From Bardhyl Berberi
“When Enver’s villa was being reconstructed, the two sons’ daughters-in-law, Teuta and Liljana, fought over hair, over a red bathtub and Nexhmija…”!-
-Unsaid and intimacies about the former communist blockmen, in Tirana and the villas and holiday homes in the districts-
Memorie.al / Dash Çollaku, one of the sons of the famous family of the Çollaks of Pogradec, one morning invited me for a coffee. I knew that Dashi had been an important person in the former “Block” of the high communist leadership. Since his older brother Mehdini was the son-in-law of the Minister of the Interior at that time, Kadri Hazbiu, Dashamiri, after graduating from the Technological School for Merceology, was first appointed First Secretary of the Youth of the Guard of the Republic and then, as responsible for controlling the food consumed by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PPSh, and all other high-ranking families who resided in the famous neighborhood known as; “Block”. Dashi, looking at the lake, sipping his morning coffee, says to me: “Oh, how many memories do I have, journalist, from the high leadership of that time, but I will tell about some intimate things, because I am telling you everything I have seen there, I have to leave Albania”.
The confession of Dashamir Çollak, about the unknown side of the “Block”!
– “I had been working at the Guard of the Republic for some time, as the First Secretary of the Guard’s Youth. One morning they told me that I should go to the office of Kadri Hazbiu, the Minister of the Interior, that we were friends, as my brother, the late Mehdin Çollaku, had married Kadri Hazbiu’s eldest daughter, Helena. So he received me in the office, as a family friend, and first, we had a family chat.
Then, Kadriu told me: ‘The party needs you to work in the Second Directorate, to deal with ensuring the leadership and with their food. You are a merceologist and you must be vigilant, day and night, so that the senior leadership of the Political Bureau is not poisoned. A modern device will come from Japan, where you will check the food. Don’t embarrass us, Çollak!”, Kadriu ended the conversation.
Mr. Collaku, what memories do you have with Enver Hoxha?
– Listen, I had only a few days since I started working at “Blloku”, it was March of 1971. We were standing outside “Blloku”, the two companions of Enver Hoxha; Axhem Abazi, Halim Zano and I, together with them. They were both dressed in “Gub” coats, while I had on a regular, ready-to-inking suit. Suddenly, Enveri comes out of the Party house, with a cane in his hand, and addresses me: “If you took it, boy, where are you from?” – “I’m from Mokra”, I told Enver.
– “Do you know the Collaks”? – “Yes, friend Enver, I am from that tribe.”
– “And you, you’re from Pogradec, aren’t you”?!
– “Yes, I told you about the origin, friend Enver, we are from Mokra”.
– “I’m glad you said I’m from Mokra, Mokra, it’s a patriotic province, connected to the Party…”.
– “I met Reshit in Mokre, Reshit was a brave and patriotic boy. Do you know that when he graduated from the Italian academy, he refused to swear in front of the Italian flag? – What about you, why do you only have a suit, no coat, like these others (and pointed the stick at his two companions, who were wearing “Gub” coats), aren’t you cold?!
I shrugged my shoulders, but the next day they brought me a “Gub” coat and I and all the companions of “Blok” were dressed in “Gub” coats, after the incident I had with Enver Hoxha.
What about the Hoxha family, did you get to know them, do you remember any events?
– To be honest, I have one of the most scandalous scenes. I had manual labor and worked at Enver Hoxha’s new villa, as a trusted person. Two bathtubs for shower come and are installed, from 60 thousand dollars each. One was red, the other was blue. Teuta, Iliri’s daughter-in-law, wanted the red tub, but Liljana, Sokol’s daughter-in-law, also wanted red.
– No, I have the red one, you don’t have it, and when they got stuck by the hair, both of them, getting busy, like two ordinary women. I was present and Nexhmia stood in front of them. She watched the scene and didn’t say a word until they pulled each other’s hair for nearly ten minutes. I will never forget this scene; I have it alive before my eyes.
– What about Nexhmie Hoxha?
– When the Congress of the Democratic Front was in Vlora, two days before the Congress, Nexhmia came to Enver’s villa in Vlora, first the day before. After a day, Ramiz Alia comes. That night, Nexhmia and Ramizi stayed in the same villa. The next morning, Semiramizi, the wife of Ramiz Ali, a perfect woman, arrives.
As soon as he arrived at the courtyard of the villa, he turns to me, pulling me to the side; he put his hand on my shoulder. – “Dashi, you are Çollak and Reshiti Çollaku, along with Ptolemy Xhuvan, a member of my family, were killed in a trench, in the Pojska of Pogradec. I want you to just tell me, in a friendly way, last night, where were they both?! (Without mentioning the name, neither Ramiz nor Nexhmia)
-What about you, how did you answer him, did you tell him?
– I nodded lightly, as you could not lie to that wonderful woman, and here I am telling you; Ramiz Alia, before Semiram, was a zero.
– What happened next?!
– Nothing, she didn’t meet anyone, got into the car and immediately left for Tirana. I wanted to emphasize that when Semirami died, I cried, as if my mother had died, since she was the model of a good woman and we didn’t see her get into a car once, when she was inside Tirana?! He started from the “Block” on foot, to the Natural Sciences, to the maternity ward, in the wind, in the rain, in the heat…!
Semirami, was a lecturer in Natural Sciences. Here I am telling you; Nexhmie Hoxha, was the blackest woman and evil spirit and Ramiz Alia, a cunning man, who ate his friends behind their backs. They are the two most disgusting people for me…!
– What about Mehmet Shehu?
– I had the first contact with Mehmet Shehu when Hysni Kapua died. Many trusted people were called, who would carry the forehead of Hysni Kapo’s coffin, as it is known, Enveri was at the head and Mehmeti was on the other side, but they kept their hand there in vain, because the weight of the coffin was carried by the person that came after them. They tried Enver Hoxha’s companion, Behar, and Mehmet Shehu’s companion, Ali Çeno, and they tried him, but they couldn’t even carry the coffin two meters in their arms, not 200 m., which had to be carried.
The commander of the Guard, Haki Liço, called me and said: – “Dashi, I saw that their legs were opened, they cannot carry the coffin of friend Hysni, so we will both catch it”. And so it happened, I was placed behind Mehmet Shehu, while Haki Liçua, behind Enver Hoxha.
To be honest, the coffin was very heavy, our shoulders cracked, but we did the job. Walking with the coffin, from the tribute hall, to the ball bed, I unintentionally stepped on Mehmet Shehu’s foot. I was completely cut off, that you violated Mehmet…! But he turned his head and said: “it’s okay, Çollak, walk, you’re a golden boy”! But, for Mehmet Shehu, I wanted to tell you some intimate curiosities.
– Specifically, what?!
– I remember one time, when Mehmeti was listening to you, near his villa, singing owls; he gets up and leaves at 01 o’clock at night, to the Durrës villa. Another time, he was at the villa in Fier, because he was with a service there, he heard the owl and at 02:00 a.m., he left for Tirana. Those of us in the escort group knew this and as soon as we heard an owl, we got ready…!
The head of the services of Mehmet Shehu’s house, Ferik Çaushi, when he saw an owl in the trees around Mehmet’s house, shot it with a sniper without noise and killed it. Mehmeti enjoyed wild boar hunting; he used to go to Kutërman, a village between Librazhd and Elbasan, where there was a wild boar reserve. We also took with us the chairman of the Elbasan Hunters’ Association, his name was Skender… while I can’t remember his last name now.
In the hunt, while they were hunting a herd of wild boars, Skenderi (the second son) was injured by mistake, and Mehmeti was very worried and called a helicopter, which landed at the stadium in Elbasan and was taken urgently to the Military Hospital in Tirana and fortunately Skenderi escaped, without any consequences or problems. Mehmeti, after the hunt, kept a pig to share with the members of the Bureau; he gave one pig to our companions to share among us, while the other pigs were taken to the Collection Company to sell to the people. , and he did not leave without bringing the bills, which had been issued, to the Meat Gathering.
For the sake of the truth, it must be said that Mehmeti was a master at hunting pigs, while Kadri Hazbiu was for the wild duck. We were once on the mountain of Dajti, at the villa, with the accompanying group, near Mehmet Shehu. When we look, around 11 o’clock at night, Mehmet Shehu comes out, dressed in tracksuits and bare feet.
He walked on some small pebbles, like coarse gravel. We teared our eyes, to see the prime minister of the country, to walk barefoot at midnight…?! He understood our bewilderment and spoke to us in a military tone: “Why are you looking at me, come on, quickly take off your shoes and walk as I walk, barefoot on the stones”!
