Stavros Rigas

Stavros Rigas (Greek: Σταύρος Ρήγας), also known by his nom de guerre "Kapetan Kavondoros" (Καβοντόρος), was an officer of the Hellenic Army who participated in the Greek Struggle for Macedonia.

Biography

He was born in Agios Dimitrios, on the island of Euboea. He joined the Greek Struggle for Macedonia in 1905, entering with his detachment the Giannitsa Lake under the leadership of Kostantinos Boukouvalas. Along with Boukouvalas and Anagnostakos he managed to occupy crucial positions in the marshes of the Giannitsa Lake and create small bases in known as Tsekri, Ali and Lakka.^[1] His nom de guerre, kapetan ("captain, chief") Kavondoros, referenced Cape Cavo D'Oro near his native village.

In November 1905 following the withdrawal of Konstantinos Boukouvalas due to sickness, he replaced him as the leader of the struggle in Giannitsa marshes.^[2] Later he was joined by officer Michael Anagnostakos. In April 1906 the two leaders were reinforced by Panagiotis Papatzaneteas and Ioannis Sakelaropoulos ^[3]

Stavros Rigas survived the Greek Struggle for Macedonia and participated in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–22, where he fell in 1921.

References

1. ↑ Douglas Dakin, Ο Ελληνικός Αγώνας στη Μακεδονία 1897 – 1913, εκδ. αδελφών Κυριακίδη, 1996.
2. ↑ «ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΚΟΣ ΑΓΩΝ», Παύλου Τσάμη, Μακεδονικὴ Βιβλιοθήκη, Δημοσιεύματα τῆς Ἐταιρεῖας Μακεδονικῶν Σπουδῶν, Θεσ/κη 1975, σελ. 293-294.
3. ↑ Basil K. Gounaris, The Macedonian Struggle 1903-1912. Paving the Way for the Liberation, p.13