Eyagelos Averof - Tositsas

Evangelos Averoff-Tositsas was born in Trikala, Thessaly, in 1910 and passed away in Athens in 1990. His family hailed from Metsovo in Epirus. A lawyer and economist by profession, Averoff was involved in public affairs from an early age and played a leading role in the political life of his country for nearly half a century. In the early years of his career, he served as the Prefect of Corfu (February 1941-April 1941). Before resigning from this position, he organized the subsequent resistance of the Corfiots against the Italian occupiers. During the Occupation, on April 28, 1942, he was arrested in Larissa for his resistance activities and imprisoned in a concentration camp in Italy. He managed to escape but remained in Italy, where he founded the secret organization "Freedom or Death," which aimed primarily at rescuing and smuggling Greek and Allied prisoners. After the liberation, he was elected for the first time as a Member of Parliament for Ioannina with the Liberal Party in the parliamentary elections on March 31, 1946. He served his country as a Member of Parliament, Deputy Minister, and Minister of Supply, Economy, and Agriculture. From 1956 to 1963, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, representing his country on critical national issues during this period. Between 1967 and 1973, he attempted to establish some form of dialogue between the military regime and the political world and fought both legally and illegally for the fall of the military dictatorship, for which he was imprisoned. He directed the publication of a secret illegal press, which he also distributed abroad. He maintained regular communication with Constantine Karamanlis, who was then in exile in Paris, keeping him informed of all political developments. In 1973, he participated in the Navy Movement against the dictatorship, acting as its political leader. After the restoration of democracy, he took on the sensitive role of Minister of National Defense (1974-1981), achieving the challenging task of reorganizing and purging the armed forces in just a few years. Later, he served as Deputy Prime Minister in the government of G. Rallis (June 29, 1981, to October 1981), Leader of the Opposition (December 1981 - August 1984), and in 1984, he was declared Honorary President of the New Democracy party. During the seven-year period, Averoff also focused on his writing, primarily developing the literary aspect of his work. He also continued and completed the social work he had begun in Metsovo since 1950 with the creation of the Baron Michael Tositsas Foundation and later the E. Averoff-Tositsas Foundation. Significant Contributions: a) During his tenure as Minister of Agriculture: Under Averoff's ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture was staffed for the first time, both centrally and regionally, with a sufficient number of agronomists and geotechnical employees who have since contributed decisively to agricultural development. b) During his tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs: As Foreign Minister, his term was associated with the Zurich-London agreements that established the independence of Cyprus. He also signed the association agreement of Greece with the EEC (1961). c) During his tenure as Minister of National Defense: He restored the damaged prestige of the Armed Forces, founded the National Defense Industry, and implemented the 1975-1980 armament program, which significantly modernized the deterrent power of the Armed Forces. d) During his tenure as President of N.D.: He organized the Party and its Youth on a modern basis. e) Social work in Metsovo: Evangelos Averoff had a special bond with nature, the land, and his place of origin, Metsovo. As the lifelong President and driving force of the Baron Michael Tossizza Foundation, the Founder of the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation, and as a benefactor, Evangelos Averoff developed and encouraged all kinds of activities in Metsovo for over 40 years to preserve the local tradition and the economic vitality of the community. Through his initiative, many charitable, economic, and social activities flourished, contributing to the development of Metsovo and the surrounding area. His main projects include: the creation of a Folklore Museum (1955), the establishment of a Folk Art Store, which led to the revival of weaving, wood carving, and other traditional crafts of the area, the creation of a model dairy farm, cheese production unit, and woodworking factory, the establishment of a health center and the provision of free medical care (since 1958), the creation of a Guesthouse to attract visitors (1955), the construction and operation of a Ski Center (1969), extensive reforestation, the construction of dams and anti-erosion works, the construction of traditional buildings, fountains, and cobblestone paths, the maintenance of churches and monasteries, the construction of over 100 schools in the Ioannina region, and the creation of a Student Residence for the free accommodation and feeding of Epirote students in Athens. Towards the end of his life, he established the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation, to which he donated his significant personal collection of Greek painters from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection was housed in the modern, three-story building of the Averoff Gallery, built in the traditional style of the area, as the preservation and revival of traditional architecture was a parallel goal that inspired all the works carried out in Metsovo. A multifaceted individual with many interests and talents, Averoff left behind a rich literary legacy and engaged in broader social activities. He wrote novels, short stories, plays, essays, and historical analyses. His works have been translated into many languages and have received international recognition and awards, such as the Gold Medal of the French Academy (1974), the Acropolis literary prize (1978), among others.