackdown of “Fox” confirms that despite being deciphered and hit late, in 1975, the intelligence-subversive activity of the Soviet Intelligence with this group has started since 1959.
The delayed discovery and crackdown of “Fox” was done because this important channel was not evaluated and was followed with priority deliberately by the leaders of the State Security Bodies, such as Kadri Hazbiu, Feçor Shehu, etc., although some members of “Fox” “Have been followed for a long time and there was data.
When “Fox” intensified its activity in 1973, the relevant sector was forced to centralize it and pursue it as a residence and was able to decipher it in 1975, because the facts were convincing, and the enemies were forced to approve the strike, otherwise they would be considered as supporters of spies.
The tactics used by gradually detecting and hitting the members of “Fox”, and the continuation of the processing in the isolation rooms, along with the development of the investigation, as well as the processing that was done to the other members of the group, still unharmed, performing various actions operational, was an experience that the employees of the State Security Bodies, had also used in detecting and hitting residences and other hostile groups and had given and yielded results.
In the discovery and crackdown on the “Fox”, the State Security employees who acted with devotion to the cause of the Party and the people, once again analyzed their work, especially in the direction of the Soviet Intelligence and in particular the channel of married Russian women. with Albanian citizens and strengthened the work in this direction, which led to the discovery and strike of the other residence of this enemy discovery./Memorie.al
