Alija Sirotanovic - Hero of Socialist Labor

SARAJEVO - Today marks 24 years since the death of Alija Sirotanovic, the most famous Yugoslav miner and Hero of Socialist Labor, who was pictured on the 20,000 Yugoslav dinar banknote.

Alija Sirotanovic (14 August 1914 - 13 May 1990) was born in Orahovo, a village in the municipality of Breza, and he grew up in Trtorici, Bosnia-Herzegovina. He had six brothers and two sisters, all of whom were miners. One of his brothers, Ahmed, died in a mining disaster in 1970.

Sirotanovic was a worker in a coal mine in Breza and became famous when he set a world record in coal mining on July 24, 1949.

He and his crew mined 152 tons of coal in one shift (eight hours), exceeding the average daily output by 215 percent and thus breaking the world record held by Soviet miner Aleksei Stakhanov by 50 tons.

The pit, where the new record was set, was named after Radomir Putnika, Serbian field marshal in World War I, and Sirotanovic was decorated with the Hero of Socialist Labour title.

Sirotanovic was the most famous of all Yugoslav udarniks, super-productive, enthusiastic workers whose output exceeds the required amount on a regular basis. For the reason and also for his great modesty, Sirotanovic became the symbol of the Socialist working class, and his greatest recognition arrived in 1987, when he was pictured on the 20,000 Yugoslav dinar banknote.

Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito is said to have offered to fulfill any wish Sirotanovic had, but all Sirotanovic is reported to have requested was a bigger shovel. Tito granted his wish, and the larger shovel that was designed for him was later named after him: Sirotanovic's shovel.

He was offered an apartment in Breza, which he refused and decided to stay in...