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").