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self-determination in Cyprus.
The second section was primarily dedicated
to the two leaders of EOKA, Ethnarch
Archbishop Makarios III and General Yiorgos
Grivas, named Digenis, Makarios’ exile to
the Seychelles and the sacrifices of Gregoris
Afxentiou and other heroes, who were hanged
or fell in battle. Different aspects of the struggle
were presented with commentary, using various
documents and photographs to present many of
the events that took place, such as images of
the British dropping propaganda leaflets from
the air, examples of Turkish propaganda for the
Turkification of Cyprus, the cooperation of the
Turkish Cypriots with the British and EOKA’s
reaction to this, offers made by Britain to
EOKA fighters to abandon the struggle, British
propaganda, documents on military operations,
booklets of wanted fighters, passive resistance
against the British and much more.
The third section focused on the imprisoned
fighters in Nicosia’s Central Prison and other
detention centres, through relics made by
them during their incarceration, their personal
objects, photographs and notes. Of particular
interest was a school leaver’s certificate of an
imprisoned pupil who took her exams in prison.
The fourth section presented the four-year
EOKA struggle through the photographic
archives of Felix Yiaxis, which belongs to the
Archbishop Makarios III Foundation, from
the arrival of the Agios Georgios boat to the
declaration of Cyprus’ Independence.
The last section took stock of the results of
the EOKA campaign, the return of Yiorgos
Grivas-Digenis to Greece and the declaration
of elections. Reference was made to the
problems of the newly established state, the
constitutional crisis with the Turkish Cypriots,
the bombing of Tillyria in 1964 and the
Turkish invasion of 1974.
Of special interest were the paintings of Paul
Georgiou on the struggle of 1955-59, the
paintings by Andreas Asproftas and Sergiou,
the sculptures and structures by Theodoulos
Theodoulou, N. Dimiotis and Kotjamanis,
the table used at the Archbishopric for the
referendum of 1950 and fighters’ artefacts
from the National Struggle Museum, which
were given out on loan to another organisation
for the first time.
The exhibition was held on the second
floor of the Art Gallery, in the room with
the Ethnographic Collection presenting the
participation of Cyprus in the struggles of
modern Hellenism from 1821 to 1974.
Photos by the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus
