Kostas Angelis, author of “Lefteris Kiosses: Hail, Greece, Mother of Heroes — Kaisariani, 5 June 1942,” published by Historical Quest, is this week’s “Remarkable Personality” on Voice of Greece on Wednesday, 7 October, at 22:00 Athens time.
The author reveals the little-known story of Lefteris Kiosses, a young man who joined the early resistance organization “Free Slaves” during the German occupation. He was arrested alongside his friend and “brother,” Nikos Moschopoulos. A few months later, they were taken to the Kaisariani Shooting Range, where they were executed on 5 June 1942 alongside six other Greek patriots, victims of the senseless German reprisals.
The program focuses on Kiosses’s letters, invaluable historical documents that also reveal the human side of a young man who, even in prison, continues to ask for books, longs for his friends and music, finds joy in a bouquet of flowers, and dreams of life after the war.
Kostas Angelis shares harrowing accounts of the eight condemned Greeks’ final hours before their execution, drawn from reports by priests of the Archdiocese of Athens who visited execution sites to offer a final prayer for forgiveness. He also presents the heroes’ last notes before their deaths.
Particular attention is given to the joint note written by Moschopoulos and Kiosses while the two young men were handcuffed, as well as Kiosses’s farewell to his family:
“For the last time, I breathe the fragrant morning air of Greece!”
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound editing: Giorgos Kostopoulos
Broadcast: Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at 22:00 Athens time
