From Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al / The military aggression of the Soviet Union against Czechoslovakia in August 1968, where Russian tanks landed on all the streets of Prague within a few hours, executing a military occupation of a sovereign country, became a cause that compelled the top leadership of the Labor Party of Albania, led by Enver Hoxha, to publicly denounce this act of the official Moscow in an urgent session of the People’s Assembly, where the decision was made to exit (de facto) from the Warsaw Pact, which formally “de jure” Tirana had done back in 1961, immediately after the rupture of relations with the Soviet Union under Nikita Khrushchev.
In light of this extremely difficult situation facing communist Albania (as well as other countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans), fearing the risk of a possible Soviet attack, the top communist leadership led by Enver Hoxha (who also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the People’s Army) entered a state of alarm number 1 (war state). All armed units of the Ministry of People’s Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were mobilized, and a general mobilization of Volunteer Forces began, which started military exercises and parades, from South to North. Alongside this, immediate testing of the civilian population in cities and villages began for evacuation from their homes and sheltering in tunnels and fortified centers, following alarms with sirens that were given periodically by the Defense Headquarters of the districts or relevant military commands.
In the context of these events (even though communist Albania faced no threat from the “Russian bear”), the need for tunneling and fortifying the country arose, leading to the rapid and large-scale construction of tunnels, not only for the armed forces but also for the civilian population, where they would take shelter in the event of possible bombings, primarily by the Warsaw Pact forces or the NATO military pact. The construction of these tunnels intensified especially after 1974-’75 when Enver Hoxha struck and eliminated the “Coup Group in the Army,” led by Minister of People’s Defense Beqir Balluku, where one of the main accusations against him was that he “had left the fortification of the country exposed, and had agreed with the ‘Theory of Retreat’ to avoid a frontal war, opting to go to the mountains for a partisan war”!
In this context, the fortification and tunneling of the country continued at a high pace, intensifying even more after 1978-’79, when official Tirana severed and interrupted all relations with the People’s Republic of China, which automatically led to the immediate cessation of economic and military aid from Beijing. Since 1961, China had supported Albania not only with military equipment and technology of all kinds of weapons but also economically, granting our country hundreds of millions of dollars, with which the largest projects of the five-year plans were built.
Just as in 1968, after the Soviet military aggression against Czechoslovakia, the rupture of relations with China once again forced the high communist leadership in Tirana, led by Enver Hoxha, to pay significant attention to the tunneling and fortification of the country, allocating large sums in the government budget for “defense”! In this context, in 1979, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, headed by Kadri Hazbiu, decided to design and construct a secret underground facility beneath the existing building of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as several other facilities in all the branches of the Ministry of Internal Affairs across the country.
The design of the large underground facility, which would shelter the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during wartime, lasted several years, and construction began in 1982, continuing until 1985, when it was handed over to the relevant authorities of that ministry at the time. This facility, which was considered “extremely secret and of special significance,” became known to the wider public only a few years ago and is now located under the square between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Economy. It is known today as “Bunk ‘Art 2,” a historical museum in the center of the capital, visited throughout the year by hundreds of thousands of tourists, both local and foreign.
But who were the specific designers and builders of that facility, how many rooms did it have, and who would be housed there? Where did the secret tunnels begin and where was their exit for the evacuation of the leadership and personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in case of a potential threat during wartime? What was the defensive capacity of those concrete and steel walls to withstand enemy aerial bombardments, etc.? Related to these topics, this archival document, which bears the label “Extremely secret and of special significance” (now declassified), has been obtained from the Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and is being published for the first time in this article along with the corresponding facsimiles by Memorie.al.
