THE REVOLUTION OF LITOCHORO 1878 - Η ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΛΙΤΟΧΩΡΟΥ ΤΟ 1878

THE REVOLUTION OF LITOCHORO 1878

In February 1878 in Litohoro there was the largest uprising attempt of the Greeks of Macedonia against the Turks. On February 15 a part of Greek volunteer fighters landed in Litochoro where they were expected by people with lit fires who awaited for years. Together they march to Litochoro and disembark the supplies to the monastery of Agios Dionysios of Olympus.

As delegates from other regions arrived they rose up mainly from Bishop of Kitros Nicholas, which was established in Kolindros,they elected president of the provisional revolutionary government Evangelos Korovagko from Litochoro and Kosmas Doumpiotis. On February 21 the Greek flag was raised in Kolindros and the revolution started.

The first attempts of the Greeks began when they besieged the Castle of Platamonas and Tochova and gradually seems to dominate the region from Tempe to Aliakmonas.

The plan however failed because the landowner John Bitsios, who was an interpreter at the British consulate in Thessaloniki, betrayed them.

On February 25 the Turkish forces marched towards Kolindros and Nicholas Kitros burned himself in Metropolis for not have the holy relics fallen into the hands of the

Turks. Women and children (approximately 3,000 people) left Kolindros and fled to the Monastery of All Saints. To avoid becoming hostages of the Turks, followed the example of women in Zalogo and Arapitsa, sacrificing their lives.

Doumpiotis was not able to assist the defence of Litohoro, which was retaken by the Turks, on March 4. The Turks burnt 9 churches and 320 houses and killed the people of the village. The help they expected from the rebels of the southern Greece never came. The women of Litohoro who had taken refuge in the Monastery of Agios Dionysios of Olympus, were transferred to Thessaloniki and were under the protection of the European consuls.

This uprising of 1878 had not the outcome who all waited, but the blood and sacrifices of the people of Litohoro and of all the area is not in vain.It became the seed that brought the freedom in 1912-13.

Η ΕΠΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΛΙΤΟΧΩΡΟΥ ΤΟ 1878

Το Φεβρουάριο του 1878 έγινε στο Λιτόχωρο η σημαντικότερη ίσως προσπάθεια ξεσηκωμού των Ελλήνων της Μακεδονίας ενάντια των Τούρκων. Στις 15 Φεβρουαρίου ένα σώμα Ελλήνων εθελοντών αγωνιστών αποβιβάζονται στην Πλάκα Λιτοχώρου όπου τους περιμένουν κάτοικοι με αναμμένες φωτιές, που καρτερούσαν χρόνια αυτή τη στιγμή. Όλοι μαζί ανεβαίνουν στο Λιτόχωρο και αποβιβάζουν τα εφόδια στο Μετόχι του Αγίου Διονυσίου του εν Ολύμπω.

Αφού κατέφθασαν αντιπρόσωποι από άλλες περιοχές οι οποίες είχαν προετοιμασθεί και ξεσηκωθεί κυρίως από τον Επίσκοπο Κίτρους Νικόλαο, που είχε έδρα τον Κολινδρό, εκλέγουν πρόεδρο της προσωρινής επαναστατικής κυβέρνησης το Λιτοχωρίτη Ευάγγελο Κοροβάγκο και αρχηγό τον Κοσμά Δουμπιώτη. Στις 21 Φεβρουαρίου υψώνεται η ελληνική σημαία στον Κολινδρό και αρχίζει η επανάσταση.

Αρχίζουν οι πρώτες επιχειρήσεις των Ελλήνων οι οποίοι πολιορκούν το Κάστρο του Πλαταμώνα και τη Τόχοβα και σιγά σιγά φαίνεται ότι θα κυριαρχήσουν στην περιοχή από τα Τέμπη μέχρι τον Αλιάκμονα.

Το σχέδιο όμως απέτυχε με προδοσία από τον Ηπειρώτη τσιφλικά Γιάννη Μπίτσιο, ο οποίος ήταν διερμηνέας στο βρετανικό προξενείο στη Θεσσαλονίκη . Ο σύγχρονος Εφιάλτης υπεράνω της πατρίδας έβαλε τα τσιφλίκια του, για τα οποία φοβήθηκε μην πάθουν τίποτε.

