A unique exhibition has opened in Pogradec, showcasing rare photographs from the “Diary of the Greco-Italian War 1940–1941” by Arvanite author Christos Petrou Mesogeitis, the municipality announced today.

Mesogeitis documented Greek army operations against Italian forces in southern Albania. His diary also captured the daily life of locals around Pogradec and Maliq during the war.

The photos highlight villages, archaeological sites, traditions, and the hardships of wartime. The material stands out because it goes beyond military events, focusing on ordinary people and their lives.

Mesogeitis, trained in archaeology, died in 1944 shortly before Greece’s liberation. His grandson, Petro Filipi, presented the collection for the first time to the Albanian public.

“I’m very happy to open this exhibition 85 years later,” Filipi said. “My grandfather not only recorded the war but also helped poor families during that time.”

Curator Ledian Zeqollari explained that the exhibition sheds light on the army’s struggles in the snowy mountains, as well as the vanished landscapes of the region. It features images of Lake Maliq—now gone—multi-story towers in Pogradec villages, and the lives of local farmers.

The exhibition offers both a historical testimony and a cultural window into a pivotal chapter of the region’s past.

/a.c/