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT ON THE STUDY OF THE WORKING GROUP OF THE OPERATIVE DIRECTORATE AND ENGINEERING OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SECRET FACILITIES UNDER THE MINISTRY BUILDING AND IN THE INTERNAL BRANCHES IN THE DISTRICTS
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET – OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Copy No. 1
OPERATIVE DIRECTORATE AND PREPARATION Temporary 10 years
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT Tirana, 11.09.1979
NO. 202
STUDY
ON THE LOCATION AND MEASURES TO BE TAKEN FOR THE MAIN HEADQUARTERS IN THE MINISTRY AND IN THE BRANCHES OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Based on the order given by the leadership of the Ministry to address the issue of protective shelters for the central department and the Branches of Internal Affairs, a study of the factual situation of shelters, the needs for spaces for wartime conditions for both categories of branches and for the Ministry, as well as for the construction variants for each case, was conducted.
- On the main headquarters of the ministry:
In the central department of the ministry, a portion of the basements of the building itself has been adapted, which includes 7 (seven) workrooms (of which four rooms connect to each other), a central room, two ventilation rooms, a restroom, corridors that link the shelter divided into two parts, as well as two emergency exits, one of which leads to the ministry’s garden, and the other to the service company of unit 324.
Near the shelter, a room for the electric generator has also been constructed. The defensive capacity of the rooms in the central shelter area of the building has been calculated to withstand a vertical strike from a bomb weighing 250 kg (when the bomb drops on the pavement near the perimeter walls, the shelter can withstand a 50 kg bomb).
Considering the structure during wartime and to ensure normal working conditions, it is suggested that the main headquarters of the Ministry, in addition to the service areas, should have 41 workrooms specified as follows:
For the ministry leadership 3 rooms
Party Committee 1 room
Party work group 1 room
1st Directorate 5 rooms
3rd Directorate 3 rooms
Police Directorate 4 rooms
Operational Directorate 5 rooms
Investigation Directorate 3 rooms
Military Security Directorate 2 rooms
10th Branch 2 rooms
Organizational cadre 2 rooms
Inspectorate group 1 room
Administration 2 rooms
Communication Branch 1 room
12th Branch 1 room
Command Headquarters 1 room
Economic group 2 rooms
TOTAL 41 rooms
For the construction of the headquarters with the required facilities, we propose to adapt the existing basements of the central part of the ministry building, where 8 (eight) rooms will be secured, and the remaining 26 workrooms are expected to be built in the courtyard and buildings where the service company of unit 324 is currently located (which, according to the regulatory plan, should be removed).
The defensive capacity of the headquarters to be adopted cannot withstand more than a direct hit from an aerial bomb (B.F.A.) of 250 kg caliber, while the buried section is expected to be calculated to resist a direct hit from a B.F.A. of 500 kg caliber.
The size of the work and service rooms, as well as the precise cost of the shelters, will be determined after the project task and technical project are developed. From a rough estimate, it turns out that the cost of the buried shelter part is 2,000,000 ALL, while the adaptation of the basement costs 350,000 All, totaling 2,355,000 ALL.
- On the Main Headquarters of the Branches of Internal Affairs
To ensure normal working conditions during wartime for the Branches of Internal Affairs in Shkodër, Durrës, Elbasan, Vlorë, Korçë, Berat, Fier, Gjirokastër, Sarandë, Peshkopi, and the Directorate of Internal Affairs in Tirana, in addition to service areas (filter-ventilation room, sanitary processing unit, electric groups room, communication room, cafeteria, kitchen), the following rooms are needed:
For the branch chairman 1 room
Party Committee 1 room
Security 2 rooms
General Section 2 rooms
Police 2 rooms
Investigation 1 room
Logistics 1 room
Organizational cadre 1 room
Accounting 1 room
Secretary and deputy secretary 1 room
Information 1 room
Total needed 13 rooms
While the Branches of Internal Affairs in other districts are expected to have 10 (ten) workrooms.
The current status of the main headquarters of the Branches of Internal Affairs and the possibilities for their completion and construction for each Branch are as follows:
The Branches of Internal Affairs in Tropojë and Kukës are equipped with main headquarters of tunnel type that connect to the building. In this headquarters, to ensure normal working conditions, it is necessary to prospectively add 4 to 6 additional rooms, including cafeteria-kitchen areas. The headquarters of the Tropojë Branch of Internal Affairs is under construction and is expected to be completed in 1981.
