Pantelis Papaioannou

Pantelis Papaioannou or Grekos or Atanasov (Greek: Παντελής Παπαϊωάννου) was a Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle known by the nom de guerre Captain Nikotsaras (καπετάν Νικοτσάρας).

Pantelis Papaioannou during the period of 1904–1907.

Biography

Papaioannou was born in 1880s in Kolešino, then Ottoman Empire (now North Macedonia) and was a Slavophone Patriarchist with strong Greek consciousness or by the Bulgarian point of view Grecoman.[1][2] He was the first cousin of fellow Makedonomachos (Macedonian fighter) Charalambos Boufidis. He initially worked as a secretary of Boris Sarafov until 1903, but after realising the real purposes of IMRO towards the Greek Macedonians he travelled to Athens where he received military training.[1][3] He then returned to his homeland joining the Macedonian Struggle and siding with the Macedonian Committee, setting up a small armed group which initially acted near the Giannitsa Lake against the Bulgarian komitadjis.[4] He cooperated with many chieftains, including Gonos Yotas and Theocharis Kougas from Gidas.[4] He later acted near his hometown, in the wider Novo Selo area.

Papaioannou and the majority of his armed group were killed in action on 8 September 1907 after a betrayal which lead to a battle against a huge Ottoman army detachment.[1][5] This made his cousin Charalambos Boufidis or from then known by the nom de guerre Captain Fourtounas join the struggle and avenge his death, acting against the Bulgarian Committees and finally killing Peche who had betrayed Papaioannou.[5]

The central street of Kilkis is named "Captain Nikotsaras" in his honor and there is a burst of him in the city.[6]

References
  1. Vakalopoulos, Konstantinos. ΑΝΕΚΔΟΤΟ ΜΗΤΡΩΟ ΤΩΝ ΜΑΧΗΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΟΥ ΑΓΩΝΑ (PDF). ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr. p. 75.
  2. Mazarakess Ainian, Konstantinos (1981). Ho Makedonikos agōnas: me hena chartē tōn scholeiōn tēs Makedonias kai eikones ektos keimenou. Dōdōnē. p. 144.
  3. "Γιάννης Λάζαρης, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας:Από το μύθο... στην ιστορία" (PDF). 2009. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
  4. Ho Makedonikos agōnas: symposio, Thessalonikē, Phlōrina, Kastoria, Edessa, 28 Oktōvriou-2 Noemvriou, 1984. Hidryma Meletōn Chersonēsou tou Haimou, Mouseio Makedonikou Agōna. 1987. p. 83.
  5. Konstantinos Vakalopoulos, "Ο ένοπλος αγώνας στη Μακεδονία 1904-1908", publ. Ηρόδοτος, Thessaloniki, 1999, p. 287, 324
  6. "Θανάσης Χατζημητάκος : Β' Μνημεία μέσα στην πόλη". www.eidisis.gr. 24 May 2009.
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