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Unique exhibition in Pogradec/ Photos from the “Diary of the Greco-Italian War 1940-1941”

2025-09-21 14:45:00, Kulturë CNA

Unique exhibition in Pogradec/ Photos from the “Diary of the Greco-Italian

A unique exhibition has opened in Pogradec, bringing to the public rare photographic material from the "Diary of the Greco-Italian War 1940–1941", by the Arvanite author Christos Petrou Mesogeitis.

During the Italo-Greek war, in his diary, he describes in detail the military operations of the Greek army against the Italian forces in Southern Albania, but at the same time he also reflects the daily life of the inhabitants of the areas where he passed and stayed, mainly around Pogradec and Maliq.

Photos and notes bring into focus villages, archaeological sites, professions, customs, and the hardships of war.

The uniqueness of this material now brought to the photographic exhibition lies in the fact that it is not limited to military events, but also focuses on ordinary people, providing a complete panorama of life during the war.

The author, who passed away in 1944 shortly before the liberation of Greece, left behind a precious historical testimony that his successor Petro Filipi has now presented to the Albanian public.

" I am very happy that after 85 years I am opening this exhibition of photographs of my Arvanite grandfather Petros Mesogjitis. These photographs were published in a book by my grandfather and after so much time we managed to bring them to an exhibition for the first time. Mesogjitis had graduated in archaeology and then was engaged in the Italo-Greek war with the Greek forces and during that period he kept a diary about the war and the places he passed by, taking photos. He also helped poor families during that period during the time he was in this area. The book and the exhibition are dedicated to the area of ??Maliq and Pogradec, it talks about the difficulties that the army faced in the snowy mountains during the war and people have the opportunity to see and learn more about the Italo-Greek war period through them ", said Ledian Zeqollari, curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition brings images of areas that no longer exist today, such as Maliqi Lake, three- to four-story towers in the villages of Pogradec, and the lives of farmers in the villages. /CNA