.:: ANAGNOSTIRIO of Agiasos, Lesvos island, Greece ::.

<BODY text=#000000 vLink=#004080 aLink=#004080 link=#004080 bgColor=#004080 leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" oncontextmenu="return false" onselectstart="return false" ondragstart="return false"> <p><a href="http://www.anagnostirio.gr"><img border="1" src="pixel.gif" width="20" height="20" alt="Anagnostirio of Agiasos | Anaptixi"></a></p> <h1>ANAGNOSTIRIO of Agiasos</SPAN></h1> <P>For well over a century, the <a href="index-en.php"> Anagnostirion</a>’s contribution to the cultural enrichment of Agiasos and the isle of Lesvos, along with its social and national contributions whenever the circumstances required them, have left a lasting mark. The <a href="http://www.anagnostirio.gr"> Anagnostirion</a> was established during the difficult years of Turkish rule, in 1894, by average citizens that envisioned the “Development” of their homeland. From the very beginning, the Anagnostirion was welcomed by all the people of <a href="geography.php">Agiasos</a>, and under the direction of its inspired leaders it has managed to achieve much and to become known throughout Greece. </P> <P>The Board of Directors felt obliged to prepare a comprehensive presentation of the town of Agiasos, that wouldn’t be limited to the Anagnostirion per se. As such, it is with heartfelt pleasure and satisfaction that it is implementing an investment plan within the framework of the Comprehensive Programs for the Development of Agricultural Space,that aims to highlight the cultural, <a href="history.php">historic</a>, folk and environmental identity of Agiasos and the Anagnostirion’s contribution to its development. </P> <P>Via the development of an website, the creation of a literary archive, the establishment of a multimedia kiosk, various publications and an album accompanied by a cd-rom as well as a music cd, we’re aiming to present and utilize the traditional arts and crafts of Agiasos, as well as the development of its economy and tourism. </P> <P>We’d like to thank Prokopis Maistrelis and Panagiotis Tsagalos for all their help in collecting and converting into a digital format all the material upon which our publications have been based.  </P> <P><img border="1" src="pixel.gif" width="20" height="20" alt="History of Anagnostirion in Agiasos"> </P> <h1>History of Anagnostirion in Agiasos</h1> <p>The Anagnostirion was founded in 1894, in the midst of the economic and cultural development that took place during the latter part of the 19th century on Turkish occupied Lesvos. This was an extremely significant development for Agiasos, and the island of <a href="http://www.greeknet.com"> Lesvos</a> in general. The founding of the Anagnostirion wasn't limited to the cultural and educational advancement of the people of Agiasos, since it also served their national aspirations as well. Its founding was a concealed means by which to express their patriotic fervor, as well as their desire for freedom from the Turkish oppressors. It was necessary to complement the increased material wealth of the local population with its cultural and educational development, in accordance with the evolving social standards of the time.</p> <p>In light of the desire of <a href="index.php"> Greeks</a> everywhere to be included in the nation state that had gained its independence relatively recently, new avenues by which to alert the local populations that were still under Turkish occupation about the developments in Greece and the Greek communities abroad were sought. The close cooperation that had evolved over the years between the rich landowners and the Turkish administration in order to maximize their profits, created a series of difficulties for the up and coming classes of merchants and craftsmen that desperately sought a breakdown in Turkish authority. It was then decided that this breakdown could only be realized via the cultural and educational advancement of the general population.<br> As such, the initiative to offer people a more organized, general education was taken by the craftsmen, merchants and farmers of Agiasos that had already had a limited contact with the arts and literature, and recognized their tremendous potential to implement change. The founder of the Anagnostirion was the gun maker Iraklis Darelis, and as such its first home was his gun shop which was located in the Apesos district. This was the spot where his group of friends, all of which were thirsty for knowledge and desperate to join the struggle for the cultural and artistic rebirth of their nation, defied the threats and other difficulties and organized themselves. The gun shop offered them a safe haven where they could read books, magazines and newspapers, learning the news of the world. In time, this initial nucleus of knowledge-seekers draw an ever greater number of adherents, and as such on September 18th 1894, the Anagnostirion organization was founded. Elections were held and the first board of directors is chosen by the members.