The rare photo shows the face of Konstantinos Kanaris, as taken on the day of his funeral at his home, at 54 Kypseli Street in Athens.
The legendary admiral said before he died that the only thing he had to give to the Greek nation was his heart. And he gave it. To this day it is kept in a lekythos in the National Historical Museum in the old Parliament.
The Burlotier of the Revolution died on September 2, 1877, at the age of 84. He suffered from chronic hemiplegia and eventually succumbed to heart failure. The legendary admiral's acts spread panic among the Ottomans and decisively influenced the outcome of the revolution. He excelled at sea, culminating in the burning of the Turkish flagship at Chios, in 1822.
The Heart of Kanaris
Doctor Ioannis Zohios removed Kanaris' heart from his body. Immediately afterwards it passed into the hands of the sculptor Thomas Thomopoulos, who took care of its preservation. He made a silver lekythos, a vase to hold olive oil and a marble shrine to be protected. The shrine was given to the Navy Department in November 1929. Many decades later, in 1933, it was decided to display it in the National Historical Museum of Athens, where other important exhibits of the Revolution are located.
The Lekythos with the marble shrine where the heart of Konstantinos Kanaris is kept until today
In the marble shrine the sculptor has engraved in golden letters the names of the places where the glorious naval battles of Konstantinos Kanaris took place. Chios, Psara, Cesme and Alexandria. At the top of the shrine is the statue of Niki(Victory), while the phrase "Hail to the heart of Admiral Kanaris" has been engraved.
The explosion of the Turkish flagship in Chios
In June 1822, the Psarian warrior decided to respond to the unprecedented Turkish massacre of Chios, which took the lives of tens of thousands of people and led thousands to the slave markets. His aim was to sink the flagship of Kara Ali. The artillery of Kanaris and Andreas Pipinos undertook the bold venture.
On the night the attack was to take place, the Turks feasted on the deck of the flagship Bairami, leaving its guard incomplete. Kanaris' artillery fired the shell and before the Turks could withdraw, the fire reached the gunpowder depot, which exploded.
The death toll was 2,000 Ottomans, including Kara Ali. From that glorious moment, the Admiral of '21 became known as the "Burlotier".
The admiral from Psara who avenged the massacre
Konstantinos Kanaris was born in Psara in 1793. His real name was Konstantis Nikolaou Spilioteas. He started working on his relatives' ships at a young age. At the age of 20 he took over as captain the merchant ship of his uncle Burekas.
When he learned that a revolution had broken out in Moldavia by Alexandros Ypsilantis, he rushed to join the First Psarian Fleet and soon joined the artillery.
Besides blowing up the Turkish flagship at Chios, he blew up a Turkish ship in the straits between Tenedos and Troada. It was the ship of the new chief of staff Kaklaman Mehmet Pasha, who had replaced Kara Ali. 800 Ottomans dead.
He also set fire to a Turkish frigate at Samos in revenge for the destruction of Kasos and Psara, his homeland. 600 Ottomans dead. He also sank a Turkish corvette off the coast of Mytilene and attempted to set fire to the Egyptian fleet in the port of Alexandria. The attempt failed because the wind direction suddenly changed.
Kanaris was one of the most ardent supporters of Ioannis Kapodistrias. He took part in the revolutionary movement of September 3, 1843, which forced Otto to write a Constitution
Unfortunate father
During his lifetime he had 8 children, but lost six before he died. Three sons were killed in hostilities: Nicholas (1818-1848), who was killed on a special mission to Beirut, Themistocles (1819-1851), who was killed on a special mission to Egypt, Aristides (1831-1863), who was killed outside the palace during the clashes between the Greeks. Also Lycurgus died(1826-1865), who had become a lawyer, and his daughter Maria (1828-1847) too. In the end, only two of his children were alive on the day of his death: Miltiadis (1822-1899), who became an admiral and politician, and Thrasyvoulos (1834-1898), who also rose to the rank of admiral.
In the house of Konstantinos Kanaris at 54 Kypselis Street there is still the marble plaque which says that the brave Burlotier of the Revolution lived there
Kanaris' refusal to receive an honorary pension
Kanaris became minister of the navy in three governments during Otto's reign, and in the period 1864-1865 twice Prime Minister. To honor him, the king's people issued a decree granting him a monthly pension of one thousand drachmas. However, Burlotieris reacted negatively with a letter to the rapporteur of the proposal and minister of the Navy Athanasios Miaoulis. He felt that such a move would give the impression of self-interest.
In his letter he wrote:
"And in the past, whenever such proposals have been put to me by ministers, I have replied in the same language ... One day the Greek Nation could express this recognition and gratitude to my family."
Kanaris retired from politics and returned to his house in Kypseli. In May 1877, at the age of 82, he returned to politics and became prime minister in the ecumenical government formed to deal with the possible consequences of the Russo-Turkish War.
He was the first to fill 4 prime ministerial posts, while he was the only prime minister during whose time Parliament twice adopted or revised the Constitution of Greece, in 1844 and 1864.
The arsonist's action inspired important European artists and writers, such as Victor Hugo, Berange and Von Hess. The British historian Gordon wrote about him that "he is the most outstanding representative of heroism of which Greece of all times can be proud".
