In spite of her incessant claims that she is protecting Albanian cultural heritage, Minister of Kumbaro’s term has seen the massive destruction of cultural and archeological heritage around the country.
The latest example is the collapse of the St. Athanasius Monastery in Lower Leshnica, a Category I monument in the Saranda region, dating from at latest 1797.
Photos published by Melsi Labi, the former director of the National Historical Museum who was fired after criticizing Minister Kumbaro, show that the roof of the monastery has fully collapsed.
The monastery was one of the 77 cultic monuments that were spared from destruction during the Cultural and Ideological Revolution in 1967. It now appears that the government’s negligence has finally taken its toll.
Minister Kumbaro, who is on the campaign trail for the first time as she tries to secure her seat in the Gjirokastra region, has failed to issue any statement on the matter. In Gjirokastra itself, the Minister approved an illegal “urban generation” plan which threatens the UNESCO World Heritage city.
Also Arta Dollani, director of the Institute for Cultural Monuments, has failed the respond to this tragic loss of cultural heritage.
Below a video from January 2017, showing the monastery roof intact:
