- Kostas Georgakis
Kostas Georgakis ( _el. Κώστας Γεωργάκης) (
23 August 1948 Corfu ,Greece –19 September ,1970 Genoa ,Italy ), was a Greek student ofGeology , who set himself ablaze inGenoa ,Italy as a protest against theGreek military junta of 1967-1974 .The events
Georgakis was a third year
Geology student at theUniversity of Genoa and a member of theCenter Union party since 1968. On 26 July 1970, he anonymously gave an interview to a Genoan magazine, during which he revealed that the military junta's intelligence service had infiltrated the Greek student movement in Italy. In the interview he denounced the junta and its policies and described how the intelligence service allegedly created the "National League of Greek students in Italy" and established offices in major university cities. A copy of the recording of the interview was obtained by the Greek consulate and the identity of Georgakis was established. Soon after he was attacked by members of the junta student movement.Fearing for his family in Greece, he decided that he had to make an act to raise awareness in the West about the political predicament of Greece. In the early hours of
19 September ,1970 , Georgakis set himself ablaze in Matteotti square inGenoa to protest against the dictatorial regime ofGeorgios Papadopoulos . [http://www.corfu.gr/en/history.htm Story of Kostas in Corfu City Hall website. Instructions: Scroll all the way down History page] Quote: "During the years of dictatorship in Greece (1967-1974) many Corfiots were enlisted in resistance groups, but the case of Kostas Georgakis is unique in the whole of Greece. The 22years-old Corfiot student of geology with an act of self-sacrifice and a spirit of dynamic protest, which could not bear to see Greece under the military regime, set himself on fire the first morning hours of 19th September 1970 in the Matteoti Sq. in the Italian city of Genoa. For security reasons his body was buried in Corfu four months later, his self-sacrifice though, a rare event for that time, caused international sensation and was considered as one of the most important resistance acts of that period. Later the Hellenic State and his homeland Corfu honoured the man, who with his life became a symbol of resistance and patriotism, herald of the students' sacrifice in Polytechnion in 1973"]His last words were: "Long Live Free Greece".
Letter to a friend
In a letter to a friend Georgakis wrote:
Place in history
Georgakis is the only known junta opponent to have committed suicide in protest against the junta and he is considered the precursor of the later
student protest s, such as the Polytechnic uprising. At the time his death caused a sensation in Greece and abroad as it was the first tangible manifestation of the depth of resistance against the junta. The junta delayed the arrival of his remains to Corfu for four months citing security reasons and presenting bureaucratic obstacles through the Greek consulate and the junta government.Recognition
The
Municipality of Corfu has dedicated a memorial in his honour near his home in Corfu city. His sacrifice was later recognized and honoured by the new democratic Hellenic Government aftermetapolitefsi .In his monument a plaque is inscribed with his words in Greek.
Film
*"Once Upon A Time There Were Heroes", Direction: Andreas Apostolidis, Screenplay: Stelios Kouloglou, Cinematography: Vangelis Koulinos, Created by: Stelios Kouloglou, Production: Lexicon & Partners, BetacamSp Colour 58 minutes. [ [http://www.filmfestival.gr/docfestival/2001/thema3_uk.html Greek Film Festival] Quote: "Costas Georgakis was a student at the University of Genoa in Italy. On September 18 1970, Georgakis, then barely 22 years old, chose death by self-immolation, in order to protest the dictatorship in Greece. Although his act was concealed by the Greek state, it aroused international public opinion and turned the world's attention to Greece's military regime. This documentary reconstructs the main facets of the life of Costas Georgakis, his childhood and adolescence in Corfu, his spiritual and political concerns, his participation in the struggle against the dictatorship, his decision to sacrifice his life in an ultimate act of protest against the dictatorship. People who knew Georgakis are interviewed, including his family, his childhood friends, his professors, his comrades in the resistance movement, but also Genovese, for whom Georgakis is a part of history and a symbol of democracy. This film was screened to an audience of students from the University of Athens, who are the same age as Georgakis was when he made the big decision, and their reactions were also filmed. How do the young people of today view Georgakis' act? Do they consider it useless or pointless? For which issues would they be prepared to sacrifice their own lives?" ]
Books
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