Christos Tsiartas

He was born in the village of Polystypos¹, Nicosia district, in 1931.

He fell fighting against the British on March 16, 1956 near the village of Chandria².

Christos Tsiartas finished the primary school of Polystypos and worked in Morphou³, where he joined EOKA.

In July 1955, he settled in his village and, along with others, took on the organization of groups upon the orders of the regional commander. The swearing-in of members and their training in the use of weapons took place at his home. He himself was placed in charge of a group of saboteurs.

He worked with others to build EOKA hideouts in the mountains of Spilia⁴ and, as a member of the Amiantos-Pitsilia guerrilla group, was a liaison in his area with Chief Digenis who lived there.

He collaborated with Kyriakos Matsis in the transport and distribution of weapons, with Grigoris Afxentiou, Polykarpos Giorkatzis and other EOKA leaders in organizing the residents of the villages of the Afxentiou sector throughout the Pitsilia region. Among the serious missions assigned to him was the coverage with his group of the Kakopetria road to Spilia in support of the guerrilla groups on the heights north of Spilia.

On January 20, 1956, he was wanted by the British, so he permanently fled to the guerrillas and joined Grigoris Afxentiou's group in the Papoutsa hideouts in Palaichori⁵.

On March 16, 1956, Afxentiou's large group set up a successful ambush against the British on the road between Agros and Chandria. The price of this ambush was the death of the hero Christos Tsiartas, who was shot by a surviving British soldier as the group was leaving.

The courage shown by his young wife, Eugenia, is remarkable. She did not shed a single tear in front of the British when they led her in front of her dead husband, who had been transported to his village. Honoring his sacrifice, she continued her offering until the end of the Struggle.

Excerpt from the editor of the publication Andreas Makridis

" ...The poetic work of Andreas Tsiartas..."Christos Tsiartas the Yiagoulas of EOKA" is his first book. It is entirely an expression of honor and love for his hero brother, drawn from the depths of his soul and his indestructible brotherly feelings. The work combines the indestructible memories of the Struggle, patriotism, the worship of Freedom, the devotion to Greece and the Union, but also the unbearable pain and languor for the lost, beloved brother.

The entire life of Christos Tsiartas, his integration and action in the liberation Struggle of 1955-59 is briefly described. Unknown aspects and information about the hero, his actions and the battles in which he took part are given. At the same time, much is recorded about other fighters and heroes of the EOKA, such as Chief Digenis, Afxentiou, Matsis, Giorkatjis, etc. The enthusiastic and always willing support of the ordinary people of the countryside is also evident, whenever the Organization needed them and their general participation in the Struggle. Thus, the work of Andreas Tsiartas becomes another valuable historical source for the epic of the Fifty-Five and another contribution of our modest fighter, for Cyprus, Greece and the nation... "

Epiphanio Publications Nicosia 2012