Although thousands of visitors coming to Athens have learned about its hidden secret, the scenic neighbourhood of Anafiotika in the shadow of the Acropolis, few of them must have noticed the slightly faded relief column dedicated to the hero Konstantinos Koukidis on Stratonos Street.
Koukidis Column in Anafiotika
Anafiotika is part of the old historical neighbourhood of Plaka. It lies on the northeast side of the Acropolis. The first houses were illegally built during the reign of King Otto, in the second half of the 19th century, when workers from the island of Anafi, which were considered the best builders in Greece, came to Athens to work at the construction of the new king’s palace. The workers built their houses in the architectural style of the Cyclades Islands. The best way to reach Anafiotika is from Dionysiou Areopagitou Street (outside of Acropolis Museum). Follow Thrasillou Street and continue ahead to Stratonos Street. On your left hand, you meet the church of Saint George of the Rock (Agios Georgios tou Vrahou) and just before the church and next to a small staircase you see Koukidis Column.
The following inscription in Greek is engraved on the column, which was placed here in 2000: “April 27, 1941. On the day of the entry of the German troops in Athens, Konstantinos Koukidis, a guard of the Greek flag at the Acropolis, refusing to surrender it, fell from the sacred rock wrapped in it, a pioneer of the resistance struggle.” And just below the following inscription in Greek is engraved (faded and almost unreadable today): “The column was placed by the Municipality of Athens, with Dim. L. Avramopoulos as mayor, in collaboration with the movement United National Resistance”. But who was Konstantinos Koukidis?
The story of Konstantinos Koukidis
According to the most probable version, Koukidis was a seventeen-year-old Evzonas (Evzones were members of elite units of the Greek Army and later the members of the Presidential Guard) who had observation duties on the Acropolis of Athens on April 27, 1941, the day the German troops entered Athens.
According to another version, he was a member of EON (National Youth Organization/EON was a government youth organization founded by the Metaxas regime in 1936) who performed guard duties on the Acropolis. The Nazi troops ordered him to hand over the Greek flag and hoist the Nazi flag with the swastika. Koukidis disobeyed and, remaining faithful to his post, submitted the Greek flag, wrapped himself in it, and jumped from the Acropolis to his death.
References to the story of Koukidis
From time to time (in various publications and TV shows) there were several eyewitness testimonies from residents of Anafiotika that they saw the lifeless and almost mashed body of Koukidis on Thrasylou Street after his fall. No other identity card was found on him, except for a postcard with the recipient’s name being Konstantinos Koukidis.
This story circulated throughout the city after the German surrender. Both the Archbishop of Athens, Chrysanthos, and the British historian Nicholas Hammond recorded it in their writings. The Daily Mail also published an article on 6 June 1941 entitled “A Greek carries his flag until death”, which recounts the story of the Greek soldier and mentions his name for the first time.
The great Greek writer Menelaos Lountemis also mentioned the story of Koukidis in his 1946 work Those Who Bring Haze. In the book, he describes the story of a guard who wrapped himself in the Greek flag before falling from the rock, without portraying the act as heroic. Finally, the album They Fell for Life (Volume 2, 1944), published by the Communist Party of Greece, refers to a Greek soldier and his heroic suicide but does not mention his name. It is also worth noting that, on 27 April 1994, the Presidential Guard reportedly erected a commemorative plaque honouring Koukidis at its camp. The plaque refers to the heroic act of Evzonas Koukidis on 27 April 1941. However, we have not been able to independently confirm this information, as the camp is not open to us for inspection.
Unsung hero or modern myth
Nevertheless, some people question the story of Koukidis. They consider it a construction or moden urban myth. According to this view, the story emerged during the first years of the German occupation of Athens. Sceptics point out that Greek Army records contain no soldier named Konstantinos Koukidis. They also note that German official archives from that period contain no reference to the incident. There was, however, a journalist named Konstantinos Koukidis in Athens at the time. He allegedly committed suicide by falling from the Acropolis. Some believe that his story may have later been altered. It may then have been combined with the story of the Greek flag being handed over to German soldiers.
After all, does the Koukidis Column honor a relatively unknown Greek hero and pioneer of the resistance, or does it honor a modern myth created by the Athenians’ need for a hero? This question may never be answered, but in any case, it is a fascinating heroic story. One of the stories that strengthens the national feeling of people and shapes a nation’s heroic past.
Therefore, the next time you visit the beautiful neighbourhood of Anafiotika and see the forgotten monument under the shadow of the Greek flag waving on the rock of the Acropolis, you will know the moving story to which it refers.
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