Tag Archives: Evagoras Papachristoforou (Ευαγόρας Παπαχριστοφόρου)

The EOKA 1955-59 guerrilla fighter statue and heroes’ busts

Andreas Karyos n Evagoras papachristoforoun
Andreas Karyos                                                 Evagoras Papachristoforou 

Fotis Pittasn Georgios Karyosn
Fotis Pittas                                                       Georgios Karyos

Kyriakos Matsisn Markos Drakos n
Kyriakos Marsis                                                 Markos Drakos

Michail Giorgallasn Memorial to the 1955-59 political prisoners (2)n
Michail Giorgallasn

Memorial to the 1955-59 political prisonersn The detention campn The EOKA 1955-59 guerilla fighter statue (2)n The EOKA 1955-59 guerilla fighter statuen xn xxn

 Artist (for the statue): Giorgos Mavroyenis

Material (of the statue): Bronze

Dimensions (of the statue): Life size

Constructor (for the statue): GBAS Constructions Ltd

Busts: Andreas Karyos (Ανδρέας Κάρυος)

Georgios Karyos (Γεώργιος Κάρυος)

Evagoras Papachristoforou (Ευαγόρας Παπαχριστοφόρου)

Kyriakos Matsis (Κυριάκος Μάτσης)

Michail Giorgallas (Μιχαήλ Γιωργαλλάς)

Markos Drakos (Μάρκος Δράκος)

Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας)

Artist: Leonidas Spanos

Dimensions: 135 cm (+ 22 cm the pedestal) x 45 cm x 45 cm

Kokkinothrimithia detention camp was the place where many of the EOKA 1955-59 fighters were imprisoned and some of them executed. According to the Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle (SIMAE), the number of detained EOKA fighters was more than 3000. The detention camp closed in 1959, when the EOKA guerilla war ended. Until November 1955, when the camp opened, the prisoners were kept at Nicosia central prison and at Kerynia Castle.

The guerrilla fighter statue was donated in 2011 by the artist Giorgos Mavroyenis as homage to the EOKA struggle.The memorial to the 1955-59 political prisoners was commissioned by SIMAE, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Association of Political Prisoners. The unveiling took place on November 2nd 2002. 

The initiative for all the busts was taken by the Association of Political Prisoners. SIMAE commissioned those of Andreas and Georgios Karyos, and Fotis Pittas. In the cases of Evagoras Papachristoforou and Kyriakos Matsis, family members (Panayiota Papachristoforou and Yiannakis Matsis, respectively) funded the busts. Faneromenis’ church commissioned Michail Giorgallas’ bust and the Cypriot Workers Confederation (SEK/ΣΕΚ) commissioned Markos Drakos’ bust.

The unveiling of Andreas Karyos, Michail Giorgallas and Markos Drakos busts took place in October 2008, when for the others the official ceremony followed a year later, on November 1st 2009.

Selected sources:
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.2008.9, documents June 6, 2008; January 11, 2008.
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.2009.10, documents June 6, 2008; October 9, 2008; November 14, 2008; Meeting Minutes May 7, 2009; October 9, 2008.
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.2009.11, document May 12, 2009.

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