One of the interesting thing about the Balkans was the communist monuments that litter the landscape. To me, the monuments speak of a world I can only imagine. While I know that the regimes used art as propaganda, I can’t help but love the naivety and optimism evident in the work and the overt machismo so often on display.

These relics are particularly prevalent in Albania, which at first seems a little strange, since the populous overwhelmingly rejected the brutal communist regime that had been ruling the country with an iron fist until the early 90’s. While we didn’t come across many people who had good things to say about the old regime, it’s obvious that not only have the monuments not been torn down, but many are still being actively cared for.

I’m not sure if this shows some kind of nostalgia for the old times (it’s obvious that the introduction of capitalism hasn’t been good for everyone), or just a desire to ensure that history is not forgotten.

Anyhow, here’s a few of my favourites from along the way…