Mirush Kabashi (17 April 1948 – 5 December 2023) was an Albanian actor. He has interpreted around 100 roles, in theater and cinema. He has often served as the host of numerous artistic events. His most important role is that of Socrates in the theatrical work Apologjia e vërtetë e Sokratit (Socrates' True Apology). Kabashi has also been considered one of the greatest poetry interpreters in Albania. He has made a significant contribution to Albanian cinema. His family belongs to the Kabashi tribe.
Life Mirush Kabashi was born on April 17, 1948, in Shkodër and was raised in Durrës. He originates from Gjakova. In 1970, he graduated in acting from the Academy of Arts in Tirana and began working at the Aleksandër Moisiu Theatre in Durrës. He remained there until 1994, serving as its director from 1991 to 1993. In 1974, he left the theater due to biographical reasons and worked as a laborer at the Railway Enterprise. In 1976, he returned to the Durrës Theater. From 2002, he joined the Artistic Troupe of the National Theater in Tirana as an Actor, where he remained until his retirement in March 2014.
In January 1971, he began working as an actor at the “Aleksandër Moisiu” Theater. In 1974, he was removed from the theater due to political reasons and worked as a laborer at the Railway Enterprise. In 1976, he returned to the Durrës Theater, where he remained until the end of 1993. In 1985, for several years, he was also active as an external Professor of Acting Mastery at the Academy of Arts.
From 1991 to 1993, he served as the director of the “Aleksandër Moisiu” Theater. In 1993, he was forced to step down from the theater's leadership due to political reasons, a situation that echoed his earlier dismissal in 1974. He refused to implement the imposed reforms.
From January 1994 he was appointed to the National Albanian Radio and Television (RTVSH) as a Creator and Presenter of Artistic Television Programs. he worked as the main creator, screenwriter, and host of some of the most important artistic programs on Albanian Radio and Television.
In the New Year's Concerts
In the show “The Top 10 Athletes of the Country”
In the festival “Songs of the Season”
In the show “Kult Awards”
In the TV series “The Cheerful Saturday of a City”
In the TV series “Days of Albanian Humor”
In the TV series “Auto-Stop”, a competition-show aimed at preventing traffic accidents in Albania, and others.
He has also been a member of the Albanian Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 1998, together with nine well-known artists from Albanian-speaking regions, he took part in the humanitarian concert tour Kosova, Cradle of Freedom.
This tour was organized to raise awareness about the tragedy in Kosovo and to collect funds to help children left homeless and without families throughout Kosovo. The tour, which lasted three months, covered sixteen countries and one hundred and fourteen cities, becoming one of the longest tours in Europe.
Stops included countries such as Italy, Germany, France, England, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Slovenia, and others.
Paradoxically, although he had requested unpaid leave from TVSH, where he had worked since 1994, as soon as he returned, he was suspended from work without any explanation. Thus, after a conscientious and charitable anti-war tour through the Albanian diaspora, in the same year Kabashi was awarded the title “Great Master of Work”, he remained unemployed.
But it was precisely during this time that Mirushi intensified his artistic activity. He held numerous poetic word concerts in Europe, including in Israel, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Turkey, North Macedonia, Greece, as well as in Canada and the United States.
In 2008, Mirushi could not be absent from the First Concert Celebrating the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo, organized in the stadium of Prishtina.
In front of fifty thousand spectators, he performed "I am Albanian, I am Kosovar" and poems like "Kosovar Poem," "Oh Albania," "The Girl of the Flag," and "The Albanian Language," delivering powerful emotions to the audience.
After the declaration of Kosovo’s independence, he would be regularly invited to dozens of activities in Kosovo, performing in stadiums in Prishtina, Peja, Prizren, and Gjakova.
Many accolades would follow, not only from the Albanian diaspora but also from broader audiences, highlighting his great impact on art and culture:
1999: For his commitment, both artistically and patriotically, for his extraordinary contribution to national culture, such as the humanitarian concert Homage to Kosovo. In Essen, Germany
2000: Certificate of Gratitude on the first anniversary of Kosovo’s liberation, from the Municipal Assembly of Gjakova
2004: Acknowledgment for his contribution and dedication during the Kosovo War, from the Association of War Invalids of the Kosovo Liberation Army
2008: Honor of the City of Gjakova, an award given in the city’s stadium in the presence of five thousand spectators, as recognition for his outstanding contribution to art and culture
2019: Honorary Citizen of Gjakova, with the motivation: “For you who brought Gjakova’s truth into the light”
In 1998, together with nine well-known artists from Albanian-speaking regions, he took part in the humanitarian concert tour Kosova, Cradle of Freedom.
This tour was organized to raise awareness about the tragedy in Kosovo and to collect funds to help children left homeless and without families throughout Kosovo. The tour, which lasted three months, covered sixteen countries and one hundred and fourteen cities, becoming one of the longest tours in Europe.
Stops included countries such as Italy, Germany, France, England, Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, Slovenia, and others.
In 1994 Mirushi intensified his artistic activity. He held numerous poetic word concerts in Europe, including in Israel, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Turkey, North Macedonia, Greece, as well as in Canada and the United States.
In 2008, Mirushi could not be absent from the First Concert Celebrating the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo, organized in the stadium of Prishtina.
