On Wednesday, 01 October 2025, at 22:00 Athens time, “Remarkable Personalities” on Voice of Greece hosts Professor Konstantinos Grivas, expert in Geopolitics at the Hellenic Army Academy, and Zacharoula Papadaki, author of the book «Νικηταράς. Ήρως και Ύβρις. Στο Πάνθεον των Ηρώων» (“Nikitaras. Hero and Hubris. In the Pantheon of Heroes”).
Ms. Zacharoula Papadaki speaks about Nikitas Stamatelopoulos – Nikitaras, known as “Tourkofagos” (the “Turk-Eater”) – the legendary fighter of 1821 with fiery blue eyes and iron will, who faced death without hesitation and died blind and impoverished.
The guest reveals unknown aspects of Nikitaras’s life, from his battles and imprisonment to his death. For her book dedicated to the 1821 hero, the author drew upon the work of Georgios Tertsetis, Nikitaras’s own handwritten documents, as well as historical sources preserved in the General State Archives, the War Museum, and the Academy of Athens.
Professor Konstantinos Grivas provides the historical framework of the period, highlighting the fighters’ profound sense of historicity combined with a unique spirit of self-sacrifice. For the professor of the Hellenic Army Academy, Nikitaras was a warrior, a hero, and a martyr, while the Revolution of 1821 “was not merely a national liberation movement—it was an attempt to transform the entire international geopolitical architecture.”
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Broadcast: Wednesday, 01 October 2025, 22:00–23:00 Athens time
