The renovation project of the Christodoulas Monument and the surrounding area in Sotira has entered the final stage of completion and acceptance.
In an announcement, the Municipality of Sotiras states that as a minimum sign of debt to Christodoula but also the struggle of each of our fellow cancer patients, already in 2018 it had decided to erect a new monument at the point where the heroic figure of Christodoula breathed her last.
The renovation of the space emphasizes the character of the monument since the monument is located in a more central point and tends to emphasize the movement of the statue that will be placed in the space. The surrounding area with the creation of amphitheater type stairs can be used by the public both as a place of rest and relaxation and as a place for the organization of the established annual Christodoula March.
As for the statue itself, its construction was undertaken by the well-known Cypriot sculptor and her neighbor in Varosi, Filippos Giapanis, who after personal research, incorporated into the work small details from hitherto unknown aspects of Christodoula's character.
At the monument, Christodoula is depicted wearing closed shoes, as usual, despite the fact that it was summer, since, as people close to her explained, she never wore sandals or slippers as she considered it derogatory. The bronze statue depicts Christodoula walking with a suitcase, effortlessly made, since half the clothes are hanging outside her. Slowly, as I hurried, she left the house to arrive, impoverished and exhausted by the cancer under the orange, where she left her last breath.
The Municipality of Sotiras, with the completion of the Monument, hopes that this will be a reference point for the region and will give due honors to the woman-symbol Christodoulas but also to the real fighters of life, men and women, who were struck by the incurable disease and give daily race.
Who is Christodoula?
Christodoula was born in Agios Memnon of Famagusta and was one of the 5 children of the family Ttofini, who came from Αγία Νάπα. Her other brothers were Katerina, Elegou, Giorkis and Giannis. Katerina, the older sister, was like Christodoula's mother after their mother died young and left them alone. Growing up, Christodoula married him Antonis Zembasis, from Paralimni, where together they had 4 children. They lived in lower Varosi until the invasion (1974).
In 1972, when he was about 70 years old, he was diagnosed with cancer and had to have a mastectomy. Unfortunately, the cancer metastasized to various parts of her body, something that afflicted her unimaginably.
When the invasion took place, he walked 20 kilometers until he reached Sotira Famagusta. There, it cooled under an orange tree. Today, at the place where she left her last breath, there is a monument.
The first love march took place in 1973, when the Anti-Cancer Association wanted to raise money to raise money for a cancer treatment center. This center was later named "Arodafnousa". A great contribution to the realization of this project was made by the then president of the anti-cancer association Hakop Keheyan (1922–2013) who undertook a large part of the costs for the achievement of the whole project.
In 1976, with the suggestion of Dr. Dimitris Souliotis, the procession was renamed "Christodoulas procession", in memory of Christodoulas, a cancer patient and patient, from Agios Memnon Famagusta.
