Zigur Lelaj was martyred during the clashes of the War of Vlora, an activist for the protection of the independence and territorial integrity of the country, a participant in the War of Vlora (1920), and a Hero of the People. He was born in the village of Bashaj (Smokthina) in the district of Vlora in a family with patriotic traditions in 1890. In 1914, he fought against Greek gangs, during which he was wounded. He took part in the Mesaplik Meeting on 20 March, 1920. In the Battle of Vlora, he was appointed commander of Bashaj’s detachment, which he bravely led and, in cooperation with other insurgent forces, attacked the Italian garrison in Kote, where he was killed. The partisan detachment of the village took his name during the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War. The people of the province of Vlora have immortalized it in songs. (In 2 photos: Decoration of Zigur Lelaj with the title “Hero of the People”, 1970.)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1465.
Photo: © Central State Archives
Graphic processing: AHCF
