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HEROES MONUMENT

The small community of Choletria, like every other village of Cyprus, has significantly contributed to the sacrifices of Cyprus's Greeks for freedom and dignity. It has both fighters and also innocent victims, which watered the tree of freedom with the dripping of their blood and their souls, to present and be proud of.   Theodoros Zenonos Christofides  

Theodoros Zenonos, although having graduated only from an elementary school, was a man with many gifts of the soul and of the spirit and was full of patriotism. He entered the struggle of EOKA against the British at the age of 19.

He participated in ambushes, concealed weapons, and with self-sacrifice aided fighters that were wanted by the British. A column of British military vehicles arrived at the village on the daybreak of the 30th of July, 1957. The village's civil guard gave the signal and Theodoros ,along with other fighters, awaited for them at the village's exit.

There a grenade that Theodoros was holding exploded, the young man's tragic death being the result.

Demosthenes Pericleous  

Demosthenes was a friendly person. He was a farmer by profession. On February, 1964, he was returning to the village along with his two donkeys that were loaded with wood.

A group of Turks from Stavrokonnou shot him and left him dead. The shootings were heard in the village.

Demosthenes left three orphan children behind him. He was only 32 years old.

Galatia Zenonos  

During the great battle of Ktima (Pafos) in 1964, the Turks killed Galatia with a bomb. She was only 16 years old. Also, Aristodimos Pazilios was injured in that same battle.

Kyriakos and Soteres Papalazaros  

Kyriakos, having finished the village's elementary school, continued his high-school studies in Pafos as a boarder in the Hole See of Pafos. He was one of the best students in the schools he attended.

In the 1st of July, 1973, the thread of his life was interrupted -unfortunately -by a Greek hand.

It was the period when hatred had blinded the Cypriots.
The pain and suffering of the Papalazarou family was not meant to cease there.

Soteres, Kyriakos's elder brother, was staying in Limassol in order to finish high school. After completing his military service, he went to Russia to study medicine.

In the black summer of 1974 he was in Cyprus for holidays. During the Turkish invasion Soteres rushed to respond to his country's calling. He died fighting in the battle of Episkopi on the 20th of July, 1974.

The two brothers rest in the village's old cemetery. The monument dedicated to them stands in the yard of Agios Panteleimonas's church.

Feidias Stokkou  

Feidias was born in Choletria in 1952. Finishing the village's elementary school, he attended the 1st Gymnasium of Pafos from which he graduated with honours. However, due to financial difficulties he did not continue his studies.

He joined the Police Force. After graduating from the Police Academy he became a sergeant and served in the Presidential Guard at the time of Archbishop Makarios's term.

On the 15th of July 1974, during the coup d'etat against Makarios, he died in battle at the presidential palace.

Artistodimos Charalambous Pazilios  

Aristodemos was seriouslt injured on the 9th of March 1964, when the intercommunal riots began. His injury made him suffer for three years. He died on the 30th of March 1966, at the age of 66.

 

Andreas Iacovou  

Andreas Iacovou was born on the 29th November 1954 at Holetria .During the Turkish Invasion on the 20th July 1974 and while he was serving in an army camp in Nicosia, he was burnt by a napalm bomb.

The severe wounds his whole body went through made him suffer until the end of his life.

He died on the 12th December 2014.

 

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