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The Cold War Bunkers of Albania (21 photos)

During the Cold War, Enver Hoxha, the hardline leader of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, embraced increasingly isolationist and paranoid views, leading to the launch of a massive “bunkerization” project to defend the nation in 1968. Over twenty years, nearly 175,000 reinforced concrete bunkers were built across Albania, lining seashores and lakes, dotting mountain passes, borders, farmland, and towns—at great expense and effort. However, these bunkers were never used as intended—never sheltered the populace from a Soviet attack or invasion by a neighbor, though they did see limited use during the Kosovo War and Albanian Civil War in the 1990s. In recent years, a few of the disused structures have been converted to hostels, homes, or museums, and many have been removed altogether, but most continue to slowly decay in place.