Ο Eleftherios Iakovou (Montanios) He was born in Deryneia in 1874. His father was Iakovos X ”Lefteris (Koumatsos) and his mother was Tallou X” Giannis Sotirou. He had two sisters, Fouregou Dimitris X ”Louka Lottou (grandmother of the Mayor of Deryneia Flora Ioannou) and Fotou Pieris Paikkou, who died at a young age.
The first teacher
At the age of 21, in 1895, he was first appointed teacher on one-teacher then school of Deryneia. It was the the first popular teacher promoted by Deryneia.
The first school of Deryneia, until 1881 was housed in a small house, located in the courtyard of the church of Panagia.
In 1881 this small house was destroyed and with the voluntary work of the inhabitants of Deryneia a large two-room hall was built in its place, which was the first school building of the village. Small rooms were built next to the two-room hall to house foreign teachers.
In 1916 the school was divided into a girls 'school and a boys' school, as the first girls started attending the school. The first girls 'school operated in Giakoumettos' house. At that time, the school was attended mainly by boys, who came to school barefoot, with torn clothes and clothes "palaskes".
It was not necessary for the girls of that time to go to school. Most of them lived at home and cared for their younger siblings, who were not few at the time, while their parents worked hard in the fields, on the pergolas and in the herds to provide for themselves. Many boys interrupted their studies to throw themselves into the struggle and help their families overcome the great difficulties of life.
In 1919 the decision was made to build a new school. A large room was built in the area where the Primary School is located today, which later, when the school became a teacher, was divided into two classrooms. The inauguration of the new Primary School, something that the first Deryneian teacher, Eleftherios Iakovou, dreamed of but did not manage to enjoy, took place in 1923.
"Omonia" Reading Room
Ο founder of the Reading Room "OMONIA" served the function of teacher for twenty-seven years in total. Of these, the fifteen years at the Primary School of Deryneia and specifically the dates: 1895-1896 (first appointment), 1902-1904 and 1910-1922. He must have served the remaining twelve years in neighboring villages in the area, most likely the villages of Sotira and Avgorou. During the time he served in Sotira (1896-1902), he met and married Lozou, who came from Sotira. His marriage to Lozou did not last long. They divorced without having children. He seems to have served in Avgorou from 1904-1910. There he made many friends, who came mainly from wealthy families, many groomsmen and baptists. He was transferred to the Primary School of Deryneia again in 1910.
In 1912 he remarried. His wife was Margarita Michalis Psaras from Agios Memnon. She was a tall and beautiful woman and the offspring of a rich family of the neighbor of Deryneia Agios Memnon.
Together with his wife Margarita, they were happy to have two sons, Iakovos (Vakis), who was born on January 3.1.1915, 30.7.1918, and Michalakis, who was born on July 1935, 1981. His eldest son, Iakovos, after graduating from Famagusta High School in 1936, emigrated to England, where he lived until his death in 1943. His second son, Michalakis Montanios, graduated from the High School in 1943. and a bank until 1947. From 1948-1951 he worked in the trade union movement. He then worked for two years in the Municipality of Famagusta as responsible for enlightenment and social works, when the mayor of Famagusta was also Adamos Adamantos from Deryne. From 1951-XNUMX he studied law at the Middle Temple in London. He has been practicing law since XNUMX and today, together with his three sons, also lawyers, they run the law offices MONTANIOS & MONTANIOS in Nicosia.
Working at the school of Deryneia, the teacher Eleftherios Iakovou did not have for himself the concern of educating and educating his young students. The illiteracy that prevailed at that time greatly troubled him and he decided to help his fellow villagers to get out of the darkness of illiteracy. In the evenings he walked around the cafes, to read the newspaper and spread the news to his illiterate fellow villagers. Along with the newspaper, he also read books to them, helping them to socialize and telegrams related to the First World War.
His effort was appreciated by his fellow villagers and, when he decided to establish the "OMONIA" Reading Room, he found a great response and help. This can be deduced from the verses written later by his student, Lefteris X ”Lefteris Telis:
They shouted at the villagers, I want it before I die
with the space to make jiai a second school
for adults, that is, no association,
να ρκουνται να δκιεβαζουσιν χαρτικά, εφημεριαν
yes telegrams, to learn history
They were quite a few horkans, when they owed him
They entered into their purpose, which they understood
They put the work together with the priests
the psalmist, the commissioners of the church, were the azai
X ”Adamos, Kkolias, Xiouros, Kotsionis,
my uncle X ”Styllis, was Katsiantonis,
Hamburin with Stillin, was Milikourin
Pavlos of Karagiorkis, Christos of Katouris,
Xiavi's Christofuin with X ”Anastasin,
Kogolis, Fitiris the son of Hatziliasis.