Στις 25 Φεβρουαρίου οι τουρκικές δυνάμεις βάδισαν προς τον Κολινδρό και ο Μητροπολίτης Κίτρους Νικόλαος πυρπόλησε ο ίδιος τη Μητρόπολη για να μην πέσουν στα χέρια των Τούρκων τα ιερά κειμήλια. Γυναίκες και παιδιά (περίπου 3.000 άτομα) έφυγαν από τον Κολινδρό και κατέφυγαν στη Μονή Αγίων Πάντων . Για να μην πέσουν αιχμάλωτες στα χέρια των Τούρκων , ακολούθησαν το παράδειγμα των γυναικών στο Ζάλογγο και στην Αραπίτσα, θυσιάζοντας τις ζωές τους.

Ο Δουμπιώτης δεν πρόλαβε να βοηθήσει στην άμυνα του Λιτοχώρου, το οποίο ανακαταλήφθηκε από τους Τούρκους, στις 4 Μαρτίου. Οι Τούρκοι πυρπόλησαν 9 εκκλησίες και 320 σπίτια και σκότωσαν το λαό του χωριού. Η βοήθεια που περίμεναν οι επαναστάτες από την νότια Ελλάδα δεν ήρθε ποτέ . Τα γυναικόπαιδα του Λιτοχώρου που είχαν καταφύγει στη Μονή Αγίου Διονυσίου του εν Ολύμπω, μεταφέρθηκαν στη Θεσσαλονίκη και τέθηκαν υπό την προστασία των εκεί Ευρωπαίων προξένων.

Αυτός ο ξεσηκωμός του 1878 δεν είχε την κατάληξη που όλοι περίμεναν, όμως το αίμα και θυσίες των κατοίκων του Λιτοχώρου και όλης της περιοχής μας δεν πήγαν χαμένα. Έγιναν ο σπόρος που θα βλαστήσει αργότερα για να φέρει την λευτεριά το 1912-13.

Η ΠΙΕΡΙΑ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΤΟΥΡΚΩΝ - PIERIA AGAINST ΤΗΕ TURKS

THE STRUGGLE OF LAZAIOI
Throughout the period of Ottoman rule (1453-1821) there have been made several attempts to overthrow the Turks almost in all Greece. In Pieria was the famous battle of Lazaioi in the 18th and 19th century.
Founder of the Olympian Lazaioi considered Lazos descended probably from Olympus Livadi , but lived in the area of Milia. The offspring of Olympian Lazaioi Lazos, along with other thieves?, fought bravely Ali Pasha, who dominated the land between Epirus and Macedonia. But they were forced to leave for a period from the region for the Sporades islands, where they continued their struggle with piracy and from where they returned after an agreement with Ali Pasha. In 1813, Ali Pasha, broke the agreement and destroyed Milia army led by his son Velis. Then a lot of Lazaioi were killed. Those who escaped faced the Turk-Albanians but were forced to surrender.
The second year of the revolution in 1822 had the second biggest disaster of Milia, the burning of the Tower of Lazaioi and their dispersal in southern Greece. But soon the village was inhabited again by the dispersed population and repaired the tower around 1859. The story of course does not end because Lazaioi descendants continued the revolutionary movements with other Macedonians militants following the footsteps of their ancestors.

The family Lazaion gave so many victims in the struggle for freedom.

* John Lazos: slaughtered in Tyrnavos (1813) by Veli Pasha, along with 36 other family members Lazaioi. His son, Tolios, escaped the massacre because he was 12 years old and later became the general of Thessalomakedonian army. He died young on February 15, 1836. His son, John, died in 1835 in a scuffle with Gkegkides? outside the Livadi.
* Liolios Lazos: hanged in 1815 in the Constantinopole, along with his 2 sons
* Municipality Lazos: Killed in Milia by Veli Pasha. In another version, Killed in Malathria, now Dion of Pieria.
* Kostas Lazos: Sent by Veli Pasha in Ioannina where Killed by Ali Pasha.