Tunnel-type headquarters have been established near the buildings: Tepelena 200 m, Gramsh 150 m, Skrapar 50 m, Burrel around 400 m, and Durrës 500 m.
For the Branches of Internal Affairs in Tepelena, Gramsh, and Skrapar, it is proposed to utilize the existing headquarters since they are near the buildings, and to make an addition in the future of 4 to 6 rooms. These headquarters are in the installation phase and are expected to be completed within this year.
In the Branch of Internal Affairs in Durrës, where Reserve Headquarters No. 1 is relatively close, it is proposed to construct a headquarters with 7-8 rooms by adapting a part of the first floor of the building, with defensive capabilities to withstand a direct hit from an aerial bomb (B.F.A.) of 100 kg caliber.
In this regard, we also consider the fact that the area of the Branch where the buried-type headquarters can be built has high water levels, which increases its cost and always highlights the risk of water infiltration into the facility.
In six Branches of Internal Affairs, the headquarters have been adapted in the basements of the building and include office and corridor spaces, as follows:
– Directorate of Internal Affairs Tirana: 90 m² (7 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Korçë: 95 m² (5 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Elbasan: 67 m² (4 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Kolonjë: 50 m² (5 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Sarandë: 45 m² (4 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Lushnje: 50 m² (3 rooms)
These headquarters only provide protection against shrapnel from aerial bombs, from a pressure wave and potential building collapses. They do have emergency exits but are not equipped with installation and filter-ventilation facilities. Opportunities to increase the defensive capacity of these headquarters do not exist.
Given the current status and the requirements for work and service environments with greater defensive capabilities, it is suggested to construct new buried-type headquarters (except for Saranda, where tunnel-type construction is not feasible).
The defensive capability of these shelters should withstand a direct hit from a B.F.A. weighing 250 kg. The existing shelters will serve as part of the auxiliary areas of the new headquarters, for housing the service team or as isolation rooms for detainees.
Reserve Headquarters No. 1, of tunnel type in the aforementioned Branches (excluding Kolonjë and Saranda, which do not have) are located between 1 to 5 km away from the building of the Branch.
It is emphasized that the cost of a new buried-type headquarters is around 550,000 to 650,000 lek.
In ten Branches of Internal Affairs, buried-type headquarters have been constructed with the following areas:
– Branch of Internal Affairs Pukë: 20 m²
– Branch of Internal Affairs Shkodër: 71 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Lezhë: 32 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Rrëshen: 36 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Peshkopi: 24 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Librazhd: 22 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Pogradec: 36 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Përmet: 30 m² (2 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Fier: 73 m² (5 rooms)
– Branch of Internal Affairs Vlorë: 10 m² (5 rooms)
These headquarters provide protection from shrapnel and shock waves of a 3/5 kg atomic bomb (if these shelters are equipped with protective doors) and lack areas and filter-ventilation equipment. New buried-type headquarters with defensive capabilities to resist a 250 kg B.F.A. should also be built for these Branches, while the existing shelters can be utilized similarly to those that are adapted.
*The reserve headquarters No. 1 of the aforementioned Branches (excluding Rrëshen and Fier, which do not have them) are located between 1 to 4 km away from the Branch buildings. For branches like Peshkopia, which is planned to be constructed anew, the shelter’s location will be on the first floor of the new building.
The Branches of Internal Affairs in Krujë and Gjirokastër have main headquarters of tunnel type, with areas of 96 m² (7 offices) and 85 m² (2 offices), respectively. For the Branch of Internal Affairs in Krujë, it is suggested to complete the new headquarters with additional working and service areas, while Gjirokastra will remain as is until the construction of the new building, which is planned to be built.
The Branch of Internal Affairs in Berat does not have a main headquarters in the new building, so it is necessary to construct a new buried-type headquarters with defensive capabilities to withstand a direct hit from a B.F.A., of 250 kg caliber.
