He was the young teacher from Frenaros, who was loved both in his village and in Achna, where he was appointed, after he completed his studies at Didakaliki at the College of Morphou and was appointed to teach Greek letters to the children of the village.
In Achna he lived somewhere near the Police Station, but on weekends or when he had a job, he would go to his village by bicycle, from the street of Varosi. Fotis Stavrou Pittas was a very good teacher and a young man, who on September 2, 1958 taught everyone how to spell the word "Freedom".
He himself, together with his three heroic comrades-in-arms, made the whole of Greece cry. In the Barn of Liopetri, owned by Panagiotis Kallis, Fotis Pittas, Andreas Karyos, Elias Papakyriakou and Christos Samaras, confronted the British Empire and defeated it. They did not surrender but instead made a heroic exit from the burning Barn, with only the rifles of the small and enslaved homeland. And they fell fighting, writing with the blood the word "Freedom" in the land of Liopetri. He talked about it to his children, students in Achna, to his imprisoned competitors in the Pylas detention center before escaping with others. But also to his fellow students, when he was studying at the College of Morphou. This young teacher from Frenaros, Fotis Pittas.
The organization of teachers of POED and its branch in Famagusta, held yesterday in the birthplace of the hero a wonderful event of memory and honor on the occasion of the completion last September, 60 years since the sacrifice of him and his three comrades. The leadership of POED, representatives of the students of free Famagusta, comrades-in-arms, competitors, people who were his students from Achna and dozens of appreciators of his sacrifice, were there to honor his memory.
At the memorial service held at the church of Frenaros, the imposing entrance of the students holding banners of Primary Schools of Kokkinochoria, Gymnasiums and Lyceums, bearing the names of EOKA fighters, among them the Kokkinochos High School and bear the name of the honored hero. The march of the students and the fighters of EOKA, from the church to the center of the community where the Monument of the hero is located, also spread emotion. A trishagio was performed at the site of the monument, speeches and poems were read by many speakers, competitors, students and appraisers of the hero's sacrifice, to the sounds of the Police Philharmonic.
"Race symbol"
The president of POED Filios Fylaktou in his speech, among others, stressed that the teachers, the competitors, the Church, the inmates of the hero in the detention centers of Pyla and Kokkinotrimithia, the former students of Fotis Pittas, honored the hero teacher of EOKA. "For all of us teachers, the hero of EOKA, Fotis Pittas, is a bright symbol of the offer of the teachers, the teachers of our place, in the national struggles for the Freedom of our island". Also special appearances at the magnificent event for Fotis Pittas, Frixos Demitriadis, the only one alive of the four fighters with whom the hero escaped from the Pylas detention center. Also present at the event were the president of the Fighters' Associations Thassos Sophocleous, the former Minister of Justice Nikos Kosis and dozens of other fighters, former teachers, Metropolitan Konstantias Vassilios and other officials.
Photos: Famagusta.News
Source: Philenews