Bob

Here the ultra rare orders (with star on flag and "poles" on the side) spotted in a rather "cheap" display in the War Museum in Vlore.

Interesting pic from the main museum in Tirana. A wall of pics had has subtitle "ex important functionaries of the Albanian Communist Party and Albanian State sentenced and killed by Enver Hoxha regime"

More pictures in various threads to follow in coming days. Most impressive was actually to visit a private collector in Tirana... THE collector that is. Aside from antique furntiture, old swords / weapons, various unique artifacts related to the Albanian state and several dozen uniforms (some including awards... such as the rare remembrance medal!) he had a tremendous collection of awards... both precommunist (zog / wied era) and communits. Most interesting (aside from a few "never seen before" communist items / prototype medals) was actually holding in my hand the massive (big / heavy) type 1 hero award (gold medaillon similar to Yugoslavian hero). Now I know at least 1 is in a private collection! And it also turns out there's 2 types: - 1 on a neck ribbon - 1 with more regular suspension (cloth) to be pinned to jacket

A lot of the hero's of the people are buried at the martyr's cemetary (pic elsewhere on forum). For the rest, in the bigger towns there's frequently a small memorial with a few graves of heroes.

The War Museum in Vlore (on the coast) had a small WWII section incl. on one of the Hero's of the People

Another small group - again more details (name, translation, etc.) to follow. Interesting to note that it includes a Naim Frasheri order document (rare!) as well as a medal of labor.

Next group... translation pending - a nice labor group. Details to follow in coming days. With more doc's coming out, starting to raise questions about the decree numbers. - 1 decree = 1 awarding? - 1 decree = multiple awardings? - decree numbers are in order for medals awarding or does it also contain numbers e.g. for decision to build a new bridge, etc.? Will have to get all my doc's out and start to order the decree nr / dates to see if some logic can be found.

This is what the medal looks like as stored in the state "vaults"

And another new one... Master of Meritorious Sports Not a medal, not a pin... it's not plastic but not heavy metal either. Flat on reverse.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2008/post-679-1222859277.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2008/post-679-1222859296.jpg Another new one... Master of Sports Two types are known to exist (RPSH, RPSSH)

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2008/post-679-1222859155.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2008/post-679-1222859167.jpg Strange (rare!) variation... bigger than a lapel pin, smaller than the common medal... quite heavy... not clear why this exists!

Right away a documented one... translation pending, but I can assure you it'll be interesting (sigurimi?) Didn't get the corresponding medal but that'll be fixed soon as well. No way in any case (unnumbered) to assure it's the real corresponding one anyway of course.

Link to Hero of Labor documented group (+ second documented award) to Hoxhollit http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9125&st=0

Will be making several posts here... first of all, a group from the National Historical Museum in Tirana. Documented as in attributed by the museum but not actually with documents included. Note: - gold order of the flag - very rare silver medal remembrance - and some other items awarded to Nako Spiru (google to follow) Have to also look into the cloth ribbon bar belonging to the group!

Interesting (!!!!) addition to my documented Hero of Labor star... ANOTHER document (and thus award) for Hoxhollit! Will be requesting translation from our Albanian forum friend but I can already hint at the fact that below Order for Distinguished Labor in Agriculture 3rd class was in fact also awarded for his skill in raising goats. Amazing, based on goats alone Hoxhollit progressed nicely through the award tree. Was lucky to get this doc in Tirana and expand the group, who knows of course what else he has been awarded.

In the National Historical Museum in Tirana there's a "wall" of hero's of the people. Photographs / names of all. In total 77 (of which 12 female) which is probably less than the total number of awardees as some hero's were later branded "enemies of the state" and didn't make it to the place in the museum anymore... Elsewhere in the forum Elvis has posted his list of all hero awardees. Substantially more!

Back from a week's break in Albania... have some interesting things to share on the forum in coming days Let's start with... the award document to an Albanian Hero Star! Not in my possession (this one stays in Albania) but at least we now know what one looks like. Will ask our Albanian forum friend to translate. Also, this isn't just "any hero" as Elvis will hopefully be able to clarify. A rather plain looking folder but with a very nice personalized document inside.

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