Kirijaku Evgenija
Evgenija Kirijaku was born in 1932 in the village Nestram, Kostur.
Her father died in the Asia Minor war, and from her youngest years she
felt all the hardships and bitterness of being without a father and
of poverty.
She was very young when she met and became engaged to one of her neighbours,
a good young man, a people's fighter. The fascist occupiers arrested
her fiancé and shot him. That was a terrible blow for Evgenija but she
nonetheless gave herself over completely to the national liberation
struggle, continuing the work of her beloved. In 1941 she became a member
of CPG. She was arrested in 1942 because of her support for the struggle
and taken to the Athens jails. After her release she left her village
and gave herself completely to the national liberation struggle. Evgenija
was a member of the Kostur regional Council of EPON and worked in organizing
the young men and women into the ranks of EPON. All the EPON members
of the region of Dobrolishta, Poleto who knew Evgenija and her activities
spoke with great respect about her. Until the liberation of our homeland
Evgenija worked tirelessly.
After the Varkiza agreement, she was arrested by the monarcho fascist
forces, tortured and imprisoned in the Kostur prisons. At the start
of 1948 she was released and returned to her village. A passionate fighter,
Evgenija knew what her mission was and, even though her village was
occupied by the fascist army, she found a way to go out to the mountain
and to join the battle with a rifle in hand alongside her sisters. Evgenija
completed all the missions that were given to her. She participated
in many battles - in Gramos, Vich, Lerin, Negush, Voden and elsewhere.
She was killed in the battle of Odria in 1949 as a sub lieutenant, commissar.
Evgenija distinguished herself with her goodness and stamina. Those
who knew her and her work will never forget that modest and single-minded
young woman.
O Kutruki
From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom
Fighters
© 2009
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For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters