Ilir Ikonomi, former journalist for the Voice of America, has promoted another volume about Fan Noli, this time portraying him as a “Rebel.” This recently released work sheds light on Noli’s life in the “hornet’s nest” of the 1920s and doesn’t hesitate to state that he had Bolshevik inclinations. It goes even further, claiming that he attempted to establish relations with Russia in order to open a legation in Albania — something Russia wanted in order to subsequently spread Bolshevism.
“From an exclusive document I found, Noli was interested in the Bolshevik system in 1923, when he was a member of parliament. He went to the Soviet embassies in Vienna and Berlin to become a bishop and to obtain a Russian visa, and once he arrived, they noticed that he was interested in the Bolshevik system. As we know, during his government he established relations with the Soviet Union and made a serious blunder, because at that time it was considered sacrilege for Albania to enter into relations with the USSR. But there was a secret here that historians do not mention. Stalin received a telegram from his Foreign Minister Chicherin, who told him, ‘We’re eagerly awaiting the opportunity to open a Soviet legation in Albania,’ and Noli had already begun working on that. Chicherin went further in telling Stalin that the legation was needed in order to spread Bolshevism in the Balkans — so it wasn’t merely about establishing diplomatic ties. The Soviets rushed to establish those ties, but due to the intervention of the British and Italian ministers, Noli was not allowed to open the consulate. Later, in 1927, Noli even visited the Soviet Union, so clearly he had such leanings. When Enver Hoxha later came to power, Noli essentially became a kind of ambassador for him at the United Nations, advising him, acting as a sort of counselor — and those tendencies remained with him for a long time,” said journalist Ilir Ikonomi.
But Ikonomi doesn’t stop there — he is currently working on the third volume of Noli’s life, covering the period from his departure from Albania until his death in 1965.
“I intend to complete one more volume about Noli, which will be the third and final one, where I will describe his life from 1925, when he left Albania, until 1965, when he died. That’s a span of 40 years, and the problem is that there’s so much material, I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit it all into one book — but I’ll try,” Ikonomi said.
Ilir Ikonomi chose to promote “The Rebel” in Pogradec due to a special connection with the city — he was born there, and the lakeside town continues to hold a special place in his life.
