Besides historic values for the city of Durres, former “Vollga” hotel
has another important significance for the story of Albanian
cinematography. Among other things, the People’s Artist, Sander Prosi,
has died exactly at this place.
The “curse” of the hotel that apparently started with the suicide of the famous actor in the ’80s, has continued in the next 25 years of pluralism. The hotel is built by the “Venetian Tower” and the site where the first anti-fascist resistance was carried out in April 7th 1930. However, today it has another image.
The hotel has remained like a ruined island, surrounded by the development of Durres. 25 years of trials among judges and the huge interest shown for the building has left it like that for decades.
The “Vollga” hotel was built in 1938, initially as the Headquarters of the Italian Marine. After the invasion, the Italians turned it into a luxury hotel, “Hotel Dei Dogi”. It stayed like that until April 21st, 1940, when it served as a military hospital.
With the capitulation of Italy, the Germans took it under administration and named it “Majestic”. After the liberation of Albania, the communist leader changed its name to “Vollga”, due to the relations with the Soviet Union. Since then, until 1990, it has been a symbolic building of the city. In 1999 it served as a shelter for Albanians fleeing from the Kosovo war.
From that time, the ownership of the hotel has changed several times. The Prosecution says today that it has been finally donated to Emiliano Shullazi. Prosecutor Adriatik Llalla declared two months ago that the murders in this city came as result of drug traffic and illegal ownership of property titles. One of the properties mentioned seems to have been the former “Vollga” hotel.
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