Petraq Kolevica, the master of architecture passed away at the age of 89. He is also known for his contribution to literature between poetry and translation, but also for his friendship with Kuteli and Poradeci to whom he dedicated a book.

Petraq Kolevica is a writer, translator, architect and former Albanian MP. He was born in Korça on January 11, 1934, completed primary school and high school in Korça in 1952. Korça Gymnasium was the successor of the French Lyceum and some of the previous professors continued to teach there. Among other things, it was these teachers who instilled in Petraqi his interest and love for art, especially poetry.

At that time he also had contact with the painters Vangjush Mio and Vangjush Tushi who greatly influenced his formation. He completed his construction engineering studies in the period 1952-1957 at the Polytechnic University of Tirana. 

In 1957, after graduating from the University, he started working at the Construction Design Institute in Tirana. He was assigned to work in the architectural design sector. The then director Mr. Eqrem Dobi, charged them with the task of designing a building with apartments and shops near the “Partizani” cinema. He worked for many years as an engineer and architect. Throughout his career as an architect, he tried to design modern and functional buildings. He was partially inspired by various magazines that came translated from the Soviet Union. In 1971, Petraq Kolevica was the supervisor of the “Albania Today” exhibition.  After expressing diverging views on the “Shqiperia Sot” exhibition, he was sent to work as a construction technician in Valias.

From that time, Petraq Kolevica did not work so much as an architect. He summarized his life as an engineer and architect in the book “Architecture and Dictatorship”. In the years 1973 – 1975 he designed and built the building of the Chinese Air Agency. Then he became a co-author of the project of the National Historical Museum in the late 70s until 1981. This is one of the last projects where Petraq Kolevica collaborated. After that, he was no longer active in architecture, but he received many awards and documentaries were filmed about his activity.

He is also known for his contribution to literature, through translations, poetry and novels. Since 1960, he published Lermontov’s “Demon” volume from Russian, while in 1986 he brought “German and Austrian Poems” to local readers. With “Song from bad times” he would start the publication of his poetic volumes after the regime, creating an inseparable connection with the verses, which a decade ago he would summarize in “The late harvest”.

/k.s/