En ji 'were these sleeves, there were many of them…
The progressive ideas of the teacher, as we have seen, were not only accepted, but they found many supporters and thus their implementation became easier, something that acknowledges the strong personality and rich gifts of the teacher.
These very gifts of the first Deryneian teacher are described with rich touches in the verses of the student of Lefteris X ”Lefteris Teli (1970).
"Sielia nine hundred and twenty in early December
was the first establishment of the Reading Room
"OMONIA" is the name of his first house
50 years so far, ji 'was yesterday I dare
they look like a dream to me now that I remember them.
I still remember our teacher's illness
His efforts for the letters and his efforts
Let his students come out white-faced everywhere.
There were eighty students alone who taught them
Ji where jian eianinasin always cared for them.
Yeah where? Where did they not care and did they take care?
For the chorcon, the church, mman peiiis for the homeland?
They had her in the carcass, yes in her soul
They put his emotion into his trembling.
Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like Al that sounds crap to me, Looks like Al that sounds crap to me
Let gums say a voice "The Memory of Eternity".
The first savings bank of Deryneia
Eleftherios Iakovou was also the founder of the first Savings Bank of Deryneia, an idea that was to develop into a strong economic and commercial organization, the current "NEW COOPERATIVE CREDIT COMPANY OF DERYNEIA", an organization that contributed greatly to the improvement of the standard of living of the whole of Deryneia. In his private house, now known as Tsoukka's house, he isolated a room, which he named FUND. This room had its own entrance-exit, on the west side. In recent years, Costas Tsoukkas has been using it as a shoemaker. The Fund was under the responsibility of teacher Iakovos and accepted the savings of the people of Deryneia. It was the reason to spread the idea of saving and the savings to become a reality.
The relations of the teacher El. James and the church were excellent. From 1910-1922 he served as a singer in the church of Deryneia. He wrote several religious hymns, which, however, remained at the home of his son, Michalakis, in Famagusta. He also wrote lyrics for his beloved sister Fotos, who lost so early.
As for his "I believe" policies, at that time in Cyprus there were two political tendencies, the Royal and the Venizelist, tendencies that came from the Greek area. Eleftherios Iakovou was from Venizelos.
The first Deryneian teacher loved nature very much, especially the sea. The sea has always been dear to the people of Deryne and they often frequented the beach for swimming and fishing. The teacher really liked the firecracker on the beach. After a firefight, however, he returned with a severe cold, a cold that unfortunately developed into pneumonia. Despite the philanthropic efforts of the doctors of Famagusta, Cypriots and English, his recovery is not possible and so on March 19, 1922, the first teacher of Deryneia, at the age of just 48 years, leaves his last breath.
His student, Giannis Giannitsaros writes about the death of his teacher:
The years of Lefteris' teacher were like jiam
for his grace was set up by Carter's army.
On the nineteenth of March, nine hundred kosidkyos
with a funeral wreath they take him for the burial
Yes, they were visible to me, they were blessed.
They left the Association with a pillar and nefkian
an auron tree as much as ji 'efkin of the cocoon
άννοιεν το καλοτζαίριν τζι 'έκρουζέν το ο σιειμώνας.
"Without a pillar, yes, nefkian" not only the Reading Room was left, the school, the savings bank were left, but above all, his family, his wife and their two minor children were left. Margarita's wife and her two orphans had to climb their own Golgotha, in those difficult times. In order to support her two young children, mother Margarita is forced to slowly sell the jewelry that was given to her at her wedding.
In 1930-1933 with her little son Michalakis, she undertakes the buffet of the Reading Room "OMONIA" and at the same time she struggles to keep the Reading Room, which then went through difficult times. In the end, in order to be able to help her children, she had to sell her house as well. She continued her fight for her two sons without remarrying.
As a small sign of gratitude for what this man offered to the local community, the Renaissance of Deryneia suggested to the Municipality, that a simple bust of Eleftherios Iakovos be erected in the place where he taught the first letters to the then barefoot children of Deryneia and specifically in the paved square near the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary where the hall of the school (Girl's School) is located where this great teacher taught.
Source: Municipality of Deryneia