We were stunned. “Huh, you don’t know why. These small stones release some impulses in the brain, which is good for your health, sharpens your memory and makes you more intelligent” – he told us. We also started to walk behind him, through the pebbles around the villa, he was laughing to himself, but because of Mehmet, he couldn’t keep us.
Once, when Mehmeti was going to Korça, they told me that; you too, Aries, are in the socializing group. Without going to Korçë, he stayed at the villas of Pogradec, to eat lunch and rest a little. He was walking by the lake, when he saw that some poplars had been cut down by the lake. He called the manager of the villas and said: “Why did you cut the poplars?”
– “This is how the chairman of the Executive Committee of Pogradec gave us the order”, he said, for Bexhet Zagorcanin, who was in that position at that time. As we were in a group, the companionship group, Mehmeti calls me; “Collak, come here, because you are in Pogradeci”.
– “Order it, Prime Minister,” I told him. – “Take an escort car and go to the office of that Bexhet Zagorcani and tell him; that you cut the poplars and the prime minister, I will be hanged in Zagorçan, for this ugliness you have brought to the park”.
As soon as I went to the Executive Committee, I told the clerk that I have an order from the prime minister, for the chairman, and they took me there immediately. As soon as I told Bexheti, Mehmet’s order, he turned white in the face, like those statues of Greece. Then he drank a couple of shots…!
– “Bo bo, what did you find us”!, – he said, and then he starts to justify himself; “I gave the order to cut down the poplars, as they were old and could fall, because they were rotten, and on that road by the lake, Comrade Enver walks”, – said Bexheti, who started to get his mouth shut, – “I the desert, I tried for good”! “Urgent – I tell him, – plant other sprouts in that place”.
After two days, when we returned from Korça, Mehmet stayed again in Pogradec, at the villas, and while walking around, he saw that some young, very developed sprouts had been planted, instead of those that had been cut. He did not speak again, but he was glad that his order had been carried out.
In the 70s, Mehmeti had a health problem and they decided to seek treatment in France. Of course, apart from Mehmet, there was also an accompanying group and we stayed there for 20 days. Mehmeti spoke with official persons, so that no Radio or Television would disturb him. One day in the hospital, Mehmeti asks Bashkim Musa, (from the Friar of Përmet): “O Bashkim, in Tirana, I gave you a very special knife, I wanted to know, do you have it with you here in France”?
– “Yes friend Mehmet”, answered Bashkimi and took out the knife from his belt. “Congratulations,” Mehmeti told him, “You are a brave boy” and kissed him on the forehead. One day, Mehmet tells us; “Hey, you collected some dollars, didn’t you”! We shrugged…! – “Listen, when you leave, you will take it from a television, but I will tell those at the embassy to take you to a market, that on Saturdays there is a big discount and buy the televisions there” . And so it was done. Mehmet seemed very strict, but he had a big heart.
– Dashi, you have been close to Hysni Kapo for a long time, how do you remember when you were assigned to him?
– Kadri Hazbiu calls me back to the office and says: – “Dashi, you will go to your friend Hysni Kapo, he is one of our friends, the best and he is not fun, that’s why you will keep your eyes open”. I was staying in Hysni’s hall. There along with me, taking care of his health, was a group of doctors, among them, Dr. Berisha. We both stood there, I served, while Dr. Berisha was waiting for some emergency.
Hysniu was very sick. I wanted to emphasize a fact, with Dr. Berishen, we became friends and I even went so far as to ask him for a favor, to take me out of the lecture, my girlfriend, (today’s wife, Luljeta Mehqemeja) when he was teaching with her group at the Faculty of Medicine and Dr. Berisha, he did me this honor.
I wanted to emphasize that in the hall, there was a large refrigerator with all kinds of drinks, these other doctors of the Block used to come, like; Dr. Ylli Popa and others drank these rare drinks, such as; Whiskey, Campari, Gin, Fërnet-Branka, etc. only Dr. Berisha did not drink any kind of drink, only water and some coffee.
I wanted to underline a fact; we stayed all night in the hall and there were some sofas, where we could lie down. Dr. Berisha did not sit on the sofa, but in a chair and with headphones, he studied foreign languages all night, he had an unprecedented will. He told me that he liked Pogradec and in the summer, he would come with his family on vacation.
