Shivers of emotion and feelings of national pride were felt by those who attended the 1st Literary Memorial of the "Modestos Pantelis" Cultural Foundation, in memory of the heroes of Kokkinochoria 1955-1959, which took place on the evening of Thursday, March 27, in the event hall of the 70nd Primary School of Liopetri on the occasion of the 1955th anniversary of the start of the National Liberation Struggle of EOKA 1959-XNUMX.
The Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou, attended the event and delivered a speech. The President of the "Modestos Pantelis" Cultural Foundation, Mrs. Andri Modestou, also delivered a speech, while the main speaker of the event was the Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and President of the EOKA Liberation Struggle Foundation, Mr. Charalambos Alexandrou.
In his greeting, Mayor Mr. Christos Zannetou referred to the goals of the "Modestos Pantelis" Cultural Foundation, which are none other than, as he said, the promotion of the National Liberation Struggle of 1955-1959, the preservation of the fighting spirit and spirit of sacrifice of our heroes who fought so that we can live here free today, as well as carrying out activities and actions for this historical responsibility, but also highlighting the responsibility to pass on these values to the new generations, through the triptych "Homeland - Religion - Family" which is inextricably linked to our National survival.
"Modestos Pantelis," he added, "the first martyr of EOKA 1955-59, like all the heroes of the 1955-1959 struggle, were not forgotten, because their actions have been indelibly engraved in the history of Cyprus, and they remain a shining example of morality, dignity and faith in the struggle for freedom and justice. Therefore, the memory of our heroes will live forever in the hearts of our people and in the history of our homeland."
In her greeting, Mrs. Andri Modestou said that in Kokkinochoria, the flame of freedom was lit very early and our fighters, with courage, self-sacrifice and selflessness, stood on the front line, defending the rights of our people.
Their actions, he added, “are a beacon of dawn that guides and inspires us to this day.” The literary memorial service is dedicated to these Heroes, to the Heroes of Kokkinohoria, to those giants of self-denial and altruism, who sacrificed themselves for high ideals. “It is our duty to keep their memory alive and to continue their struggle for justice, peace and freedom,” he concluded.
In his speech "The Memory of the Hero", Mr. Alexandrou praised the sacrifice of the 11 Heroes of Kokkinochoria, highlighting their courage, self-sacrifice and love for their homeland. He stressed the importance of historical memory, the continuation of the struggles for freedom and the preservation of their values as a beacon of inspiration for future generations.
During the event, a trisagion was held in memory of the 108 Heroes of the EOKA Liberation Struggle 1955-1959, plaques were awarded by the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou, to the families of the Honored Heroes of Modestos Pantelis, Dimitrakis Christodoulou, Loukias Laoutaris Papageorgiou, Panayi Zacharias, Giasoumis Hatzitheodosiou, the Karyos Brothers, Andreas and Georgios, Elias Papakyriakos, Christos Samaras, Fotis Pittas and Loukas Loukas.
The evening closed with an artistic program - a tribute to the Heroes of Kokkinochoria, which included storytelling, recitation, songs and dance.
The event was held under the auspices of the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannetou.