ΟΙ ΛΑΖΑΙΟΙ ΕΝΑΝΤΙΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΤΟΥΡΚΩΝ
Κατά τη διάρκεια της Τουρκοκρατίας (1453-1821) έγιναν πολυάριθμες προσπάθειες αποτίναξης του τουρκικού ζυγού σε όλη την Ελλάδα . Στην Πιερία ξακουστός έμεινε ο αγώνας των Λαζαίων τον 18ο και 19ο αιώνα.
Γενάρχης των Λαζαίων θεωρείται ο Ολύμπιος Λάζος που κατάγονταν μάλον από το Λιβάδι Ολύμπου , έζησε όμως στην περιοχή της Μηλιάς στα Πιέρια όρη . Οι Λαζαίοι απόγονοι του Ολύμπιου Λάζου, μαζί με άλλους κλεφταρματολούς, πολέμησαν γενναία τον Αλή πασά των Ιωαννίνων ο οποίος κυριαρχούσε από την Ήπειρο μέχρι τη Μακεδονία. Αναγκάστηκαν όμως να φύγουν για ένα διάστημα από την περιοχή για τις νήσους Σποράδες, όπου συνέχισαν τον αγώνα τους με πειρατείες και από όπου γύρισαν μετά από συμφωνία με τον Αλή πασά. Το 1813 όμως ο Αλή πασάς σπάζοντας τη συμφωνία καταστρέφει τη Μηλιά με στρατό του οποίου ηγείτο ο γιος του Βελής. Τότε σκοτώνονται και αρκετοί Λαζαίοι. Όσοι ξέφυγαν αντιμετώπισαν του Τουρκαλβανούς για να αναγκασθούν όμως σε παράδοση.
Ακολούθησε το δεύτερο χρόνο της επανάστασης, το 1822 η δεύτερη και μεγαλύτερη καταστροφή της Μηλιάς, η πυρπόληση του Πύργου των Λαζαίων και ο διασκορπισμός τους στη Νότια Ελλάδα. Σύντομα όμως το χωριό κατοικήθηκε και πάλι από τους διασκορπισμένους κατοίκους ενώ επισκευάστηκε και ο Πύργος γύρω στο 1859. Η ιστορία βέβαια των Λαζαίων δεν τελειώνει αφού οι απόγονοι Λαζαίοι συνέχισαν τα επαναστατικά κινήματα μαζί με άλλους Μακεδόνες αγωνιστές ακολουθώντας τα βήματα των προγόνων τους.

Η οικογένεια Λαζαίων υπήρξε από τις ελάχιστες , σε πανελλήνια κλίμακα, που έδωσε τόσα πολλά θύματα στον αγώνα για τη λευτεριά.

* Γιάννης Λάζος: Σφάχτηκε στον Τύρναβο (1813) από το Βελή Πασά, μαζί με 36 άλλα μέλη της οικογένειας των Λαζαίων. Ο γιος του, Τόλιος, γλίτωσε την ομαδική σφαγή επειδή ήταν 12 ετών και αργότερα έγινε χιλίαρχος στο Θεσσαλομακεδονικό Σώμα. Πέθανε νέος στις 15 Φεβρουαρίου 1836. Ο γιος του, Γιάννης, σκοτώθηκε το 1835 σε συμπλοκή με Γκέγκηδες έξω από το Λιβάδι.
* Λιόλιος Λάζος: Απαγχονίστηκε το 1815 στην Πόλη, μαζί με τους 2 γιους του
* Δήμος Λάζος: Σκοτώθηκε στη Μηλιά από το Βελή Πασά. Κατά μία άλλη εκδοχή, σουβλίστηκε στη Μαλαθριά, σημερινό Δίον Πιερίας.
* Κώστας Λάζος: Στάλθηκε από το Βελή Πασά στα Γιάννενα, όπου ανασκολοπίστηκε από τον Αλή Πασά.















THE MACEDONIAN GENERAL LAZOS WITH HIS FOLLOWERS

Ο ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΑΣ ΟΠΛΑΡΧΗΓΟΣ ΛΑΖΟΣ ΜΕ ΤΟΥΣ ΟΠΑΔΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ

ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ ΣΒΟΡΩΝΟΣ - Colonel Dimitrios Svoronos

The officer of the Greek army Dimitrios Svoronos was a heroic colonel who fought in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Born in Fiscardo, Kefalonia.

He participated in the liberation of Katerini and with his courage he sparked the big win. He died in a heroic manner over the battle.

In his honor the village of Pieria Kolokouri was renamed Svoronos.

He was one of the most educated officers of the series. Modest, magnanimous and brave according to the testimonies of his fellow soldiers.

Ο αξιωματικός του ελληνικού στρατού Δημήτριος Σβορώνος υπήρξε ηρωικός αντισυνταγματάρχης που πολέμησε στους Βαλκανικούς Πολέμους του 1912-1913. Γεννήθηκε στα Σβορωνάτα της Κεφαλονιάς.

Πήρε μέρος στην απελευθέρωση της Κατερίνης και με το θάρρος του έδωσε το έναυσμα για τη μεγάλη νίκη. Σκοτώθηκε, με ηρωικό τρόπο πάνω στη μάχη.

Προς τιμήν του, το χωριό Κολοκούρι της Πιερίας μετονομάστηκε σε Σβορώνο.

Ήταν ένας από τους πλέον μορφωμένους αξιωματικούς της σειράς του. Μετριόφρων, μεγαλόκαρδος και γενναίος κατά τις μαρτυρίες των συμπολεμιστών του.

Liberation of Katerini

On the morning of October 15th of 1912 the 7th Division of the greek army left for the liberation of Katerini. It proceeded normally and without problems on the part of the enemy. Around 2 pm, and while the 20th unit of the Constitution, was approaching to Kolokouris (Svoronos current), the Greek army took fire fiercely from the northwest of the village, completely unannounced. Turkish soldiers were hiding in the dense forest area and set against the Greek army, leading to panicked soldiers and even a company ing to decline. The situation was the commander of the 20th Constitution, Colonel Dimitrios Svoronos, who ran in front on horseback and encouraging his soldiers.
But the Turks saw the gallons and grades and turned their fire on him. The Brave Svoronos was seriously injured. He continued, however, on horseback attacking until contested ever, passed away. The event caused an indescribable excitement and ed the morale of the Greek soldiers (Corfu and Zakynthos mostly), who bravely shouting, attacked relentlessly the Turks.
The battle lasted 3.5 hours in total. The Turkish army during the 5.30 pm was forced to retreat across the river Pelekas of Katerini. At 3 in the morning of October 16 came the orders of General Headquarters to speed up access.
The 20th Constitution proceeded northeast of Katerini, while the 19th remained behind at the disposal of the Division. The artillery took proper position on the heights in Kolokouri to support the movements of the infantry. The 7th Division marched without incident, after the Turkish army and many of the Turks of Katerini had left the city at night.
The liberation was greeted with enthusiasm to Katerini. At half past seven a.m. on 16 October, Greek troops entered the city. The Turkish army retreated to the Kitros and persecutions continued by Greek forces. The administration of Katerini gave up by the army in George Lanaridi from the Livadi in Mt. Olympos. Immediately after the liberation of thanksgiving was celebrated by Bishop Parthenios, in the Church of Divine Ascension.

MAKEDONIA

For the friends who are out of Greece:
Makedonia is the biggest region of Greece and the 2nd populous in Greece.It is inhabited by 3,000,000 Makedonians.

The region got the name from Makedona son of Zeus and Theia.

Makedonas in greek means the tall man.
Philip in greek means the friend of the horses.
Alexander in greek means the one who is captain and proctector of the men.


The greatest geographist of all ages Strabo said that << ...and Makedonia is Greece>>


The tomb of king Philip father of Alexander the Great is located at Vergina which of course is in Greece in about 50km away from Thessaloniki(capital city of Makedonia).Also in the same place there is the tomb of Alexander the Great's son Alexander IV.

Dion which is the place where Alexander the Great and the rest of the greeks(ecxept the Spartans) started the great campaign is of course in Greece and in the region of Makedonia.

Mt. Olympus the mythical mountain that was home of the gods is located in Greece and in the region of Makedonia.

University of Macedonia located at Thessaloniki in Greece and in the region of Makedonia . Of course there is no university in the name above in FYROM .

In Greece all of the above are known even by the stones.Of course, for the skopians all of the above mean nothing because they only want to crate a country with a history or else it will disappear quickly because there are people of many nationalities.

So it is without doubt that for us the Makedonians that we will never accept the Skopje (FYROM) to steal from us our national identity. We aren't making anything more than our ancestors would have done (and not the politics) concentrating peacefully to inform those who don't know the real history(but everything has it's borders, i don't know for how long we can accept the anti-propaganda and the challenges from a country which see only the good side of Greece).


Below there is a map with the regions of Greece
You can see clearly where Makedonia is located

EMMANOYIL PAPAS

EMMANOYIL PAPAS
(1773-1821)
LEADER AND PROTECTOR OF MAKEDONIAN




He was born in 1773 in the village Dovista near city of Serres.

Banker with great influence on the Greeks and Turks who financed with great amount of money, helping Greeks by building schools and churches in the Serres area.

He got married with his fellow villager Phaedra and made with her 11 children .

He was initated in Filiki eteria (which means society of friends ) in 1819 and gave to Konstantinos Papadato who was the leader of Filiki eteria in Constantinopole a lot of money for the preparation of the war against the Turks.

Two days before the start of the Greek revolution (23 March 1821) E. Papas bought at his own expense weapons,ammunition and supplies in Constantinople and departed for Mt Athos in Chalkidiki where he established his headquarters. Papas started the war operations against the Ottomans with his troops which were consisted of 3.000 Macedonians, (Greek inhabitants of Chalkidiki joined with other Greeks from Serres ) and some monks. His assistants were two other Macedonian chieftains,Kapetan Chapsas from Chalkidiki and Diamantis Nikolaou from Mt Olympus region.The insurgents won initially some victories over the Ottomans,mainly during May and June and achieved to reach the outskirts of the Macedonian capital Thessaloniki.But they started lacking ammunition and required supplies and when the adept Ottoman general Mehmed Emin (club-bearer) Pasha arrived leading a force of 14.000 men from Constantinople,the fate of the insurrection took a negative turn.The insurgents were limited in the peninsulas of Mt. Athos and Kassandra and totally defeated after the desicive battle at Vasilika where Kapetan Chapsas and his men fought to the death in order to save from the massacre women and children who were pursued by Ottoman troops.For retaliaton Turks jailed and killed many Makedonians.Papas retreated to the monastery of Esphigmenou accompanied by his son Ioannis and some of his faithful followers but he risked there to be captured by the Ottomans because some monks went with the Turks.So he fled to southern Greece, embarking on the same ship that brought him to Chalkidiki , but died en route of heart attack on December 5,1821.

After the repression of the Greek revolution in Macedonia, many Macedonian fighters and chieftains (like Karatasos , Kasomoulis and many others) fled to southern Greece where they continued to struggle alongside their brethren for the liberation of Greece. Of course the same did the 4 sons of Emmanouil Papa of whom only one survived : Anastasios,who survived of the siege of Mesolongi.The fate of the other 3 wasn't different of that of their father:Athanasios was captured and executed by the Ottomans near Chalkida in 1826,Ioannis was killed in 1825 fighting alongside chieftain Papaflesas in the battle of Maniaki and Nikolaos was one of chieftain's Karaiskakis men who fell in the battle of Faliro,in 1827.As for Papas' wife and the underage children,they were imprisoned for many years by the Ottomans,their house was burnt and the rest of their property was confiscated.They were released after many years,having lost all of their vast property,their father and three of their brothers for the freedom of Greece.

The remnants of Emmanouil Papa were transported in 1966 from Hydra where he was burried to Serres.