The Municipality of Kalamaria and the Historical Archive of Refugee Hellenism (HARH), in collaboration with the Sports and Cultural Association (ASC) of Admiral Votsis held on October 21, 2021 the unveiling of a monument in honor of Admiral Nikolaos Votsis, in the homonymous settlement of Kalamaria.
The doxology was presided over by the Most Reverend Metropolitan of Nea Krini and Kalamaria Mr. Ioustinos, together with the Archimandrite of Holy Temple of Saint Panteleimon, Mr. Bartholomew. This was followed by greetings from His Excellency, the Mayor of Kalamaria I. Dardamanelis, the Deputy Minister of Macedonia-Thrace S. Kalafatis, the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki V. Patoulidou, the Commander of the NANG Captain P. Kanoutos, the Secretary of the Sports Club “Admiral Votsis” M. Papadopoulou and the sculptor S. Myronidis.
The Most Reverend Metropolitan Mr. Ioustinos emphasized the value of the place chosen for the monument, as it is located in front of the 4th & 5th Lyceum of Kalamaria, so by seeing it, the new generation will be able to gain strength, envision and create epics, such as our ancestors created.
“Today, the historicity and tradition of Kalamaria blend with art. We are giving a landmark, a point of reference, here in Votsi, in Eastern Thessaloniki, in our Kalamaria, where we will all visit and honor our ancestors and the struggles they fought so that we can be free today”, said the Mayor of Kalamaria, Yiannis Dardamanelis.
“Today we honor Admiral Votsis, a hero who by his example dictates a firm attitude of Greece. If Admiral Votsis was alive today, he would send the same message in the same way: That we have firm red lines in the face of challenges and we do not step back. This is what we have decided as the Greek government and we will abide by it until the end”, emphasized the Deputy Minister of the Interior, responsible for Macedonia and Thrace, Stavros Kalafatis.
“This place that gives birth to heroes must also honor them. And it honors them in the best way”, said the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki, Voula Patoulidou.
Visibly excited, the Commander of the NANG Captain Parisis Kanoutos, during his greeting, emphasized: “I assure you that even today the same spirit possesses the captains and crews of our ships, which sail the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, ensuring the sovereignty and sovereign rights of our homeland”.
For her part, the Secretary of the Sports Club “Admiral Votsis”, Malamo Papadopoulou, did not hide her joy and emotion, as she said, “it was everyone’s desire to have a point of reference for Admiral Votsis, whom the Club has been honoring for 90 years, offering social work through sports and culture”.
The creator of the monument, Stavros Myronidis, very aptly pointed out that “something different was chosen than another bust, which the children would pass by. Perhaps the students of the local schools will come and deposit their own paper boats at the monument writing their thanks and gratitude to Admiral Votsis and all the heroes who fought for the freedom of our country!”
The President of HARH and Professor Emeritus of AUTH, Ananias Tsirambides, made a historical report on the feat of Votsis on October 18, 1912.
Then the three marble parts of the monument were unveiled by the Mayor of Kalamaria and the President of HARH. This was followed by the laying of wreaths, the observance of a minute of silence and the playing of the National Anthem by a three-member section of the Municipality’s philharmonic orchestra led by its director I. Koukas.
Also, the politician G. Komninos on behalf of the “Hellenic Solution”, the parliament members S. Simopoulos, I. Amanatidis and K. Adamou, the Admiral G. Theocharidis, the Fire Chief X. Papadopoulos and the Police Officer L. Dimitriadis, representing respectively, the 3rd Army Corps, the Fire Department and the Police Department of Kalamaria. From the Municipality of Kalamaria, the General Secretary E. Fyka, the President of the Municipal Council D. Kyratzis, the Deputy Mayors of Education – Sports A. Giannakos, Technical Services N. Pantelidou, Civil Protection D. Mouratidis and Cleanliness – Recycling S. Matsaridis, the heads of Municipal Parties Th. Bakoglides and A. Temekenidis, as well as many Municipal Councilors. Also present were the President of the Sports Club “Admiral Votsis” A. Tsolakos, the President of the “Christos Kalemkeris” Museum of Photography P. Kalemkeris and the President of the Efxinos Club of Thessaloniki G. Lysaridis. Finally, flag bearers from the schools of the Settlement attended, as well as athletes and dancers dressed in traditional costumes of the Sports Club “Admiral Votsis”. Particularly honorable was the presence of the Professor Emeritus of the AUTh P. Kofos, grandson of the Litochorian navigator of the torpedo boat 11 M. Kofos, as well as the 94-year-old Kalamarian A. Maltsidis, author of the book “Nikolaos Votsis and the torpedoing of Fethi Bulent” which was published in 2012.
Coordination and presentation: G. Mavroudis and M. Kazantzidou, historians of HARH.
Technical support: P. Gavrielidis, audiovisual media operator of the Municipality.
Photography: Photo Votsi, G. Karagiozidou.
Police officers of the Kalamaria Department, as well as officers of the Civil Protection of Kalamaria ensured the smooth running of the event.
The Municipal Council of Kalamaria will establish the 18th of October every year, as a day of celebration of this feat, by students of the schools and residents of the Settlement.
The monument is located in the landscaped square at the junction of M. Alexandrou – Anat. Thrakis and Ionias, in front of the 4th and 5th Votsis Lyceum. It was a decades-long dream of many named and anonymous residents of the settlement and from now on it will be its landmark. From the QR (Quick Response) barcode pasted on the facade of the monument, any visitor can obtain a detailed description of the feat, as well as the history of the Settlement, by scanning it with his mobile phone.
