The 69-year-old journalist and director of RTSH, Ilir Buçpapaj, passed away at the age of 69 after a heart attack.

Ilir Buçpapaj was born on September 15, 1952 in the town of Bajram Curri. He completed the 8-year school and the general high school in his hometown, while the higher studies at the Faculty of History-Philology of the University of Tirana, branch of Albanian language and literature.

He worked as a teacher in the secondary school, in Shoshan and in Fierza. From 1981 to 1992 he worked as a journalist-reporter for the Albanian Radio and Television for the districts of Tropoja-Kukës. From 1992 until his retirement he worked as an editor, screenwriter and director at the Albanian Radio and Television.

He worked for 37 years at RTSH, focusing mainly on chronicles, news, tv reportages, profiles and television documentaries.

Buçpapaj has made more than 750 television documentaries with historical themes dedicated to the most important moments and bright figures of our history, as well as 300 tv reportages.

Ilir Buçpapaj has received many awards and accolades from journalists’ organizations in Albania and the region, but also cultural institutions in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and the Diaspora.

He was awarded “Honorary Citizen”of Kelmendi, Devoll and Tropoja.

/Klara Ruci/