The Sacrifice of Konstantinos Koukidis.

[Jaques]

Hi , friends.

I'm starting the painting of my Greek soldiers.
The first is in homage to this heroic evzone who refused to surrender the Greek flag to the Germans.
There's a discussion about the truth or legend about it. I prefer to believe that it is true, for the meaning that it represented in the Greek resistance.
Perhaps our friend Kostis can enlighten us better.

[Jaques]

Larger photos.

[Bluefalchion]

I really like your figure. Especially the second set of photos.

I surmise that Koukidis did not survive the incident, thus history is deprived of his first-hand account?

[FredG]

During a television programme on 26 April 2000, the then mayor of Athens Dimitris Avramopoulos, stated that there was no specific documentary evidence on Koukidis or his deed. It was noted that a heroic legend of this nature had been important in maintaining national morale under a harsh occupation. On the same occasion, Lieutenant General Ioannis Kakoudakis, Director of the Department of the History of the Army, reported that an investigation had failed to confirm the existence of this soldier

[MABO]

A figure with character. Very good work.

[Beano Boy]

Great Painting and Presentation. BB

[Jaques]

Hi friends.

Many thanks for the comments.
I found some evidence as a possible photo of Kontantinos and publication on the episode in the newspaper in 1941.






http://archive.is/xWvp

Regards.

[huib]

Aside from the question if this myth is (partly) true, which is often difficult to prove, the figure is well made and painted.

[FredG]

Ummmmmmmmmm

http://www.iospress.gr/ios2000/ios20001022a.htm

[Bluefalchion]

Ummmmmmmmmm

http://www.iospress.gr/ios2000/ios20001022a.htm

My Greek is a little rusty. What does this article say?

[FredG]

It says it's a propaganda myth.

[Kostis Ornerakis]

First of all, thank you my friend Jaques for posting a topic about my country. Your work for both sculpture and painting is great.

I also thank FredG for your knowledge of my country's history and language(?)

I can not say with certainty that Konstantinos Koukidis was a real person, but Spyros Kayales, with a similar story, was certainly.

[FredG]

I also thank FredG for your knowledge of my country's history and language(?)

One doesn't, or shouldn't, get to my age without learning a thing or three.

In my case it's the knowledge to instruct my two search engines to automatically translate pages to English. Even if Microsoft haven't got a clue about the English language and translates into America I can still understand the general gist of the articles.

For smaller translations I use Im translator.

[Paul]

It says it's a propaganda myth.

Definately. Like a lot of war time reporting..it don´t add up.
This site https://sarantakos.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/koukidis/ gives a complete breakdown ,including that no Person named Konstantinos Koukidis existed in The greek military at the time* but a Journalist with the same(similar) Name did**, and the daily mail journo who wrote the Piece sent if from cairo.*** with no witness testimoneys.
Using Google translate.
*

Do we need more evidence from the testimony of the director of the Army History Director Kakoudakis on a TV show in 2000 that "We found that there was not a soldier named Koukedis Konstantinos at that time. We sent documents to all units, to the registry, everywhere. We went to Plaka to ask for information. Is there no real testimony to date? "

Bit odd for an elite unit to miss his Name off the records (?)

**

Konstantinos Koukidis (written and Koukkidis). Born in East Thrace in 1891, he worked in large newspapers (Elefthero Vima, Athenian News, Kathimerini) and had been a chronicler in Paris. In a totally irrelevant forum, a seemingly unpardonable one, but I do not know how much substantiated explanation: in the quake, Koukidis was late to go to his newspaper and some released the reputation that he had committed suicide by falling from the Acropolis, a reputation that was enriched and modified later on.

***

But there is no need to go that far: it is equally possible that the Englishman who made the article in Cairo simply gave his non-existent hero the first Greek real name he had in mind, a well-known journalist of that time; however, the actual Koukidis lived, In 1946, he published a book on Occupation Justice and died an old man in 1974

Did the Evzones even guard the acropolis at the time??

[Jaques]

First of all, thank you my friend Jaques for posting a topic about my country. Your work for both sculpture and painting is great.

I also thank FredG for your knowledge of my country's history and language(?)

I can not say with certainty that Konstantinos Koukidis was a real person, but Spyros Kayales, with a similar story, was certainly.

Many Thanks, Kostis.
I think the monument in remembrance of Konstantinos in Athens or St. George mounted on a horse fighting a "dragon", in the center of the Greek War flag, become real for the meaning they represent.





Regards.

[Dad's Army]

I really like this topic, starts with a cool figure, and a great idea.
But in the end I have also learned about another story, interesting.
True or not, it's a fine story an a perfect one to make this vignette about.

[Jaques]

One of the hypotheses for those who defend that Konstatinos existed, would be that by means of its act, the German forces destroyed all the information that verified its existence.

[Kostis Ornerakis]

I think the monument in remembrance of Konstantinos in Athens or St. George mounted on a horse fighting a "dragon", in the center of the Greek War flag, become real for the meaning they represent.

I strongly agree.
I really liked the discussion that was created on your topic, but I am truly thankful for your choice of it.

[Carlos]

Well, the figure is very well made and very well painted and also has the expression and the epic posture it represents.
On whether the story is real or not, I do not know, I think that with these "myths" is that one chooses to believe or not. With a "possible historical basis", and when we talk about a people who gave tremendous sacrificial samples as happened with the Greek people at that time, and considering other stories of soldiers in many wars who sacrificed for their flags or symbols. I choose to believe in the story.