The government has approved the project to transform the replica bunker located near the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MIA) into a museum for tourists. “All traces of the recent violence on the fragile structure of the bunker will be preserved as much as possible,” bunker’s architect Artan Shkreli wrote.
According to the opposition, the construction of a replica bunker in the center of Tirana is considered as a revival of the dictatorship symbols. “Memory issues should be treated with care and seriousness,” says Shkreli, adding that the museum, which reminds us about our difficult part of history, is a matter of self-irony because all traces of December 8 protest will be preserved.
“The protests caused a lot of damage because the bunker was not built to resist that kind of pressure, but on the bright side, the protests left visible piece of history to the bunker, which otherwise would look just like a new object.
On December 8, 2015, Albania’s main opposition Democratic Party held an anti-government rally calling for early elections. During the opposition protests, hundreds of citizens destroyed and set on fire a part of the bunker’s structure.
