Artist: Nikolaos Kotziamanis
Location: Grigoris Afxentiou Avenue, Kalo Chorio. Larnaka district.
Category: EOKA 1955-59
Photography: Evangelia Matthopoulou
The statue was commissioned by the Lysi Municipality during the period in office of A. Ttofia. The Afxentiou’ family participated partially to the expenses. Lysi is situated in the occupied part of Cyprus. Nevertheless, all municipalities and communities in the occupied part operate regularly at the free part of the island, electing their local authorities.
The statue is an exact copy of the one placed at Machairas area, on Troodos Mountain, made by the same sculptor. On the pedestal it is noted that its placement at Kalo Chorio is temporary, until it will be placed in the “liberated Lysi”. The eagle usually accompanies Afxentiou in his depictions because he was also known by his nickname “Golden Eagle of Machairas”.
It is not known at what point the nickname “Golden Eagle of Machairas” was attributed to Afxentiou. A version points to Grivas who supposedly called him “Golden Eagle of Pentadaktylos”. The golden eagle’s (Aquila pennata or Hieraaetus pennatus) natural environment is Pentadaktylos Mountain (in the occupied part of the island), where a certain area is also known as “aetofolia” (eagle’s nest). However, the inscription “Golden Eagle of Machairas” which decorates the pedestal of his bust at the Memorial to the Lakatamia dead and missing (Nicosia district), explicitly links the nickname with Afxentiou extensive activity at Machairas and not at Pentadaktylos.
The unveiling took place on January 16th 1994.
Selected sources:
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), January 15, 1994, p. 9.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268/1968/11, document June 8, 1993.
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle) 17.94.7 vol. 7, September 22, 2005.
Keywords: