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The Impact
of Rigas Pheraios
Born Konstantinos Kyriazis to a wealthy family in Velestino, Rigas was the most important Greek to pass through Vienna
In the printshop of Brothers Pouliou Markides in VIenna, in March 1897 Rigas printed his Declaration of Greece's Revolution, a proposed Constitution and his Thourio (Patriotic Hymn). He printed 3000 copies in two nights!
Rigas' revolutionary works eventually cost him his life, the closing of the Pouliou brothers newspaper and
printshop and their deportation from Austria.
Rigas's Constitution contained 35 articles on individual rights. Art. 22 said:
"Everyone without exception must be educated. The Nation must provide schools in every village for boys and girls. Education guarantees progress that's shown in every free nation. Old historians must be studied, and, in large cities, in addition to Greek, French and Italian should be taught."
Rigas's Charta (Χάρτα)
12 sections,
each 20x28 in.
Total work:
80x80 in.
The Charta depicted a new Greece that included Constantinople.
The title of Charta is in the third section from the top in the first column.
The title is the long paragraph on the right.
In the Feb. 20, 1797 issue of Ephimeris of the Pouliou brothers, Rigas described how he created the Charta is, how much it costs and how long it would be on sale.
Thourios on Youtube
Music: Christos Leontis
Lyrics: Rigas Feraios
Singer: Nikos Xylouris
The house in which Rigas lived in Vienna is on 21 Roternturm Str. The sign next to the door describes Rigas and uses his quote, "He who thinks freely, thinks well."
"Όποιος ελεύθερα συλλογάται, συλλογάται καλά."
Rigas's revolutionary activities upset the Ottoman authorities who asked the Austrians to arrest him. The Pouliou brothers escaped to other countries, but Rigas and seven of his friends were arrested and turned over to the Turks. On June 24, 1798, they were strangled at the Nebojsha Tower outside Belgrade (right). Their bodies were thrown in the Danube. Rigas was 41 years old.
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