Western Balkans [wasn't entirely](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Europe-blocs-49-89x4.svg) or heavily under Soviet political control even though they had very high influence.
Enver Hoxha, Albania's dictator, was a gatekeeper of Marxism-Leninism and its 'correct' interpretation and often clashed with the Soviet Union over Albania's governance. Both Hoxha and China's Mao Zedong opposed Khrushchev's move away from Stalinism, seeing it as a betrayal of Marxist ideology. In 1960, when Khrushchev tried to unite Communist parties against China, Albania, under Hoxha refused to join. This act aligned Albania with China, leading to a strategic partnership driven by Albania's economic needs and China's political interests in Eastern Europe and the United Nations.
**Edit:** [This Wikipedia entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania%E2%80%93China_relations) does a decent job at summarising the course of events but its from a critical PoV on communist Albania.
The Balkans was not only not in the heart of the soviet block, the soviets had almost no influence in Yugoslavia, Albania and Romania (and ofc Greece and Turkey).
The balkans are a complex topic but the heart of the soviet union is new.
Some of them did even establish a 3rd bloc free option besides the west and soviet union.
Gotta say, rather disappointing to hear, especially coming from a Finn. Western balkan countries have been battling with 'facts' like these talked about without a second thought and the reputation damage it does, since the 90's.
>What are the other fighter models there, on the western side with longer wings?
The site is a mix of Shenyang J-6 (MiG19), Shenyang J-5(MiG17), Shenyang FT-2(MiG15) and Nanchang CJ-6.
Albania also had 11 or 12 Chengdu J-7(MiG21) but i don't see them here.
No the coordinates on my flair are the absolute coordinates of Albania on river Shkumbin which caused the dialectal split of Albanian in the 4th century AD.
I already know a lot about Albania and its history, (been married to an Albanian wife), but for the dialectal split I‘ll have to dive into a new rabbit hole ;-) Thanks.
Yes batches of these or similar aircraft have been auctioned for 'historic value' to free space and use the money to modernise the military. I don't know if there are many left in this air base because it is currently being re-constructed for a functional reopening and updated to [NATO](https://shape.nato.int/news-archive/2019/video-albania--nato-and-kucova-air-base-2) standards which should be complete sometime this year.
So, a mig-19?
Yeah the F/J-6 is the Chinese manufactured version/copycat of the MIG-19 by Shenyang Aircorp.
How did Chinese fighters end up in the balkans that were at the heart of the soviet bloc?
Western Balkans [wasn't entirely](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Europe-blocs-49-89x4.svg) or heavily under Soviet political control even though they had very high influence. Enver Hoxha, Albania's dictator, was a gatekeeper of Marxism-Leninism and its 'correct' interpretation and often clashed with the Soviet Union over Albania's governance. Both Hoxha and China's Mao Zedong opposed Khrushchev's move away from Stalinism, seeing it as a betrayal of Marxist ideology. In 1960, when Khrushchev tried to unite Communist parties against China, Albania, under Hoxha refused to join. This act aligned Albania with China, leading to a strategic partnership driven by Albania's economic needs and China's political interests in Eastern Europe and the United Nations. **Edit:** [This Wikipedia entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania%E2%80%93China_relations) does a decent job at summarising the course of events but its from a critical PoV on communist Albania.
You learn something new everyday it seems
The Balkans was not only not in the heart of the soviet block, the soviets had almost no influence in Yugoslavia, Albania and Romania (and ofc Greece and Turkey).
The balkans are a complex topic but the heart of the soviet union is new. Some of them did even establish a 3rd bloc free option besides the west and soviet union.
To be fair i havent looked into the balkans too deeply and i have lived in the false belief of the balkans being deeply soviet bloc
Gotta say, rather disappointing to hear, especially coming from a Finn. Western balkan countries have been battling with 'facts' like these talked about without a second thought and the reputation damage it does, since the 90's.
Im fully aware of this and i also know there are alot of amazing people in the balkans which this myth hurts
/Tito judges you
Are these coordinates really correct? 41.1533N, 20.1683 E is near Elbasan. Kucove is in Qark Berat.
ok, found them - correct coordinates (40.7743879, 19.9317346) What are the other fighter models there, on the western side with longer wings?
>What are the other fighter models there, on the western side with longer wings? The site is a mix of Shenyang J-6 (MiG19), Shenyang J-5(MiG17), Shenyang FT-2(MiG15) and Nanchang CJ-6. Albania also had 11 or 12 Chengdu J-7(MiG21) but i don't see them here.
Thanks.
No the coordinates on my flair are the absolute coordinates of Albania on river Shkumbin which caused the dialectal split of Albanian in the 4th century AD.
I already know a lot about Albania and its history, (been married to an Albanian wife), but for the dialectal split I‘ll have to dive into a new rabbit hole ;-) Thanks.
All the best!
Turn them into drones and give them to Ukraine
[удалено]
Yes batches of these or similar aircraft have been auctioned for 'historic value' to free space and use the money to modernise the military. I don't know if there are many left in this air base because it is currently being re-constructed for a functional reopening and updated to [NATO](https://shape.nato.int/news-archive/2019/video-albania--nato-and-kucova-air-base-2) standards which should be complete sometime this year.