The exhibition “The Communist Persecution of the Creators of the Albanian Alphabet and Their Families” has been opened, organized by the Institute for the Study of Communist Crimes and Consequences in Tirana in cooperation with the Albanological Institute – Pristina.
The Acting Director of the Albanological Institute, Naim Berisha, stated that the opening of this exhibition marks an important act of reflection on the sacrifice of those who laid the foundations of the Albanian language.
“This moment marks an important act of reflection on the sacrifice of those who laid the foundations of the written Albanian language. Through this exhibition, we bring to attention a significant part of our history. A valuable heritage that reminds us of the values of freedom and national identity. The history of the Albanian alphabet is closely linked to the preservation of national identity and the development of Albanian education. Its creators, despite pressure and severe punishments, did not waver from the ideal of an educated and free nation,” said Naim Berisha.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Institute for the Study of Communist Crimes and Consequences, Çelo Hoxha, stated that this is the first exhibition aimed at highlighting the targeting of the Albanian political and cultural elite by the communist regime.
“The exhibition is a fragment of a cycle of exhibitions we have initiated. It is the first exhibition that aims to highlight the targeting of the Albanian political and cultural elite,” he said.
Among those present at the opening of this exhibition was also the Ambassador of Albania to Kosovo, Petrit Malaj, who emphasized the need to create a collective memory for outstanding figures of national history, who were deemed unsuitable for the former communist regime.
“It is a call to our collective memory for these distinguished figures of our national history and their families. Their patriotism, intellectual contribution, Western orientation, and unparalleled dedication to uniting Albanians under a single alphabet as part of their national identity were denied to them, simply because they were politically unsuitable for the communist regime,” he said.
The exhibition’s author, Dorina Daiu, stated that it presents the extraordinary contribution of patriotic men who were persecuted by the communist regime.
“This exhibition brings to our attention not only the extraordinary contribution of those statesmen, to whom we owe deep respect today for their tireless work and the great price some of them paid with the arrival of the communist system in Albania. It is our duty as researchers to uncover and study the past,” she emphasized.
Alongside this, the Albanological Institute in Pristina and the Institute for the Study of Communist Crimes and Consequences in Tirana signed a memorandum of cooperation.
