Hero Park at Missolongi

Source www.greece-guideline.com

Missolongi is the only Hero City in Greece and has gained considerable fame because of an important historical event called the "Breakthrough of Missolongi". The Park of Heroes is the main attraction of the city dedicated to this event.

Statue of Liberty by Cypriot sculptor Nikos Kotziamanis

On May 20, 1821 a revolt broke out in the city against Turkish rule, during which the Turks besieged Missolongi twice, but both times were forced to retreat. The third siege of the city was not fated to endure. It continued from April 15, 1825 to April 10, 1826 - almost a whole year.

Ruling of Escape

Within the walls of the fortress with the Greeks fought many so-called Philhellenes - foreigners who came to the aid of the Greek people. For a whole year the defenders of Missolonga bravely defended the city, which was in fact under siege. At one point the Greek navy broke the blockade and helped the city with provisions, but this good fortune was short-lived, the Turks again cut off the city.

Walls

Park entrance

A year later, the situation in the city became unbearable. Hunger and disease became the worst enemies of the defenders of Missolonga. Many families completely deprived of food were forced to kill horses, mules, donkeys, and then dogs, cats, and mice.

Monument to French Greekophiles

Many people decided to leave the city. Unfortunately, the Turks knew of the escape plan and most of the fugitives, consisting of women, children and the elderly, were mercilessly killed.

Monument to German Greekophiles

Thus, out of the 10,500 people who were initially within the walls of the fortress, only 7,000 remained who could continue the fight. At the same time, only half of them were armed. The only solution in these conditions, which were steadily worsening, was to Breakthrough.

Monument to Italian Greekophiles

At noon on April 10, 1826, the plan was made, and as soon as it began to get dark, everyone began to gather in the places he had indicated. Thus, on the night of April 11, 1826, they divided their forces into three corps, led by commanders Notis Botsaris, Dimitrios Makris and Kitsos Tzavelas.

Monument to Cypriots

Women and children were placed in the center of the triangle that these corps were to form. Georgios Karaiskakis was to attack from the side of the mountainsides of Zygos, to distract the attackers. But the leader of the Rumeliotis team could not fulfill his promise.

Monument to Polish Greekophiles

On the other hand, Ibrahim learned of the siege's plans from a Bulgarian defector. So when the breakthrough began and a huge mass of Greeks moved at two o'clock at midnight, led by Athanasios Razikotsikas, a native of Missolonga, Ibrahim and Kutahi Pasha's men were ready and the bastions that had been assigned to the besiegers for the passage were closed.

Monument to Russian Greekophiles

At about 06:30 the artillery volleys of the Greek reserve unit, which had arrived from Dervestik, were heard on the slopes of Zigos. As night came on, most of the defenders left the city and waited for the signal to launch an attack. But as their plan was disclosed, the Turkish-Egyptian forces opened heavy fire on them with cannons and rifles.

Monument to Finnish Greekophile Gustav Adolf Sass

Finally, the Greeks decided to attack and the first two corps armed with scimitars and sabers moved on the enemy. No force could stop this avalanche of desperate people. They demolished every obstacle in their way and hindered their advance. At that moment voices were heard from the third corps where the women and children were: "Back, back!" and some of the first two corps retreated.

Monument to Swiss Greekophile John-Jacques Mayer, editor of the Greek Chronicle, the first Greek revolutionary newspaper

The battle was bloody. The Greeks fought their way through, leaving many dead in their wake. Their advance was accompanied by the sound of two explosions coming from the city. This unequal fight was a disaster for the Greeks, who run in disarray, some forward, others backward. The main force of the breakthrough, however, with considerably thinned ranks, passed through the Turkish ranks to the slopes of Zygos and from there to the area of Amphissa. Those who fell behind were forced to fight in deadly street battles. Among those who broke through (1,300 fighters and about a hundred women and children) were Notis Botsaris, Dimitrios Makris, Kitsos Tzavelas, Christos Fotomaras.

A monument to Christos Kapsalis, the Greek elder and warrior of Missolonga. He barricaded himself, children, women and invalids - all who could not participate in the breakthrough, in a powder storehouse. When the Turks broke into the fortress, he blew himself and others up, killing many Turks in the process.

Among those who returned back to the city and died were Bishop Joseph Rogon (the spiritual leader of the besieged), James Mayer, Michael Kokkinis, and those who exploded with the hero Christos Kapsalis in the explosion of the powder storehouses, who blew themselves up so as not to fall into the hands of the conqueror.

Monument to General Kitsos, defender of Missolonga

The battle stopped as Palm Sunday dawned. Only there, at the top of Mount Zygosa, could those who had escaped breathe freely. Of the 3,000 soldiers who took part in the breakout, only 1,300 survived. The remaining 1,700 died in the fighting during the breakout. Only 13 of the women survived, and only three or four children. Turkish and Egyptian casualties were estimated at 5,000.

Statue of the Daughter of Greece, which adorns the memorial to Marcos Botsaris

The victims of Missolonga, who heroically resisted for a full 12 months, filled Greeks and other Europeans with a sense of admiration for the warrior defenders, for the heroic people of Missolonga.

One of the many memorials in the Park

Indeed, it is rare to find in the pages of history an example of such superhuman strength of mind. The flame of Missolonga warmed the hearts of civilized nations, and caused a true crusade for the liberation of the Greek people.

Monument to English Greekophile Lord Byron, a member of the Greek Revolution, who died at Missolongi in 1824 (before the breakthrough)

To remember that heroic breakthrough and the exploits of both Greeks and many foreigners in the city, it was decided to open a park. This area of 14 hectares and located directly at the remains of the wall is dedicated to them. Here you can see both monuments on the mass grave and many monuments dedicated to individual people who died here.

Monument to Swedish Greekophiles

Monument to leader Petros Dovas and his family

Among them are Markos Botsaris, the English Greekophile Lord Byron, the Swiss John-James Meyer, and many others. What is interesting, there are so-called "national monuments". So, here you can see a monument to the Russian defenders of Missolonga with the appropriate inscription in Russian, the French, the Swiss Germans and even the Finns.