Year of monument construction: 2021
Construction material: Marble
Artist: Stavros Myronidis
The feat of Rear
Admiral Nikolaos Votsis
By Ananias Tsirambides, Professor Emeritus AUTH
President of HARH of the Municipality of Kalamaria
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear residents of Votsi,
It is a great emotion for all of us, because we have been waiting for this
moment for years. It is worth saying very briefly a couple of words about this
hero whose name our neighborhood bears.
Nikolaos Votsis was born in Hydra in 1877. He was the son of Ioannis Votsis
and Maria Kountouriotis and the great-grandson of the Hydra shipowner Georgios
Kountouriotis.
The supremacy of the Greek Fleet can be seen from the first operations such
as that of the torpedo boat 11 which raises the morale of the Fleet to heights.
This is the feat of Rear Admiral Nikolaos Votsis.
The disposition of the Greek land forces on their way to Thessaloniki is covered
by the Hellenic Navy with torpedo boats 11 and 15 and the gunboat
“SFAKTIRIA” which are sailing off the coast of Pieria, protecting the
unloading of food for the advancing Greek Army. At the same time, they block
any attempt by the Turkish Fleet to approach the Macedonian beach to supply the
Turkish Army. Votsis is aware of a plan by the Ministry that foresees the
destruction of the two Turkish battleships “Fethi Bulent” and
“Moin Jaffer”, the 1st docked in Thessaloniki and the 2nd in the port
of Smyrna. Thus, he conceives the idea of sinking the former.
Being in Skiathos, he submits a request to the Ministry of Marine, asking
for permission to carry out this raid. The Ministry approves the project. On
October 1, 1912, he arrived at the Macedonian beach, and put his simple but
bold plan into action: entering the Thermaikos Gulf from the shallows of the
Axios estuary.
In the realization of the plan, he is helped by two citizens of Litochoro:
Michail Koufos, skipper of a small sailboat that often makes the journey Skala
Litochoro – Thessaloniki, and his friend Nikolaos Vlachopoulos, also a sailor
who knows the water route very well.
Votsis enters Thermaikos around 9 in the evening. After a two-hour wait, he
proceeds unnoticed towards the mouth of Axios and continues at full speed
towards his goal. At 11:20 in the evening of Oct. 18, 1912, he clearly sees the
Turkish battleship. In front of the White Tower are anchored foreign warships
and some passenger and cargo ships. Votsis now has “Fethi Bullet” at
150 m, the tension is at its peak, and everything must be done with speed and
precision. He immediately gives the order to fire the right bow torpedo and
immediately after the left one. The blows are well-aimed and fierce on the
right side of the battleship, causing a great wave and opening a breach in it,
so it began to sink rapidly. The torpedo boat then picks up speed and moves
away from the same course of the shallows.
The “Fethi Bulent” sinks and takes with it into the cold waters
of Thermaikos the ship’s imam and six sailors, who at that time are sleeping.
The rest of the crew jumps into the sea to be saved or boards the lifeboats. It
is a dark and cold night.
At 4 a.m. on October 19, the T-11 arrives at Vromeri Katerinis and its
heroic commander, Rear Admiral Votsis, telegraphs his report to Athens. In the
morning he continues his main mission which was the support of the advancing
Greek Army.
Votsis’ feat causes a frenzy of excitement in public opinion. A week later
on the feast of the patron Saint Demetrius, Thessaloniki, after almost 500
years of slavery, welcomes our liberating army with unbridled enthusiasm and
cheers. The city is decorated in blue and white.
Votsis retired with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1922 and died in September
1931, aged 54.
Thessaloniki honored him by erecting his bust next to the White Tower and
giving his name in 1934 to our Settlement. Today the Municipality of Kalamaria
also honors him by inaugurating this monument in his honor.
Marbles from the Macedonian land make up the three parts of the monument.
The sculpture workshop “Hellenic Marble Initiative” of Stavros
Myronides, based in Agios Antonios, sculpted them in this form and placed them
on this pedestal. We thank him very much.
We thank the craftsmen and other employees of the Municipality for the
zealous execution of all individual tasks.
We thank the previous municipal authority and the then Mayor Theodosis
Bakoglides for starting the works, and also the current one with Mayor Yiannis
Dardamanelis for the completion of the project. Thus, a dream of decades of
named and anonymous residents of the Settlement is being realized today. Our
Municipality has decided that this day will be celebrated every year by the
schools of the Settlement, as a day of commemoration of the feat of Admiral
Votsis.
We especially thank AUTh Professor Emeritus Prokopis Kofos, grandson of the
Litochorian navigator Michalis Koufos, Argyris Maltsidis for the book he wrote
about the feat of Votsis and Georgios Papadopoulos for his 30-year contribution
to the community of the neighborhood through the local Sports Club, who honor
with their presence today’s ceremony.
By scanning the bar code of the monument with your mobile phone, you can
get detailed information about both the feat of Votsis and the history of the
Settlement.
With today’s unveiling of the monument, all residents of the Neighborhood
pay tribute with deep gratitude to Admiral Votsis, because:
• He fought with unparalleled courage and bravery defying death,
• He demonstrated in practice his immense love for the country,
• He contributed significantly to the liberation of Thessaloniki and our
beloved Macedonia!
Thank you all for your presence.
