ASTORIA, NY – GNUSA [Photos: GANP / Dimitrios Panagos]
A compelling lecture titled “Cyprus in the Fire of 1821: Martyrdom, Diaspora, and the Pan-Hellenic Struggle for Freedom” was delivered by Parade Chairman Elias (Lou) Katsos following the Parade Open Meeting (panomogeneiaki) on Thursday, April 2, at the Stathakion Cultural Center in Astoria.
It was the 10th talk in the Greek Independence Parade 2026 in New York 205/250 series – the seventh presented by Katsos and was dedicated to Cyprus marking the 71st anniversary [April 1] of the EOKA liberation struggle.
In his presentation, Katsos explored Cyprus’ role and sacrifices in the broader context of the Greek War of Independence noting that the island’s contribution, though often overlooked, was both meaningful and far-reaching.
“Their story is not one of absence, but of presence under constraint; not one of silence, but of participation under danger; not one of distance, but of profound and continuous connection”, said Katsos adding that “Cyprus did not stand apart from the Revolution. It stood within it”.
“Although Cyprus itself did not become one of the principal battlefields of the war, the island contributed in many ways: through links to the Filiki Eteria, through volunteer service in revolutionary armies and fleets, through financial and logistical support from the diaspora, through attempted action on Cypriot soil itself, and through the martyrdom of its religious and civic leadership”, Katsos stressed.
He was later joined by Professor Christos P. Ioannides, former Director of the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at Queens College (CUNY), who presented and discussed the epic poem “The 9th of July 1821 in Nicosia” by Cyprus’ national poet, Vasilis Michaelides, delivered in the Cypriot dialect.
Also in attendance was Philip Christopher, President of PSEKA and the Pancyprian Association, who noted in his greeting remarks that “Cyprus has always been an integral part of Hellenism” and reminded everyone that “a piece of Hellenism, 36% of the Republic of Cyprus, is still under occupation by Turkish troops”, stressing that only the Hellenic diaspora has the strength and influence to help free Cyprus.