</p> <p>The first chairman of the board is Mihailos Sousamlis, a self-taught <a href="foundation.php"> architect</a> that was largely responsible for creating the town grid of Agiasos, many years before the liberation of Lesvos. Some time later, a room is rented in a home in the Ano Agora district, where a small library is created with donations from the organizations members. In these early phases of it's existence, due to a lack of funds, purchases were limited solely to newspapers and magazines from Lesvos (Salpinx, Tilegrafos, Laikos Agon, Lesvos of Mytilene), Asia Minor (Amaltheia and Armonia of Smyrna, Konstantinoupolis and Neologo of Constantinople), Greece (Keroi and Efimeris newspapers, and the magazine Hellenismos of Athens) and other centers abroad with successful Greek communities (Nea Imera of Trieste, Patris of Bucharest, the magazine Erevna of Oxford), et al. The Turkish Occupation period (1894 - 1912).<br> The tremendous difficulties that it faced in its early years notwithstanding, the Anagnostirion was still able to achieve a great deal towards the social, cultural, artistic and national advancement of the local population. Here is a sampling of its activities during this period: In 1897, the news that Greek troops had taken control of Crete fanned the flames of the Anagnostirion members patriotic fervor. Stratis Kolaxizelis wrote: Agiasos appears as if it was in the midst of a revolt. Doctor Gr.Tzanetis, reverend Methodios Kourkoulis and the lawyer Ef.Tzanetis are translating the articles from Athenian newspapers that describe what is happening on Crete for the Turkish civil servants that are posted on the island. The Anagnostirion has been transformed into a hotbed of revolutionary activity, and following a brief ceremony it has sent 60 volunteers to Athens to join the Greek armed forces. On the hills surrounding Agiasos, the locals are organizing target practice squads, and the collection of taxes by the Ottoman government has ceased. The Turks have lost their spirit.</p> <p>During the course of the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908), the Anagnostirion organized fundraisers in support of the Greek rebel groups. The monies that were collected were handed over to the then Greek consulate and the Archbishopric of Mytilene. At this time, the Anagnostirion also became a point of sale of the Greek Navy and Antiquities lottery. In 1908, following the proclamation of the Young Turks Constitution in Constantinople, the Anagnostirion was transformed into a civic center for the <a href="environment.php">district</a>, where the local residents could get information about their rights and safeguarding their interests. The Anagnostirion staff made a conscious effort to get out the vote in support of liberal candidates in the first local elections that are held on the island. In 1909, a census is held in Agiasos, as well as elections for delegates to the national Electoral College, who in turn succeed in getting two Christian parliamentarians elected to the Turkish National Assembly.<br> On November 8th 1912, 450 years of slavery come to a close (1462-1912), as the island of Lesvos is finally liberated from the Turks. After the Liberation (1912-1946) From 1912 to 1922, the activities undertaken by the Anagnostirion were limited, due to the fact that most of its members have been drafted into the Greek armed forces and are fighting on numerous fronts (the Balkans Wars, WWI, and the Asia Minor Campaign). In 1914, the Anagnostirion was officially recognized as a Club by the Mytilene Court of First Instance, while in 1923 its charter was published for the first time. Like a caring mother, the Anagnostirion gave birth to and supported various other clubs in Agiasos that soon followed their own course and offered their own contribution towards the development of the area. 1925 marked the establishment of the Olympus Gymnastic Club of Agiasos, which had originally been a part of the Anagnostirion.