On June 21, Greece marked the destruction of Psara an island in the north Aegean, by the Ottoman forces in 1824, three years after the Greek Revolution. This was one of the more horrific chapters in Greek history.
On Saturday, a deeply moving musical ceremony titled “The Red Notes” took place on Psara’s Mavri Rachi (Black Ridge). This poignant event unfolded beneath the imposing statue of the Glory of Psara, a newly erected and emblematic monument.
As part of the commemorations for the 201st anniversary of the Psara Holocaust, the statue was dramatically illuminated in red. This striking visual intervention symbolized the blood, sacrifice, and fire that fueled the island’s fight for freedom.
Before an captivated audience, pianist Elena Xydia performed pieces inspired by memory, silence, and loss. Her “notes” were a heartfelt dedication to the sounds that were never heard, the voices that were silenced, and the lives that were tragically cut short.
The Municipality of Psara, with the active presence of Mayor Kostas Vratsanos, orchestrated an evening that served as a powerful ritual for all residents and visitors. It was a bridge connecting the past and the present, where art stood as a guardian of memory.
The destruction of Psara
In 1824, the island of Psara faced a brutal invasion by Ottoman forces. The islanders, known as Psariots, mounted a fierce resistance that culminated the following day in a desperate last stand at Palaiokastro, also known as Mavri Rachi (Black Ridge), the town’s old fort.
Hundreds of soldiers, along with women and children, sought refuge within the fort’s walls as 2,000 Ottoman soldiers stormed their position. In a defiant act, the refugees hoisted a white flag emblazoned with the words “Eleftheria i Thanatos” (“Freedom or Death”).
As the Turks breached the fort, Antonios Vratsanos, a local, ignited the gunpowder reserves. The ensuing explosion was catastrophic, killing the remaining inhabitants and a large number of their enemies, fulfilling the vow on their flag.
A French officer, witnessing the horrific event, likened the explosion to a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
While some of the population managed to escape, many were not as fortunate. Those who remained were either killed or sold into slavery, leading to a tragic loss of life and the scattering of the surviving islanders across Southern Greece. The island was left deserted.
In the wake of this tragedy, the priest and scholar Theophilos Kairis took in many orphaned children, establishing the renowned Orphanotropheio of Theophilos Kairis. Psara remained under Ottoman control until the Greek navy recaptured it on October 21, 1912, during the First Balkan War.
The Greek slave of Psara
The iconic statue named the “Greek Slave,” created by the US sculptor Hiram Powers, represents the incredible but true story of a girl from Psara who was captured in one of the battles of the Greek War of Independence.
The young girl, named Garifallia Michalbei (Γαρυφαλλιά Μιχάλβεη), went on to not only survive but to serve as an emblem of the abolitionist movement in the United States.
Garifallia, who was rescued from captivity by the American Consul in Smyrna, went on to be portrayed in paintings, but most notably, she was depicted in a marble sculpture, which is known as one of the finest sculptures ever created by an American. Read her story here