Photios Kalpidis ( el, Φώτιος Καλπίδης, 1862–1906) or Photios of Korytsa was the
Greek Orthodox
The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
metropolitan bishop of
Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau some ...
,
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, from 1902 to 1906. He was assassinated in 1906 by irregular bands due to his pro-Greek activity. Photios was proclaimed an "
ethnomartyr" by the
Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
.
Life
Photios was born in 1862 in the village of
Cakrak, in
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos may refer to:
* Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea)
* Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology
* Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...
region,
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
. After finishing school he moved to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
and attended the
Halki seminary
The Halki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki ( el, Θεολογική Σχολή Χάλκης and tr, Ortodoks Ruhban Okulu), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki ( Turkish: Heybeliada), the second-largest of the ...
.
He graduated in 1889 with honors. The following year he was ordained
hierodeacon A hierodeacon (Greek: Ἱεροδιάκονος, ''Ierodiákonos''; Slavonic: ''Ierodiakón''), sometimes translated "deacon-monk", in Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a monk who has been ordained a deacon (or deacon who has been tonsured monk). Th ...
, while he also became director of the Greek school of
Giresun
Giresun (), formerly Cerasus (Ancient Greek: Κερασοῦς, Greek: Κερασούντα), is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.
Etymology
Giresun wa ...
. In 1897 Photios was appointed secretary of the Holy Synod of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
.
[
In 1902 Photios was appointed metropolitan bishop of Korytsa and Premeti, centered in Korçe (), modern southeast ]Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
(then part of the Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
). In general, Photios showed great interest in the promotion of the thriving Greek educational system among the local youth and often made various proposals. He also became the president of the city's schools committee. In 1903 he was actively involved in all major educational issues that concerned the schools in Korce, as well as in nearby Permet. During the 1903–1904 school year he proposed that sports activities should be part of the curriculum in the local schools. As a result, the first sports events by the pupils of Korce took place on May 30, 1904, in the local Bangas Gymnasium
The Bangas Gymnasium ( el, Μπάγκειο Γυμνάσιο, translit=Bangeio Gymnasio) or Gymnasium of Korytsa, was a Greek secondary level school in Korcë (Greek: Korytsa), southern Albania, from 1856 to 1930. It was named after its benefac ...
.[Koltsida, 2008: p. 401] In the following school year these events attracted a major part of the local population and officials who attended them.[
On June 7, 1904, Photios took the initiative for the creation of the ''Appollo'' music association and the charitable society ''Love thy Neighbour'' as part of his educational, cultural and social initiatives in Korce.][Koltsida, 2008: p. 403] Moreover, ''Appollo'' for a short term period was also undertaking concerts and theatrical performances.[
]
Assassination
Photios was assassinated on September 9, 1906 by a band of Albanian kachak
Kachaks ( sq, kaçak, sr, качаци / ''kačaci'') is a term used for the Albanian bandits active in the late 19th and early 20th century in northern Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia, and later as a term for the militias of Albania ...
nationalists, led by Bajo Topulli
Bajo Topulli (1868 – 24 July 1930), born Bajram Fehmi Topulli, was an Albanian nationalist figure of the Albanian National Awakening. Bajo was the older brother of Çerçiz Topulli.
Early life
In Monastir while he was a director in the O ...
. The assassination was committed because Photios was against the development of Albanian cultural activity, as well as an act of revenge for the killing of the Albanian priest Kristo Negovani in 1905. Although the arrests included many Albanian nationalists of the time, they were subsequently released by the Ottoman authorities. In 1914, after the Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
, the Greek army arrested Bajram Ligu, but he denied any involvement with the murder.
Kalpidis was proclaimed a national martyr ("ethnomartyr") by the Church of Greece
The Church of Greece ( el, Ἐκκλησία τῆς Ἑλλάδος, Ekklēsía tē̂s Helládos, ), part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Its ...
.[ Παπαϊωάννου, Λάζαρος Αθ. ]
Ο εθνομάρτυρας Φώτιος Καλπίδης (1862-1906)
'' Μακεδονική Φιλεκπαιδευτική Αδελφότης (Society for Macedonian Studies
The Society for Macedonian Studies ( el, Εταιρεία Μακεδονικών Σπουδών, Etaireia Makedonikon Spoudon) was founded on April 29, 1939, in Thessaloniki, Greece.Thorsten Kruse, Hubert Faustmann, Sabine Rogge. The purpose of t ...
), Θεσσαλονίκη: 1983. 24 pp. A number of streets are named after him as ''Fotiou Koritsas (Φωτίου Κορυτσάς)'' in suburbs around the port city of Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...
, within the Athens urban area.[ ]
ΕΥΡΕΤΗΡΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΧΩΡΙΚΗΣ ΑΡΜΟΔΙΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ Δ.Ο.Υ.: ΑΘΗΝΑΣ - ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑ - ΠΡΟΑΣΤΙΩΝ
.'' ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΣ ΔΙΚΑΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΕΠΙΜΕΛΗΤΩΝ. σελ. 448. Retrieved: 18 January 2015. (pdf)[ ]
Φωτίου Κορυτσάς
'' CityPlaces.gr. Retrieved: 18 January 2015.
Notes
References
Sources
* (''PhD Thesis'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Photios Kalpidis, Korytsa, bishop of
1862 births
1906 deaths
20th-century Greek people
20th-century Eastern Orthodox bishops
Eastern Orthodoxy in Albania
Bishops of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Eastern Orthodox bishops in Europe
People from Alucra
Pontic Greeks
Greek Eastern Orthodox priests
Theological School of Halki alumni
Greeks from the Ottoman Empire
1906 murders in the Ottoman Empire
Eastern Orthodox bishops in Albania