</p> <p><a href="http://www.anagnostirio.gr"><img border="1" src="pixel.gif" width="20" height="20" alt="Anaptixi | AGIASOS, SANATORIO, KARINI, MEGALI LIMNI"></a></p> <p>With the assistance of several Anagnostirion members, the new club also organized several theatrical productions, usually under the direction of Elias Makrelis or Psirkoudis, like Sp. Melas One night, one life (1930-31), The Guilty by R. Fos (1952), von Dimitrakis by D. Psathas (1954), Secret Faith (1955) and Christina Karderina (1957) by Ev. Papastamatiou, The Lyre of old Nicholas (1956) by D. Kokkou and the The Brigand (1958) by P. Demetrakopoulos In 1926, the Erasitexnikos Omilos (Amateur Club) of Agiasos is founded. The following theatrical productions were produced in association with Anagnostirion members: Gr. Xenopoulos Rachael (1931), Al. Bisons. The Stranger (1931), Ad. Denery. The Two Orphans (1932), N. Fournier ¨C A. Meyer Josiah the Coast Guard (1932), N. Laskaris the New House (1945), D. Bogris. The Storm (1945).  In 1928, the new Philoptohos Adelfotis (Benevolent Brotherhood) was created, which shortly thereafter requested to be housed in the Anagnostirion building. The Anagnostirion also provided assistance to the Agiasos Hunting Club, which in 1929 produced a dramatic play in three acts (M. Belomoritz Atlantis). During the Metaxa dictatorship, the local authorities accused the progressive minded members of the Anagnostirion of unpatriotic activities, but the investigation that ensued resulted in these charges being dropped.</p> <p>However, during this period many of the library most valuable books are lost, while several of them are burnt in a bonfire modeled after Nazi Germany hateful intolerance. During the Nazi occupation of Greece, the Anagnostirion serves as a hotbed of patriotic resistance. Its members make valiant attempts to keep the local population morale high. On the 25th of March, 1944, many members of the Anagnostirion that are also members of the EPON and EAM resistance groups, organize a celebration in honor of Greece is national holiday. This is the first time that such a feat is attempted since the German takeover of Greece. The crowds enthusiasm is so great that after the ceremony is completed, thousands of citizens pour out into the streets singing patriotic songs and shouting anti-German slogans. Word of these activities gets back to the Germans, who learn all the details from their network of traitorous collaborators, and on March 28th they surround the town of Agiasos with the intention of burning it to the ground. They round up all the residents and shoot anyone who attempts to escape with their machine guns. At the end of the day, they end up killing two residents on the spot, while quite a few others are injured and apprehended. One of the injured detainees, Stratis Pashalias, is taken to Tsamakia in Mytilene where he is executed. Many of the detainees continue to be held by the Nazis as hostages, in an effort to get the organizers of the local resistance movement to reveal themselves. After Greece liberation from the Nazis, several prominent locals sought to close down the Anagnostirion permanently, claiming that it no longer had anything to the cultural and educational mission for which it had been founded, and that it had devolved into a political organization.</p> <p>This reaction by the ultraconservative and reactionary forces of Agiasos reveals the extent of the Anagnostirion appeal to the local masses, and confirms that its consistently patriotic and progressive character had become bothersome for certain segments of society. In 1945, the General Administration of the Aegean Islands appointed a temporary board that was comprised of representatives from all the political parties, under the condition that elections would be held on March 1st 1946 in order to return power to a democratically elected board. During this period, the library was temporarily closed down, while the memberships of the poor and illiterate residents of Agiasos were denied!<br> Due to the negative reactions that the actions of the appointed board had provoked, it was unable renew its membership base and organize the elections as mandated by the Greek government. The end result was that the Anagnostirion, after decades in the service to the local population, was closed down as per a decision of the Court of First Instance of Mytilene! Its real property was transferred to the Panagia Church, while the rest of its property was placed in storage at the Palios Xenonas caf. The reestablishment of the Anagnostirion (1952 to present) Following the end of the Greek Civil War and the return to normalcy, efforts were begun to re-establish the Anagnostirion. In March 1952, under Mayor Stratis Tragakis and subsequent to a proposal being tabled by Miltiades Skleparis, then President of the Municipal Council of Agiasos, the first meeting was held in order to examine the possibility of re-establishing the Anagnostirion.</p> <p>The various legal and bureaucratic obstacles were quickly overcome, and on April 19th, 1952, a meeting of the 21 board members is called, which declares the re-establishment of the Anagnostirion, formulates its new charter and elects a temporary board of directors. Shortly thereafter, the board submits an application registration with the Court of First Instance in Mytilene and its approval (305/9-5-1952) signals a new beginning for the Anagnostirion. Whereas in the years before WWII the main focus of the Anagnostirion was to enrich its library and organize its multifaceted activities, after the war, the new board priorities shift towards the need to preserve the traditional folk culture of <a href="sightseeing.php"> Lesvos</a> and Agiasos.  One of the leaders in this effort was former President Panos Pratsos, who was extremely supportive of any initiative towards this end. As such, the Anagnostirion begins to support traditional satirical events at the annual carnival, creates a folk studies department, and organizes theatrical productions with references to the sociology and folk culture of Lesvos and Agiasos. Furthermore, numerous musical performances are organized, highlighting the island is rich traditions, as well as a series of other cultural events. Owing to his own experience as an amateur musician, and with the help of Stratis Psiras, Stavros Rodanos and the Anagnostirion choir, Panos Pratsos managed to record numerous pieces of Agiasos traditional music on tape. These valuable recordings are carefully preserved in the Anagnostirion archives, along with the rest of the valuable materials that are kept there today. As per an initial review of the Anagnostirion archive that was conducted by Aegean University is Workshop for Social and Cultural Communication and Verification, aside from the tomes included in the library, the archive currently consists of:</p> <blockquote> a. Eighty nine tape recordings that include traditional music, theatrical productions, carnivals and other cultural events. b. Approximately one hundred programs from various events that were organized by the Anagnostirion from 1908 to the present day. c. Twenty movie reels. d. A significant number of videotapes of cultural events and other happenings related to the Anagnostirion is activities. e. Approximately sixty albums with photographs from various cultural events and other activities. f. A significant number of audio cassettes with traditional music and scores that have been copied off of old records, which were donated by a Greek-American benefactor. g. Paintings, traditional costumes, tools, musical instruments and other traditional materials.</blockquote>Today, the organization is run by a 7-member Board, has 278 members and one <a href="contacts-en.php"> administrative</a> employee. In recent years, it has been gradually revising its organizational structure and programming, in order to better cope with the changing needs of the times. The Municipality of Agiasos is located in the Prefecture of Lesvos in the Region of the Northern Aegean. <p><img border="1" src="pixel.gif" width="20" height="20" alt="About Agiasos | Lesvos (Lesbos) island, Greece"></p> <h1>About Agiasos | Lesvos (Lesbos) island, Greece</h1> <p>According to the most recent national census that was realized in 2001, Agiasos has a population of 2,587. This includes the 4 communities of which the municipality is comprised, with the following number of inhabitants:</p> <ol><li>Agiasos, population 2,498 <li>Sanatorio, population 68 <li>Karini, population 18 <li>Megali Limni, population 3 Total: 2,587</ol> Agiasos is situated amphitheatrically on the eastern slopes of Mt. Olympus (968 meters), at an altitude of approximately 500 meters above sea level. In its mountainous/semi mountainous periphery, one can find agricultural lands, forests and remote, impassable areas. The community of Agiasos has been designated as a protected heritage site as per the 19.10/13-11-1978 Presidential Decree.  <a href="ceremonies.php">Agiasos</a> is located on the site where the monk Agathon from Ephesus established his commune, upon arriving on the island in 802 A.D. from Jerusalem, having brought with him the icon of the Virgin “St. Zion” and other holy relics. In 1170, the first church/monastery was constructed on the site, and the town was slowly built up around it. <p><a href="http://www.anagnostirio.gr">Anagnostirio o Agiasos | Agiasos, Lesvos island, Greece</a></p> </BODY>