Ms Elina Papatheodorou up at the summit with the Greek Flag
A timely Honoring of Kastelorizon’s 77th Liberation Anniversary
By Anny Zade
There are many Anniversaries that Greeks and the Free Western World honours, remembers and celebrates. One of them is the liberation of Kastelorizon in 1943 from the dark forces of Axis when the Greek warship Navarchos Kountouriotis (Admiral Kounouriotis in english) entered this small but important island’s port liberating same; it was the first part of Greece to be liberated. Later on in 1948 Kastelorizon and the entire Dodecanese Islands joint Greece’s territory as a winning power of World War II!
This year’s 77th Anniversary comes at no better time given what takes place in the Aegean / Central – East Med region following the escalation of Turkish provocations on EEZ rights bullying Greece, Cyprus and suppressing all of its neighbors. Many Greeks visited the Islets, comprised by Megisti (Katellorizon – Castello Rosso), Ro and Strongilli.
We were, as mentioned in our last Friday’s recap, more than lucky and privileged to have our own people there and in particular Ms Elina Papatheodorou, who did also the “climbing” up to the top to pay her respects to the Greek Flag! Greek women have played a pivotal role in the ten millennia’s course of Hellenism in a multiple of ways… First among equals, Goddess Athena “winning” over Posidon and giving her name to Humanity’s Capital of Philosophy, Sea Power and Democracy… Athens! The Lysistrata play firstly introduces the intervention of women in sealing and making Peace… Aristophanes’ Lysistrata it’s a comic account of woman’s extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian war. They denied all men having sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired… Laskarina Bouboulina, the Spetsiot Admiral during the Greek War of Independence of 1821… The women of Zalogon in Epirus, North Western Greece, preferring not to be humiliated by the advancing Turks and decided to jump from the rocky hill, knowingly they will die… The Lady of Ro – Despina Achladioti (1890 – 1982) was another Greek Woman…
Fotini Baxevani as The Lady of Ro performing
Many honors for her and her contribution to Hellenism… Leaving alone and raising the Blue and White stripes Greek flag for four decades on this barren Greek outpost, the Islet of Ro… Coincidentally, a theatrical play in her honor was performed over the weekend with Fotini Baxevani as the Lady of Ro and Violeta Ikari singing the relevant poems / songs of the play; beyond excellence and touching! This theatrical performance was based on the novel by Yiannis Skafidas…
This year’s Anniversary celebrations took place in the presence of Greece’s first female President Ms Katerina Sakelaropoulou who also visited and lay a wreath at the Island of Ro for the Lady of Ro! She was also present today at the beginning of the new school term on the island’s School. She’s the first president of the Hellenic Republic to visit these islands in the last fifteen years!!!! A very significant day today being also The Holy Cross Anniversary, the Exaltation of the Holy Cross!
H.E the President of the Hellenic Republic Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou (with the white jacket on the left next to the school’s pillar) during the service for the start of the new school term.
Let this event be the preamble of next year’s 200th Anniversary of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Yoke.
Long live Kastelorizon, Long live Ro and Strongili; Long Live Greece!
