The history of cigarette production in Albania (2)

Cigarette factories during the period of Socialism

In the years 1946-1947 all Albanian existing cigarette factories were nationalized, most of them were closed, while the larger ones, as STAMLES was owned by the state and took another name Ndermarrja Industriale Shteterore Cigare (Cigarettes State Industrial Enterprise) “Telat Noga”. During the communist regime had four cigarette factories: Tirana Factory (former cigarette factory "Flora" - closed in 1960), Durres Factory, Shkodra Factory (N.I.SH Cigare "Vasil Shanto") and Gjirokastra Factory. Tirana and Gjirokastra factories produced cigarettes only for the domestic market, while Shkodra and Durres factories produced for the domestic market and for export. Since 1957 and especially after 1960, Albania began exporting cigarettes in all Eastern European countries, mainly in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic. During the 1980s most of the cigarettes produced in Albania was exported.

- NDERMARRJA INDUSTRIALE SHTETERORE CIGARE, TIRANE, has produced regular brands  DAJTI, LABINOTI, PARTIZANI.

- N.I.SH. CIGARE "TELAT NOGA" / FABRIKA E DUHAN - CIGAREVE, DURRES, has produced regular brands ALBAN Filter, APOLLONIA, APOLLONIA Filter, ARBER Filter, ARBERIA Filter, ARDIAN SPECIALE, ARGYRON Filter, ARION Filter, AULON Filter, BERATI, BESNIK, BUTRINTI, DAJTI Filter, DELIN Filter, DIAMANT, DIAMANT SPECIAL, DIAMANT Filter, DRINI Filter, DRIT Filter, DURRES SPECIAL , Filter, EART Filter, ERDIT Filter, ERIND  Filter, ERMIR  Filter, GENT Filter, GENT SPECIAL Filter, GOJAR SPECIAL  Filter, HOLTA   Filter, ILIR SPECIAL Filter, ILIRIA  Filter, JON  Filter, KORABI, LAND Filter, LEKA, LLUKS, LUKS, LUKS EKSTRA, LUX, MALART Filter, MARIN SPECIALE Filter, NORA  Filter, PORTI  Filter, RIVIERA, RIVIERA Filter, RODON Filter, SAMSUN, SELVIN Filter, SHKODRA, SKENDERBEU  Filter, SKERD  Filter, SOPOTI  Filter, SPORT, TIRANA Filter, TIRANA SPECIALE Filter, TOMORRI, VJOSA  Filter, ZANA  Filter.

N.I.SH Cigare "Telat Noga" has produced commemorative brands  30 VJET Filter, 45 VJET CLIRIM Filter, FESTIVALI FOLKLORIK KOMBETAR 1983 Filter, JUBILE – 30 VJET PPSH Filter, KONGRESI i 7te BPSH  Filter, KONGRESI i 8te BPSH  Filter, KONGRESI i 9te BPSH Filter.

N.I.SH Cigare "Telat Noga" has produced brands under license ARDA  Filter, DUKAT Filter, STEWARDESS Filter, WINSTON  Filter .

- N.I.SH. CIGARE "VASIL SHANTO" / FABRIKA E DUHAN - CIGAREVE, SHKODER, has produced regular brands  APOLLONIA, APOLLONIA  Filter , ARDIAN, ARGIR SPECIALE Filter, BESNIK, BUNA Filter, DAJTI Filter, DIMAL  Filter, DRINI  Filter, DRISHTI  Filter, DRIVAST Filter, GENT SPECIAL Filter, KRUJA Filter, LUKS, LUKS EKSTRA, MENTOL, NORA Filter, NORA MENTOL Filter, PARTIZANI, PUNTORI, RIVIERA Filter, ROZAFA, ROZAFAT, SHELDIA, SHKODRA, TARABOSH Filter, VALBONA  Filter, VJOSA.

N.I.SH Cigare "Vasil Shanto" has produced commemorative brands 25 VJETORI CLIRIMI, 30 VJET Filter, 35 VJET PPSH  Filter, 40 VJET Filter, 70 VJETORI i PAVARESISE Filter, JUBILE XXV VJET PPSH, KONGRESI i 5te PPSH, KONGRESI i 6te BPSH, KONGRESI i 8te PPSH Filter, KONGRESI i 9te Filter, KONGRESI i 9te BPSH Filter, KONGRESI i 10te BPSH Filter.

N.I.SH Cigare "Vasil Shanto" has produced prototype brands  BASMA, DANIA, KRUJA, START.

- N.I.SH. CIGARE / FABRIKA E DUHAN - CIGAREVE, GJIROKASTER, has produced brands  DRINO, PARTIZANI.

N.I.SH Cigare Gjirokaster has produced commemorative brands  FESTIVALI FOLKLORIK KOMBETAR 1983 Filter, FESTIVALI FOLKLORIK KOMBETAR 1988.

Marks and custom forged

The quality of products was extremely low and all the cigarettes were produced with Oriental tobaccos. During the 1980s, Durres cigarette factory began producing several kinds of package of cigarettes. With Bulgarian state company license "Bulgartabac" was produced "Arda" and "Stewardess" for the Bulgarian market and a small amount was sold in Albania. It also signed an agreement with the Polish Tobacco monopoly on cigarette production "Dukat", with Polish tobacco for export only in Poland and a little for Albanian domestic market. The factory was also involved in the production of counterfeit cigarettes of popular brands, on behalf of international smugglers through the former State Security (mainly "Winston" and "Kent").