The heroes’ monument of Kakopetria is dedicated to all the inhabitants of the village who fought for their country during the national war of independence in 1955-59.
The community in cooperation with the committee which is responsible for this kind of monuments, have paid all the expenses for the construction.
On the monument you can see the goddess Niki (Victory). The unveiling of the monument took place on 27 June 1993 by the ex president of Cyprus, Glafkos Kliridis.
The figures of Alekos Kostantinou and Panayiotis Toumazou were added on the monument on 29/05/2005. The first hero was born in Kakopetria and the second one died in the village. The monument was realized thanks to the contribution of the Board of the Historical Memory for the EOKA fighters.
By building this monument, the community of Kakopetria honors the memory of all the heroes who died for their country.
Panayiotis Toumazou
The community of Kakopetria honors the fighter Panayiotis Toumazou with a monument built on the spot where he was killed.
Panayiotis Toumazou died during a fight with English soldiers having in his pocket the emblem of peace.
The unveiling of the monument took place in 23 June 1993 by the minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Giorgos Petridis. The monument is built on the road of Nicosia-Troodos and more specific in the area of “Saranta Mili”.
His life
Panayiotis Toumazou is one among a big list of people who died during the English Occupation.
His parents were Theofilos and Artemisia Toumazou. He was born on 12 July 1939 in Famagusta. He had 6 sisters: Kiriakoula, Evi, Androula, Eleftheria, Irene, Despina, and 5 brothers: George, Ellinas, Nikolas, Kostantinos and Pavlos.
His first school was the elementary school of Famagusta and later on he went to the Greek gymnasium.
After he had finished school, he worked for a short time as a customs broker. Then he had completely stopped working, and he was dedicated to the national war against the English troops.
Panayiotis Toumazou was a member of a group which was organized in order to fight against the English troops. This group included many known members of the national war such as Petrakis Yialouros and many others.
The group of Panayiotis Toumazou cooperated with the group of the commerce school of Famagusta. The common goal of the two groups was the transmission of the Greek ideals and dreams and the provocation of casualties in the English army.
Panayiotis Toumazou was responsible for the distribution of leaflets concerning the goals of the national war and for the writing of slogans. His passion guided him to involve in force groups and ambushes. In December of 1955, Panayiotis Toumazou took part in the successful operation for the blow up of a vehicle of the English army.
The young fighter, participated in an attack against a Turk spy, after an order of EOKA. Toumazou and another fighter organized the attack which took place ion 20 July 1958.
After this attack, Toumazou became a fugitive for the English authorities. Thus, he decided to leave the area and recruit the group of rebel fighters “Onisilos”, in Solea.
Antonakis Solomontos, was a partner of Toumazou, who narrated many stories for the life of Toumazou after his death. One of them says that some fighters have set an ambush in the road of Kakopetria-Karvouna, and stayed there for thirteen nights until they managed to attack the English troops.
The last night, Panayiotis Toumazou had cut a branch of an olive tree, and said to the others “if I die tonight, the English will find the branch and they will understand that I am fighting for peace”.
That night, Panayiotis Toumazou, Antonakis Solomontos and Andreas Aggeli saw two big vehicles full of English soldiers passing by. They instantly began shooting. Panayiotis Toumazou activated a mine in order to stop the vehicles, but unfortunately the mine didn’t work. Then, he threw a hand grenade but at the same time an English soldier shot him on his head.
His death was instant. Antonakis Solomontos tried to carry him away, but due to the big fire he didn’t make it. Panayiotis Toumazou, remained there, having the emblem of peace in his pocket.
Alekos Kostantinou
Alekos Kostantinou was born in Kakopetria, on 6 October 1936. His parents were Kostas and Elpiniki Kostantinou. Alekos was an old child.
Alekos Kostantinou lived in Famagusta. He went to the elementary school of the town and then he continued in the gymnasium and in the Commerce school.
He also had English courses and he became an excellent speaker of the English language. He gave exams in order to recruit the English army and he made it.
Thus, he became an officer of the English army. When the National war had begun he took advantage of his work and helped his country.
Since the beginning of the National war, Alekos Kostantinou became a member of the executive group of Famagusta. His home was the most safe refuge for the fighters of EOKA because he the English believed that he was very reliable.
Alekos and his mother agreed to keep in their home all the guns of their group.
In order to deceive the English, he invited them very often in his house. Thus, they never believed that he could fight against them.
Alekos Kostantinou was an active member of EOKA till the end of the war. He organized an ambush, on April 1958, with many other members of EOKA, near the cinema “Iraio” where they shot the most aggressive and tough English inquisitor, Dear. The killing of Dear was one of the most important victories of EOKA.
Dear had tortured many members of EOKA. The previous attempts for the murder of Dear were not successful but Alekos and his co-fighters did not lose their faith and courage and finally managed to kill him.
Some minutes before Dear’s death, he managed to whisper to his soldiers, the names of his killers. The two soldiers run after them but the two fighters had hidden in the cinema.
Alekos Kostantinou with his co-fighter decided to leave the area because they know that the English troops would not stop seeking.
Alekos and Panayiotis Georgiadis went in Kourdali in order to meet Kostas Patsalidis and Panayiotis Gerogiadis and set up an ambush against the English. Unfortunately the mine had exploded before the right time and killed Alekos Kostantinou on 20 June 1958.
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