HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Vasilis Michaelides (; 1849 – 18 December 1917) was a Greek Cypriot poet who is considered by many to be the
national poet A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished ...
of Cyprus.


Early life

Michaelides was born in Lefkoniko 1849. In 1862, he moved to
Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...
to attend school. His first contact with the arts came in the form of religious icons in the archbishopric in Nicosia, where he trained as an artist.


Career

Michaelides moved to the Diocese of
Larnaca Larnaca, also spelled Larnaka, is a city on the southeast coast of Cyprus and the capital of the Larnaca District, district of the same name. With a district population of 155.000 in 2021, it is the third largest city in the country after Nicosi ...
, where he concentrated on painting in the care of his uncle. In 1873, he published his first poems ''Usury'' () and ''Nightingales and Owls'' (). In 1875, he moved to
Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
for further studies in painting. He left Italy in 1877 and went to Greece, where he enlisted as a volunteer in the
Greek Army The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed F ...
and fought for the liberation of
Thessaly Thessaly ( ; ; ancient Aeolic Greek#Thessalian, Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic regions of Greece, geographic and modern administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient Thessaly, a ...
during the
Greco-Turkish War of 1897 The Greco-Turkish War of 1897 or the Ottoman-Greek War of 1897 ( or ), also called the Thirty Days' War and known in Greece as the Black '97 (, ''Mauro '97'') or the Unfortunate War (), was a war fought between the Kingdom of Greece and the O ...
. With the end of Ottoman rule of Cyprus in 1878, he returned to the island and settled in
Limassol Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...
, staying at the local premises of the Diocese of Larnaca. There he began to write for the local newspaper ''Alithia'' (; ''Truth''). Michaelides wrote several poems in Greek dialects such as Cypriot, Dhimotiki, and
Katharevousa Katharevousa (, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contemporary vernacular, Demotic ...
. His first poetry collection, ''The Weak Lyre'' (), was published in 1882. In 1884, he was appointed to work as a nurse, which secured him an income, food, and a place to live. He then began to write for the newspaper ''Salpinga'' ( ''Clarion''). In 1888, he began the publication of the satirical magazine ''Diavolos'' ( ''Devil''). In 1883, Michaelides wrote ''The Fairy'' (), followed by his most famous work ''The 9th of July 1821'' (), a poem in the Cypriot dialect detailing the events leading to the execution of the Greek Cypriot leadership, including
Archbishop Kyprianos Archbishop Kyprianos of Cyprus () was the head of the Cypriot Orthodox Church in the early 19th century at the time that the Greek War of Independence broke out. Kyprianos was born in (the then village of) Strovolos in 1756. He served as a monk ...
, by the Ottoman rulers of the time: : :::— From ''Ἑννάτη Ἰουλίου, Βασίλης Μιχαηλίδη'' Michaelides' poetry helped establish the Cypriot dialect as a linguistic medium for written poetry. ''The 9th of July'' was followed by ''The Woman From Chios'' ().


Final poems and death

The latter part of Michaelides' life was plagued by his struggles with
alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
. In 1910, he lost his job as a nurse, but the Limassol Municipality gave him a new job as a health inspector and a room to stay in at the town hall. In 1911, he published ''Poems'' (). By 1915, he had ended up at the Limassol
poorhouse A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...
, where he wrote ''The Dream of the Greek'' (). He died a penniless alcoholic on 18 December 1917.


Legacy

Michaelides is considered by many to be the
national poet A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished ...
of Cyprus. In 1978, his portrait was depicted on one of a series of stamps themed on Cypriot poets. There are also a number of streets in Cyprus named after him, as is the 10th Primary School of Limassol. There is a bust of him in
Strovolos Strovolos (; ; ) is a municipality in the Nicosia district, of Cyprus. It is a part of the Nicosia urban area. With a population of 71,123, it is the second most populated municipality in Cyprus, after Limassol, and the most populated municipalit ...
and another bust of him in Limassol outside the Library of the
Cyprus University of Technology The Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) ( or "ΤΕ.ΠΑ.Κ.") is a university established in 2004. Its first intake of students took place in the academic year 2007–08. The establishment of CUT is an attempt to fill in gaps that still exist ...
, which is also named after him.


References


External links


Full text of "The 9th of July 1821" in Cypriot dialect and English translation

Cyprus Stamp Issue: Cypriot Poets: Demetrios Lipertis and Vasilis Michaelides
* Documentary titled
Βασίλης Μιχαηλίδης, ο Άνθρωπος και το Έργο του
produced in 1980 by CyBC. Year of birth unknown 19th-century births 1917 deaths People from Famagusta District People from the Ottoman Empire Greek Cypriot poets {{Cyprus-poet-stub 19th-century Cypriot people 20th-century Cypriot people