I take it to my cousin, Seit Collaku. Seiti tells me one day; “With Dr. Berisha, we are having a great time, but I don’t drink brandy…”?! Even when Doctor Berisha became president and prime minister, when we saw each other, he greeted me cordially and called me; – “Where are you Çollak”?!
– You told me at the beginning of the conversation that you had a special story with Llambi Gegprifti, what happened to you?!
Llambi Gegprifti, was a boy from Mokra, and of course he was from our side. They had called him urgently and from the director, they had chosen him as a candidate for the Political Bureau. But there, after a while, the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PPSh would begin. Round the corridor, where the meeting would begin, all the members of the Political Bureau were collared, in knife suits.
Llambi did not know that he was going to be elected to the Politburo and he was wearing an ordinary beige suit and a simple shirt, where he had pulled out the collar above his jacket.
I see Llambi dressed quite simply and above all without a collar. I was sorry, because we had him on our side. I met him and congratulated him. I looked at him afterwards, from head to toe and I say; – “Where are you going to wear, how are you, at the Politburo meeting, above all, you don’t have a collar”?!
– “How did I know that I would be chosen there”! Llambi tells me, as if caught in guilt. – “Come”, – I say to him and we went to a corner of the corridor, and I quickly took off my collar and put the Llambi Gegëprifti on his neck. And after a few minutes, he entered the Politburo meeting.
Then Llambi brought me three more collars, for the one I gave him that day, to the meeting of the Political Bureau, as there was other symbolism there…! But that didn’t matter, it mattered that he threw the river that first day, entered the meeting of the Political Bureau with a collar.
After some time, Llambi asked me for a favor, since I was also the First Secretary of the Youth of the Guard of the Republic.
– “What…”?! – I tell him.
– “You intervene, Dashi, and bring Agron Shkëmbi as my first companion.”
There was a rule that the companions of members of the Political Bureau should be over 1.80 cm. Agron was short, they raised the heels of his shoes to make him look a bit taller and we granted Llambi Gegephrifti’s wish and he took Agron Shkëmbi as his first companion.
– As far as I know, you also have a story with Rita Marko?!
Yes it is true. Rita Marko once went to Korça and I was assigned to accompany her. When we were getting closer to Pogradec, he said to me angrily, – “Ore Dashi, are you from the Collaks”?!
– “Yes friend Rita” – I say.
– “What about Astrit Çollaku, what do you have?”
– “We are close cousins”, I say.
– “Look… what did that man do to me, he took away the best cook from Camp i Kadrove, Risto Çomo, and took him to the new Tourism Hotel, where he himself is the director”!
We stayed at the new Tourism and Rita Marko, I meet Astrit. They started clashing words. Rita Marko was then a member of the Political Bureau and President of the Professional Unions of Albania, but Astrit Çollaku was the brother of the “People’s Hero”, Reshit Çollaku.
Astrit, remained serious and told him that; he had taken Risto Çomo, because he thought it was better there, since important people and many foreigners come, who visit Pogradec and eat in Turisme, and he definitely needed a chef…!
– “Yes, and there, he will eat with quality, working class”, says Rita…!
– “There, the working classes don’t eat, but the main cadres of the country, that’s why it’s called the Palace of Cadres”, – replied Astriti, raising his voice.
Rita insisted: “I will sue, that you established your authority, with the leaders of the district, that you took Risto…”!
Astritim was cut short: “I sent another cook there, Asim Sokol, and he is good for there, it’s no use making a log…”?! Then they both ate lunch, Ristua cooked a casserole with Koran…! Rita Marko left in Korça and stopped talking…!
– Dashi, when did you leave the “Block”, the leadership?
– Immediately after the arrest of Kadri Hazbiu. My brother, Mehdin, who had a wife, the daughter of Kadri Hazbiu, together with his wife, was interned in Rrëshen, while I was taken as Chief of Police to Kukës.
In Kukës, I keep the best impressions from the people of that district and I love Kukës, like Pogradec. On the second day, the first secretary of Kukës, Sulë Bushati, called me and said: “Dashi, don’t worry at all, look at your work, no one is harassing you, and you have my protection. With the Çollak family, I am a close friend”! Memorie.al