In front of fifty thousand spectators, he performed I am Albanian, I am Kosovar and poems like Kosovar Poem, Oh Albania, The Girl of the Flag, and The Albanian Language, delivering powerful emotions to the audience.
After the declaration of Kosovo’s independence, he would be regularly invited to dozens of activities in Kosovo, performing in stadiums in Prishtina, Peja, Prizren, and Gjakova.
Many accolades would follow, not only from the Albanian diaspora but also from broader audiences, highlighting his great impact on art and culture:
1999: For his commitment, both artistically and patriotically, for his extraordinary contribution to national culture, such as the humanitarian concert Homage to Kosovo. In Essen, Germany
2000: Certificate of Gratitude on the first anniversary of Kosovo’s liberation, from the Municipal Assembly of Gjakova
2004: Acknowledgment for his contribution and dedication during the Kosovo War, from the Association of War Invalids of the Kosovo Liberation Army
2008: Honor of the City of Gjakova, an award given in the city’s stadium in the presence of five thousand spectators, as recognition for his outstanding contribution to art and culture
2019: Honorary Citizen of Gjakova, with the motivation: “For you who brought Gjakova’s truth into the light”
Mirush Kabashi brought to the stage for the first time in Albania the play “The True Apology of Socrates,” which is also the first monodrama in the history of the Albanian National Theatre. It is also the most highly acclaimed Albanian theatrical performance by international juries, critics, and mass media.
“The True Apology of Socrates” is the first and only Albanian play that has been performed at the United Nations Hall in Geneva, in front of representatives from 200 nationalities from all five continents of the world. Mirush Kabashi has represented Albania in some of the highest-level theatre festivals, on the most prestigious stages of the world's artistic metropolises, such as Paris (France), Vienna (Austria), London (England), Cairo (Egypt), Toronto (Canada), Milton (Canada), Kyiv (Ukraine), Athens (Greece), Belgrade (Serbia), Geneva (Switzerland) [in the Plenary Hall of the UN (Hall XX)], Lyon (France), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Bonn (Germany), Bitola (North Macedonia), Kotor (Montenegro), and others.
Throughout his artistic career, which spanned a full 53 years, Mirush Kabashi was honored with over 100 awards and titles, including numerous international prizes, which made him the most acclaimed Albanian actor outside the Albanian territories.
Despite the serious illness that afflicted him for 6 years, Mirush Kabashi never gave up on art—for him, the stage was life, and the audience was his oxygen. His last artistic activity was at the "European Night" in Gjakova, on June 17, 2023.
During his long artistic career, Miruh Kabashi has accomplished:
In Theater – performed around 100 roles
In Cinema – over 30 characters (more than half in leading roles)
On Television – dozens of programs, concerts, and TV films
Artistically debuted (as a reciter) on hundreds of stages across different countries and cities in Europe, America, and beyond
National Awards: In Theater:
"Second Best Actor" at the National Theater Festival – 1983
"Second Best Actor in Theater" in the Grand National Competition on the 40th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Country – 1984
"Best Actor" at the 9th National Theater Festival – 1989
"Best Actor" at the National Theater Festival – 1990
"Best Actor" at the First Nationwide Acting Festival – 2002
"Best Actor" at the Mediterranean Festival Butrinti 2000 – 2002
“Critics’ Prize” at the Bonn Biennale Festival – 2010
“Career Award” at KokoFest – 2021
In Cinema:
“Gold Medal” for the performance in the film Concert with 36 – 1979
“Gold Medal” for the performance in the film The Carnivals – 1981
“Gold Medal” for the performance in the film The Warm Hand – 1981
“Gold Medal” for the performance in the film The Deputy of Women – 1987
Mirush Kabashi with the performance "The True Apology of Socrates", which is also the first monodrama in the history of the Albanian National Theater, and the most acclaimed in Albanian theater, according to international juries, critics, and mass media.
He has represented the Albanian language and theater in several Grade A International Theater Festivals, on prestigious stages in global art metropolises such as Paris, Vienna, London, Cairo, Toronto, Milton, Kiev, Athens, Belgrade, Geneva (in the UN Plenary Hall, Room XX), Lyon, Plovdiv, etc.
Some of the International Jury Awards: Event Country - Year Recognition International Theater Festival – Cairo ’97 Egypt – 1997 Best Actor of the Festival (Golden Sphinx) International Theater Festival – Cairo ’99 Egypt – 1999 One of the 10 Guests of Honor (From the Theater World), awarded the Career Medal Balkan Monodrama Festival – Bitola North Macedonia – 2003 Nominated European Festival "Slavia" – Belgrade Serbia – 2004 Nominated International Festival “Kiev-Traverny” Ukraine – Kiev – 2005 Most Promising Actor of the Festival, awarded the Golden Disc of the Festival; 30,000 calling cards made in his honor International Festival “Theater at the Crossroads” – Plovdiv Bulgaria – 2007 Festival Cup awarded by the Minister of Culture of Bulgaria International Festival “Teuta” – Kotor Montenegro – 2008 No prize structure International Festival “Neo Cosmos” – Athens Greece – 2009 No prize structure European Festival “European Spring” – Lyon France – 2012 No prize structure
High Honors from the President of the Republic: "MERITED ARTIST" – 1983
"GRAND MASTER OF THE STAGE" – 1998