CHAIRMAN OF THE ENGINEERING BRANCH DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OPERATIVE DIRECTORATE
QENDRO KOÇI IDRIZ VLADI
SECRET – OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MAIN LEADERS OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, WHERE MINISTER KADRI HAZBIU GAVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECRET FACILITY UNDER THE MINISTRY BUILDING AND THE BRANCHES OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS IN THE DISTRICTS
Single Copy
Temporary 10 years
Tirana, September 11, 1979
MINUTES
Held today on September 5, 1979, regarding the examination of the study:
Of the situation and measures that need to be taken for the main headquarters of the Ministry-Branch of Internal Affairs.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Kadri Hazbiu, Agron Tafa, Raqi Iftica, Xhule Çiraku, Avni Buxheli, Idriz Vladi, Qendro Koçi, and Kudret Çollaku.
After discussing each headquarters regarding the prospects for their expansion or new constructions, the Minister instructed:
For the main headquarters of the Ministry:
The main headquarters of the Ministry should have 30 rooms, of which 7 rooms are already constructed, 8 rooms will be created by adapting the basements in the central part of the Ministry building, and 15 rooms (excluding service areas), which will be constructed in the territory of unit 324/A (the Service Company of the Ministry).
The part of the headquarters to be constructed where unit 324/A currently is, must withstand a direct hit from an aerial bomb with a caliber of 500 kg, while the adaptation of the basements is designed to withstand a B.F.A. of 250 kg.
For the Branches of Internal Affairs:
- Durrës: A third-category shelter should be built near the Branch building, with 4 workrooms, a central room, and the remainder for the personnel’s shelter.
Near Reserve Headquarters No. 1, investments are to be planned in the upcoming five-year plan to construct a building with several offices.
- Burrel: In the near future, it is projected that the building of the Branch will be constructed over Reserve Headquarters No. 1.
- Elbasan: The existing facility should be reinforced.
- Shkodra: The existing headquarters should be reinforced, adding 5 rooms that can withstand a B.F.A. of 250 kg.
- Vlorë: A new buried-type shelter should be built, with 5 workrooms and defensive capabilities against a B.F.A. of 250 kg.
- Berat: A third-category shelter should be constructed, with 4-5 rooms.
- Fier: The existing facility should be reinforced, and 7 additional rooms should be added, 2 of which should be for the Oil Branch. There should be no Reserve Headquarters No. 1.
- Gjirokastër: To be constructed along with the Branch building with 10 offices, with the capacity to withstand a B.F.A. of 250 kg. There should be no other Reserve Headquarters No. 1.
- Saranda: The existing one should remain, while in Qafa e Gjashtës, Reserve Headquarters No. 1 should be built.
- Peshkopi: The existing facility should be reinforced, and the requirements for housing personnel should be addressed.
- Librazhdi: It should remain as is.
- Pogradec: Should remain with only the two rooms currently being constructed. Reinforcement should be carried out.
- Kolonjë: The existing facility should be reinforced, and 5 rooms should be constructed, considering there will be no Reserve Headquarters No. 1.
- Lushnja: The possibility of reinforcing the existing facility should be explored. No construction should take place near Reserve Headquarters No. 1.
- – Puka: 4-5 offices should be built near the existing shelter.
- – Korçë: The existing facility should remain.
- – Lezhë: 4-5 offices should be built near the existing shelter.
- – Rrëshen: 4-5 offices should be built near the existing shelter.
- – Përmet: The existing facility should remain.
- – Krujë: The existing facility should remain.
- – Directorate of Internal Affairs Tirana: The possibility of reinforcing the existing Reserve Headquarters should be assessed, and 5 additional rooms should be built that can withstand a B.F.A. of 250 kg. At the same time, it was instructed that for the main headquarters of the Branches of Internal Affairs, areas and filter-ventilation installations should be planned, without a sanitary processing unit.
In the future, the possibility of constructing several above-ground offices in front of Reserve Headquarters No. 1 of the Branches of Internal Affairs should be considered. / Memorie.al
Keeper of the minutes
Kudret Çollaku
Reviewed by:
DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
AGRON TAFA
