In a solemn ceremony, the unveiling of the bust of Michalis Stivaros was carried out, the 20 year old Cypriot student, volunteer fighter who lost his life fighting for the liberation of Epirus from the Turks in December 1912 at Bizani.
The event took place at Katsaris Park in Ioannina, on Monday, 28th of October, 2013.Michalis Stivaros was born in 1892, in the village of Pedoulas of Nicosia District, where he lived and grew up. After his graduation from the Pancyprian Gymnasium in 1911, he enrolled in the Medical School of Athens University.
With the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, Michalis Stivaros with another 2000 Cypriots, rushed to recruit to the Greek Army and fight for the liberation of Epirus and Macedonia. Michalis Stivaros fought in the battles of Peston, Aetorahi and Bizani, where he was killed in December 1912.
The Municipality of Ioannina and the Athanasios Ktorides Foundation worked to create a place of memory in honour of the Cypriot fighter. The event was attended by local authorities, the Dean and Vice-Rector of the University of Ioannina, Cypriot students and Cypriots residing in Ioannina as well as the descendants of Michalis Stivaros. Speakers at the event were the Mayor Filippas Filios, the president of the Municipal Council of Ioannina Dimitrios Giotitsas, the descendant of the Cypriot fighter Vyron Stivaros and a representative of the Cypriot Students Association in Ioannina. This was followed by the wreath laying ceremony and the chanting of the National Anthem.
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