NATIONAL MUSEUM SKANDERBEG
A strange museum created by the communist regime in 1982 to honour the Albanian national hero, housed in a medieval-style building.
Housed in a massive building in the heart of the Kruja citadel, this strange museum opened in 1982 (Muzeu Kombëtar Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu) is the most visited in Albania. It is mainly visited by Albanians themselves. But it is of very limited interest: although the presentation is well thought-out (lighting, texts in English), there are hardly any objects or documents from the period. Designed in honor of the national hero Skanderbeg (1405-1468), the monumental building breaks away from "Soviet realism" in favor of a medieval-inspired style with carved stonework and a large dungeon-like tower. It was conceived by the leading Albanian Marxist historian Aleks Buda (1910-1993) and designed by a team of architects loyal to the Communist regime, including the dictator's daughter, Panvera Hoxha (b. 1953). The entrance hall is dominated by the sculptural ensemble Skanderbeg with the People, a kitsch work created by Janaq Paço (1914-1991), who is also responsible for the Skanderbeg statue in Kruja. This is followed by a gallery featuring reproductions of Skanderbeg's two most famous symbols, his helmet and sword. Upstairs, don't miss the terrace with its superb views and the bronze of Skanderbeg created in 1939 by Albania's greatest sculptor, Odhise Paskali (1903-1985). Since 1997, another version of this bust has graced the forecourt of the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
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