Tag Archives: Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας)

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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Liopetri Barn

1. Initial placementn OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA                  old location

2. Current placementn 3. Current placementn
new location

Artist: Sculptor: Nikos Kouroussis (architect: Margarita Danou)

Location: Liopetri village. Ammochostos district.

Material: Mixed material (bronze, stone gravel, straw and clay) 

Category: EOKA 1955-59

Photography: Adrienne Christiansen & Evangelia Matthopoulou

The memorial is dedicated to the EOKA 1955-59 fighters Andreas Karios (Ανδρέας Κάρυος), Ilias Papakyriakou (Ηλίας Παπακυριακού), Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας) and Christos Samaras (Χρίστος Σαμάρας). The barn at Liopetri is the place where the four fighters died on September 2, 1958. Through press reports it is clear that the initiatives to turn it into a commemoration place started in 1962. At that time, Andreas Savvidis made the statues of the fighters. Their gradual erosion during the following years became an issue of concern.

In 1990, after the restoration of the barn, the Cypriot government decided to renew the old statues of the four heroes. The Ministry of Education’s first call for the artistic competition took place in 1992 and was addressed strictly to Cypriot sculptors and/or architects. 

A second competition was called on June 7th 1994 implying no conclusion was reached for the first call. Nikos Kourousiis and Margarita Danou won the second competition call.

According to their proposal the busts of the four dead should be placed inside the barn. As they noted: “This placement invokes a sacred feeling equivalent to the sanctity of the holly communion that takes place on the altar. The visitor is compelled to enter the sacred place of the heroes’ sacrifice with feelings of reverence”. 

The unveiling of the monument took place on September 7th 1997. 

As a consequence of the local community and the families of the dead insistence to have the fighters placed in plain sight in the yard of the memorial place, Nikos Kourousiis committed to sculpt additionally four statues. The project was assigned to him in October 1997. 

Following the artist’s suggestion, the four statues were symbolically placed in front of the wavy and abstract depiction of the flag, which by association evokes the flight of a bird. The flag, along with the circular platform the statues stand on, is reminiscent of a stage theater foreground. 

In 2007 the statues were moved and placed in their current spot, at the perimeter of the memorial ground, and on individual low marble pedestals, as a consequence of the locals’ persisting objections that the memorial weakens its expressive power because of the arrangement of the four fighters in front of the waving flag.

The old photograph is available here courtesy of Dr. Adrienne Christiansen.

Selected sources:
~Αγών (Agon), August 31, 1964, p. 6.
~ Εικαστικά Δρώμενα, Ε.ΚΑ.ΤΕ, October 1999, p. 10. 
Ελευθερία (Eleftheria), June 11, 1970, p. 5.
~ Kambouridis, Charis. «Η τέχνη των ηρώων», Τα Νέα (Ta Nea), January 13, 1999.
~ Μάχη (Mahi), July 18, 1962, p. 6.
~ Μάχη (Mahi), September 12, 1962, p. 6.
~ Σημερινή (Simerini), June 30, 1979, p. 8.
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), April 6, 1984, p. 1.
Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), November 2, 1990, p. 10.
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), January 21, 1992, p. 9. 

~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), November 9, 1992, p. 7. 
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), January 19, 1997, p. 4.  
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), September 2, 1997, p. 4. 
~ Φιλελεύθερος (Fileleftheros), August 29, 1999, p. 37.
Χαραυγή (Haravgi), November 1980, p. 7.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268-1968-8, document July 25, 1991.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268-1968-9, documents January 29, 1992; February 4, 1992; September 21, 1992.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268-1968-10, document June 11, 1992.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268-1968-16, documents August 20, 1997; October 16, 1997; November 7, 1997.
~ Κρατικό Αρχείο Κύπρου, Αρχείο Πολιτιστικών Υπηρεσιών Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (State Archive of Cyprus): 268-1968-19, document September 6, 1999.
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.94.7 vol. 7, Meeting Minutes March 16, 2006; July 6, 2006; July 6, 2008; September 14, 2008.
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.2008. 9, Meeting Minutes May 13, 2008.

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Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας) bust

1n 2n

Artist: Unknown

Location: Frenaros cultural center. Ammochostos district.

Material: Marble

Dimensions: 98 cm (122 cm including the step) x 43~57 cm x 36~51 cm

Category: EOKA 1955-59 

Photography: Evangelia Matthopoulou

The memorial was commissioned by the Cypriot Organisation of Greek Teachers (ΠΟΕΔ/ POED) and the Frenaros Community. The unveiling of the monument took place on February 26th 1961.

Selected sources:
~Νέοι Καιροί (Nei Keri), February 27, 1961, p. 1.
~ Αρχείο Συμβουλευτικής Επιτροπής Μνημείων Υπουργείου Παιδείας & Πολιτισμού (Advisory Monuments’ Committee) 14.3.01/12, document May 25, 2006.

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Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας) statue

1n 2n 3n

Artist: Leonidas Spanos 

Location: Frenaros lyceum. Ammochostos district. 

Category: EOKA 1955-59 

Photography: Evangelia Matthopoulou

The memorial was commissioned by the Frenaros lyceum parents’ union and the Fotis Pittas’ Kokkinochoria lyceum school committee. It was funded mainly by SIMAE (Board of the Historical Memory of the EOKA Struggle 1955-59). The statue was delivered in 2006 and the unveiling of the monument took place in 2007. 

Selected sources
~ Ιστορικό Αρχείο ΣΙΜΑΕ (Historical Archive of the Board for the Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-59 struggle), 17.94.7 vol. 7, documents December 22, 2005; January 23, 2006; May 25, 2006; June 20, 2006; Meeting Minutes January 12, 2006.

Keywords:

Fotis Pittas (Φώτης Πίττας) bust

1n  2n

3n  4n

Artist: Charis Evaghelou 

Location: Fotis Pittas elementary school, Achna. Ammochostos district.

Dimensions (of the bust): 93 cm x 50 cm x 64 cm

Category: EOKA 1955-59

Photography: Vicky Karaiskou

The bust was concluded in 2001 and the unveiling of the monument took place on May 18th 2001. On the right-hand side page of the open notebook behind Pittas, is noted his phrase “Every fighter is a free person” (Ο κάθε αγωνιζόμενος είναι και ελεύθερος), while on the left-hand side page a poem-style short text of his is dedicated to the beauty and glory of Cyprus.

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