FOTIS STAVROU PITTA

A hero of the liberating fight of the Greek Cypriots (1955-59 ) against the English colonists, in order to succeed the island's freedom and the connection with Mother Greece.

He was born in the village of Frenaros in the Famagusta district on the 28 th February in 1935.His parents were Stavros and Maria Pitta.He was the third from the six children of the family.

When he finished primary school, he went to the Greek Gymnasium of Famagusta (1947-1953).His dream was to study in the Army cadet school in Athens. A mistake in his birth certificate prevents him to achieve it. His second choice was the teaching college in Morfou (1953-1955). After his graduation he becomes a teacher in the primary school of Ahnas, a village in the district of Famagusta.

During his studies in the Teaching college of Morfou (April 1955), he joins EOKA –National Organization of Cypriot Fighters, which prepared and conducted the liberating fight of the Cypriots. His initiation is done by Papastavrou Papagathaggelou, who attested him in his house in Nicosia. The liberating fight had already begun since the 1 st of April. This is the way he sets up his action in the fight and continues after his posting as a teacher in Ahna. He becomes a member of the team of Ahnas trial balloon, developing a lot of action something that made him to distinguish as a member of the organization. His strong action led a betrayer to give information the English Military Authorities.On the 18 th of October Fotis is persecuted by the English. As a persecutor he is forced to desert the teaching profession, in order to continue his action in the liberating fight. On the 10 th of January in 1957 Fotis was arrested due to betrayal from the English in the house of Hadjigerou in the village of Vatili of the Famagusta district.

After his arrest he was led to the police station of Famagusta where he was put under horrible tortures, but without giving any information to the English. The pages of his diary which he secretly kept during his imprisonment there consists an irrefutable martyr of these tortures. On the 31 st of January 1957 he was led to the detention rooms of Kokkinotrimithia.

Later he was transferred to the detention rooms of Pilas .His only thought during his staying there was how to escape and go on with the fight. He succeeds that when the track which provided the detention rooms with food, created a secret crypt under its carrier. On the 12 th of March 1958 Fotis escaped with other three prisoners Andrea Karyo Christakis Tryfonidi and Frixo Demetriadi. The driver of the track was Gabriel Petrou Peros a member of the organization from the village of Sotira of Famagusta. Fotis, free at last, continues the fight.

On the 17 th of July he secretly visits Frenaros and sees for the last time his relatives. In the end of August he secretly visits Ahna and asks from the priest Papagrigori to commune him. On the 30 th of August in 1958 he was in Liopetri with his fellow combatants Andrea Karyo Xantho (Christo) Samara and Elia Papakyriakou, for the organization affairs. In the morning of Monday 1 st September and while the fighters were in the village English troops arrive. The four men try to escape the village but the ringer around it was suffocating. They decide to hide in the barn of the house of Panagioti Kalli until the English troops desert the village. The English submit the residents to tortures and questions.

On Tuesday 2 September 1958 the English surround the house and ask the fighters to surrender. They refuse and the battle begins. The English try to set fire on the barn to force the four heroes to go out and be extinguished….. They died heroically.

The hero's funeral was performed on the next day in the community of Frenaros .The words with which old Stavros said goodbye to his son hero were soul stirring:

Γιε μου, να πας εις το καλόν. Αφού ήρτασιν προξένια, Τζι' εγιώ εν να πάρω τ' όπλο σου Τζι' εννά σταθώ στον τόπο σου, Να με σεν λάμν' η έννοια. (My son, go peacefully .We received matchmaking, I'll take your gun and take your place. Don't worry about anything)

Today in a central part of the village there is the bust of the hero and the teacher of Fotis Pittas.There is also a small museum n which his personal things are exhibited and others which involve his action.