30
31
T
o mark the 60
th
anniversary of the EOKA
struggle to end British rule in Cyprus, the
ArchbishopMakarios III Foundation - Byzantine
Museum andArt Gallery is hosting an exhibition
of artworks, documentation and relics under the
heading
It was the 1
st
of April…
– the date at
which the 1955-59 EOKA struggle began.
The exhibition, which opened on 1 March
2015 and will last until 28 June 2015, is
hosted on the Gallery’s second floor, where
the Ethnographic Collection is kept, presenting
Cyprus’ participation in the struggles of modern
Hellenism from 1821 until 1974.
The exhibition aims to outline the most critical
and decisive historical period for the Greeks
of Cyprus, which ultimately led to the island’s
liberation from the British, and draw lessons
and parallels from the paintings, sculptures,
engravings, photographs, books, newspapers,
documents and various relics depicting the
EOKA struggle. These include the heroic
soldiers’ uniforms, equipment, prisoners’
handicrafts and handmade flags.
The 1
st
Section provides a synopsis of the
Cypriots’ yearning for ‘Enosis’ – to join Greece
– as expressed through the October 1931 riots,
the Cypriots’ participation in World War II, the
1950 referendum and Greece’s 1954 appeal to
the United Nations UN for self-determination
to be applied for the people of Cyprus, as was
the case with other countries.
The 2
nd
Section presents the two leaders of
EOKA – National Organisation of Cypriot
Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston)
– Archbishop Makarios III and Colonel
Georgios Grivas Digenis, Makarios’ exile to
the Seychelles, the self-sacrifice of Grigoris
Afxentiou and other EOKA fighters who died
It was the 1
st
of April…
Georgios Grivas Digenis
View of the It was the 1st of April… exhibition
Military arrests citizens
Archbishop Makarios III
