relic, a photo from Tirane, North

Photographer's Note

Tirana is not one of the most appealing towns of Albania. It is rather small scaled for a capital though and there are some fine parks. The city center still has some relics from the communist time like this enormous wallmosaicabove the National Museum of Albanian History (Thanks Bardhok).
This strange mosaic shows Albania primarily as a military nation in all the facets of its history from the Illyrians on the left (700 BC)till the communist patriots in the middle, of whom the woman with the gun plays an interesting part. The scientist with the beard and the rol of paper seems an exception on this military violence, and also the working man in front.
A very peculiar rol is for the man in eastern dress with the horn - maybe standing for the ottoman period.

I've had some great comment and addition of information by Led (Land of Eagle) wich I add hereby:

1. Illyrians 700 BC (Albanians are close descendents of Illyrians)
2. Albanians warriors (Arberesh) during Otoman invasion times.
3. The man with the book and the other man near him is from Albanian renaissance (the first man is one of the fathers of Albanian letterature, and second is an "komit" warrior who protect the Albanian culture books during otomanin invasion.
4.Working man with woman and flag-man rappresents Indipendece of Albania (1912)
5. The last 4 persons are Partizans who gave Albania the great victory from Second World War from invasions of Italian-Fascists and German-Nazists (07/04/1939 - 29/11/1944).

besnard, kiwi_explorer, maltese, daddo, Paolo, snunney, ChrisJ, vinicio, bostankorkulugu, leonorkuhn, siolaw, rakeshgupta, ZiM, vagabondtravels, parbo, riclopes, syd1946, carper, chrisnet, plimrn, fritzi007 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jasmis (58631) 2007-02-26 5:53

Superb place and really impressive photo. Something like a journey in time. Thanks for sharing.
Regards.

besnard (59196) 2007-02-26 5:54

Bonjour Gerrit
Belle prйsentation de cette peinture murale riche en nettetй et en prйcision.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journйe.
Nicole

kiwi_explorer (12209) 2007-02-26 5:59

Hi Gerrit,
Nice historical painting ... this would look good at night when lighted. Also, very interesting note and obsrvation you made about the place. Well done ... TFS.
Cheers,
Renier

ninaL (21348) 2007-02-26 6:01

Hi, Gerrit.
Intresting street composition.
Well done.
Best wishes. Grazyna.

maltese (22907) 2007-02-26 6:28

Hello Gerrit
Grand contraste entre tes paysages ruraux des derniers posts et cette constrution а l'architecture et а la dйcoration trиs communiste!
C'est bien observй et bien rйalisй.
Amicalement
Hervй

daddo (28728) 2007-02-26 6:54

Hi Gerrit. Nicely presented with the angular approach. The mural looks great against the blue sky. Excellent clarity and interesting note. Regards. Klaudio.

Paolo (41258) 2007-02-26 6:55

Hi Gerrit, good image, from a tiny and mayb not well know capital city.
the big comunist murales is well captured, as the empty space in front of it and the few people all around (biker except)
thanks, ciao

ebolanos (229) 2007-02-26 7:26

Great description Thankyou

snunney (130967) 2007-02-26 7:42

Hello Gerrit,
Very good documentary shot of this building, which would be of no particular interest were it not for the giant mural. Good choice of perspective along the diagonal. The people walking by and, in particular, the cyclist (waiting for someone to catch up?) add some human interest and in their modern clothes make a sharp contrast from the figures in the mural. TFS.

ChrisJ (160008) 2007-02-26 8:53

Hi Gerrit

An interesting & colourful public mosaic & mural. Excellent sharpness. I like the 6 verticsl columns. Tfs!

vinicio (23423) 2007-02-26 11:02

Hello Gerrit, this is really interesting post, I quite know the story of Albania but this is one of first good image that explain well its past, well done, compliments, also to the well made image and to the useful WS.
Have a nice week
Ciao
Vinicio

Gustaw (21670) 2007-02-26 12:59

Hi, friend!
Next interesting photo from Albania. Yes, I know. It is socreal art. Comunist art is very bad. Photo have good composition and good colours.
Marek

xavshot (69835) 2007-02-26 15:14

Bonsoir Gerrit
le grand angle est trиs apprйciable ici et le cadrage est bien vu. J'aime le nettetй du post et plus particuliиrement sur cette peinture. Beau travail
Xavier

leonorkuhn (16237) 2007-02-26 22:05

Hi Gerrit,

Good capture of this mural painting. Excellent POV, nice colors and good light.

Well done
Leonor

siolaw (38294) 2007-02-27 0:55

Hi Gerrit
A good view at this fine example of communist archtecture and painting.. light and colors are top, sharpness too.. i like the people too in there as they add some life to the scene..
TFS
Laurent

rakeshgupta (2672) 2007-02-27 2:53

Hi Gerrit,
This wall painting above Post office is good idea. I think all government buildings should highlight the historical struggles through the art like thin one.
Good sharpness and contrast.
- Rakesh

Land-of-Eagles (108) 2007-02-27 3:59

Hi Gerrit,
Thank you for your photos about Albania, my country.

I can correct some things you said about the "wallpainting" it's not wallpainting but mosaic.

You're right about the Illyrians but not quit right with others.

1. Illyrians 700 BC (Albanians are close descendents of Illyrians)
2. Albanians warriors (Arberesh) during Otoman invasion times.
3. The man with the book and the other man near him is from Albanian renaissance (the first man is one of the fathers of Albanian letterature, and second is an "komit" warrior who protect the Albanian culture books during otomanin invasion.
4.Working man with woman and flag-man rappresents Indipendece of Albania (1912)
5. The last 4 persons are Partizans who gave Albania the great victory from Second World War from invasions of Italian-Fascists and German-Nazists (07/04/1939 - 29/11/1944).

Thank you Gerrit for all your other photos on Albania.

pastadog (13111) 2007-02-27 5:12

A good example of socialist architecture and art, Gerrit, and interesting note on this "relic", I like how you included the biker in the compo, regards, Daniel

ZiM (190) 2007-02-27 5:27

Hi Gerrit

Many thanks for all the photos of Albania you have published here!Great contrast and exellent colours.The comp is good too!Amazingly not that many people around!The biker i assume is one of your friends :)
A small corretion about the building if you don't mind,it's the National Museum of Albanian History,not a postoffice :) Anyway,exellent work!

Best regards

Bardhok

feather (51130) 2007-02-27 5:54

Good shot oif the very unusual building. The wall mosaic seems to have been tagged on at a later date than the building. I like the closer view you have posted in the WS; the detail is excellent.
Kath

vagabondtravels (6511) 2007-02-27 6:58

Hi Gerrit

Interesting image from Albania. Good note. Great te photo. Well done.
Ben

parbo (11092) 2007-02-27 7:15

Dag Gerrit,

Your scene and note is full with information for a small travel in history. You very good captured this huge mosaic panel at front of an important building in city while adding visitors. Congratulations.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

bostankorkulugu (42832) 2007-02-27 8:21

hi gerrit... nice daily life shot from tirana...a good documentary... i like the walpainting somehow... nostalgic one...

cheers

korkut

:D

syd1946 (1167) 2007-02-27 12:18

Very good composition with big architectural interesting and historical through your informative note.Excellent work!

Regards,
Thomas

prezntime (3946) 2007-02-27 22:11

Hello Gerrit.
It is quite an interesting mural. So much history in such a small (well, obviously not too small) space. Colorful as well, usually we see these purely of stone...Very interesting. I like your angle giving the shot a good perspective and having the building lines as a lead in to the shot.
Regards,
Chris.

leo61 (0) 2007-02-28 0:48

Hi Gerrit!
Good capture of this painting.
The architecture and the painting looks typical from a socialistic country.
I like the bright light and the colorcontrast.
Regards,Leo

riclopes (35577) 2007-02-28 3:44

Olб Gerrit, excellent note well completed by Led. The big mosaic wall is quite impressive on that front faзade and the historic scene is interesting. Good shot well composed. I like the inclusion of your friend looking up to it...or may be not ;-)
Regards,
Ricardo

jemaflor (135404) 2007-02-28 5:49

Hi Gerrit,
interesting report photo, well framed, tfs this aspect of the history of that country ...

carper (96) 2007-02-28 10:25

weer een bijzonder tafreel Gerrit,
mooi strijdlustig beeld, goede foto, prachtig om toch nog Uw kamaraad er ook op te zette, mooi werk.groet Jaap

chrisnet (23062) 2007-03-01 4:00

Hello Gerrit,
Beautiful painting well framed, good light and colors, well seen and done.
Regards
Christian

capthaddock (28790) 2007-03-01 12:45

Hi Gerrit - these communist murals are so eye shatteringly ugly, it makes them fascinating, the boxy concrete building is well suited for this officially sanctioned graffiti.

devimeuxbe (58557) 2007-03-01 14:51

Hi Gerrit
I have seen much of this propagande in old red countries. In Vietnam, in Cuba ...
It's now an interesting testimony of the past in Albania. Nice POV, nice sharpness and colors.
Bertrand

john_c (24666) 2007-03-01 22:24

Hi Gerrit,
Well composed with superb lines, graphism, and perspective. I like the warm lighting here and shadow effects, with the people really warming up and enhancing the image. The angled appearance of the building really catches the mural in all of its splendour. A crisp clear shot, well seen and captured.
John

rhizomes (15343) 2007-03-05 16:04

Hi Gerrit,
Impressive mosaпc, typic of the communist era...
I saw one of them in Dresden last year...there is a strange power even if it is now the past.
Christophe

plimrn (21344) 2007-03-06 8:25

Hi Gerrit,
Excellent light, color,detail and framing; I really like the way you show the mural within its setting. The loud speakers attached to one side bring visions of military music being played. A cycylist, tourists, lovers and locals are all ignoring its splendor. Your note shows great insight; how strange is the impulse to glorify war!! HLJ, Pat

fritzi007 (14698) 2014-12-29 1:09

Hallo Gerrit,
interessantes Foto und Information, sehr gut gemacht!
Viele GrьЯe
Wolfgang