Khrushchev was given the costume of Preng Biba Doda

Correct gender

Napoleon III (1808 - 1873) was Preng Bib Doda's godfather. I learned this fact only a few months ago. A colleague of mine, lecturer in the subject of Genealogy at the National University of Ireland in Galway, during the break between the sessions of a conference dedicated to Napoleon III, said to me: Is there a museum dedicated to Bib Doda in Albania? "I'm not sure", I told him, "but I don't believe there is".

That evening, after the conference, we met again. He spoke to me at length and passionately about the story of Bib Doda and how Napoleon III became the godfather of his only son, Prenga. Napoleon also gave him one of his swords; sword with which his son, Prenga, has proudly posed in several photos of him, wearing the Albanian national costume.

In the following days I started digging in the University library and on the Internet to find something more about these facts. The busy work of my daily life made me neglect this research.

But, fortunately, quite unexpectedly, another colleague who teaches the History of Russia course, talks to me a few weeks later about Khrushchev's visit to Albania. He even tells me about a tree that Khrushchev planted in the Albanian capital and a gift that Khrushchev received from Enver Hoxha. This gift was a traditional Albanian costume worn by Preng Bib Doda.

Preng Bib Doda, was the Prince of Mirdita. He was born in Orosh of Mirdita in 1858 in the Gjomarkaj family. Gjomarkaj were the highest authority of the aging of the Albanian customary code (canon) in Gegëri and the traditional chief of Mirdita.

He was one of the main leaders of the Albanian League in Prizren. Commander of the League of Shkodra and commander of the Mirditore and Shkodra forces that fought in the defense of Hoti and Gruda from the Montenegrins in 1880. Candidate for the royal throne of Albania in 1914, twice deputy prime minister and twice minister. Among the most prominent figures of the Albanian nation, with an extraordinary contribution to the direction of the uprisings for freedom and independence!

He was killed on March 22, 1919 in Zejma, in the Lezha Highlands. After the murder of Preng Bib Doda, for a short period Mirdita was led by her friend, Lucia. After that, captain Marka Gjoni, from the Gjomarkaj family, took the leadership of Mirdita.

These facts do not have any special weight or importance in the history of a country. But if we were to use these museums (missing places, even trees, for the promotion of the tourism industry, they would play a significant role in absorbing the culture and history of tourists).