Petrol king turned property magnate Nick Andrianakos has consolidated his family’s commercial property footprint in Adelaide, acquiring a Flinders Street office tower from Cbus Property for $175 million.
The purchase of 50 Flinders Street, on a yield of around 6.5 percent, is the biggest office investment so far for the family company, Nikos Property Group.
It stands next to Santos House at 60 Flinders Street, which Nikos bought two years ago from Lendlease for $101.35 million. Bridges link the two buildings.
The 15-storey building at 50 Flinders Street comprises around 22,000 square metres and is fully leased, with its anchor tenant being the People’s Choice Credit Union. The building was developed by Cbus Property in 2015 with credit union taking a pre-commitment.
Nick Andrianakos also owns the adjacent Santos Centre.
“One of the attractions for our group of 50 Flinders Street was the fact that it has been developed and owned by Cbus and therefore, has been very well maintained and managed from day one,” said chief executive Theo Andrianakos.
The Nikos group is reworking the ground floor of the building next door at 60 Flinders Street with new end of trip facilities, and a redesigned lobby with a new café.
It is also working with Santos on refurbishing its offices after the company agreed to extend its lease until 2033, Nikos investment manager Paul Lachal said.
The latest acquisition was brokered by Knight Frank’s Guy Bennett.
The second Adelaide acquisition is the latest instalment in a property investment strategy employed by the family company over the last few years.
In late 2016, Mr Andrianakos, the founder of Milemaker Petroleum, sold the retail fuel business assets in Victoria to Caltex in a $95 million deal, while retaining all the sites on long-term leases to Caltex.
Soon after the petrol king swooped on a prime commercial tower on Melbourne’s St Kilda Road for $70 million, acquiring it from Singapore’s International Healthway Corporation. Nikos Property owns another two towers along St Kilda Road as well.
The family’s investment arm has branched further afield too, with its first Adelaide acquisition in late 2018. In January this year Nikos Property went north, buying an office complex on the fringe of the Brisbane CBD for $85.2 million.
Member for Reid, Dr Fiona Martin MP, has welcomed the Morrison Government’s investment of $550,000 over two years to support children and young people who have a parent or guardian with a mental illness.
Before entering Parliament, Dr Martin worked as an educational and developmental psychologist.
She said this funding will be vital in supporting families in her electorate of Reid and around the country by providing targeted prevention and intervention strategies for those at risk of developing inter-generational mental illness.
“Children of parents with a mental illness are at a greater risk of experiencing a range of behavioural, education, social and developmental challenges,” Dr Martin said. “They are also at a higher risk of experiencing their own mental health difficulties.”
One in five Australians aged 16-85 experiences a mental illness in any year. The most common mental illnesses are depression, anxiety and substance use disorder.
The restrictions necessary to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have meant vulnerable children have faced greater caring responsibilities and may have had fewer opportunities to maintain their own mental wellbeing.
The Satellite Foundation, which provides support to children of parents with mental illness, in partnership with Emerging Minds, will receive funding to boost its existing support by:
– Increasing the availability of targeted programs for children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness.
– Expanding and supporting the Satellite Foundation’s peer support network.
– Helping make sense of what is happening when a parent experiences mental illness by increasing the availability of mental health and wellbeing information and resources for children, young people and their families.
“This funding will ensure that young people who have a parent with mental illness have the skills, strategies, and confidence to manage the challenges they face and harness their full potential,” Dr Martin said. “It will help them break the cycle of mental illness.”
Fiona Martin MP welcomes extra mental health support for children during COVID-19.
The funding is being provided under the Government’s $74 million package to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australians during the coronavirus pandemic.
This measure will complement the support provided to young people across Australia through the national network of headspace services and eheadspace.
Through record investments in mental health services and support, with expenditure estimated to be $5.2 billion this year alone, the Government continues to demonstrate its firm commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians.
Since 30 January, the Government has provided approximately $500 million in extra funding for mental health services and support, including $64 million for suicide prevention, $74 million for preventative mental health services, and $48 million to support the pandemic response plan.
Anyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
Tonight will be the second and decisive step for the creation of an Australian Second Division of football and not a closed franchise championship such as the A-League.
Under the auspices of the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC), the teleconference will take place with AAFC President, Nick Galatas, reporting on how the new league will work and on the financial budget that each interested club will need, while also accepting proposals from an estimated 60 to 70 clubs from across Australia.
By Sunday noon, 55 clubs had declared their participation for the teleconference, a much higher number than expected.
Regarding the reactions of Football Federation Australia (FFA), in a telephone conversation we had with the founding member of AAFC, Mr Tom Callas, he told The Greek Herald the following:
“All our actions are known to the Federation, we are doing what we have discussed with them, we are proceeding normally. We will make our proposals on Tuesday and listen to the counter-proposals of the clubs,” Mr Callas tells The Greek Herald exclusively.
“The next step is that within the next few days we will send interested clubs the applications for participation in the championship of the national second division.”
Leaders of the Anglican and Greek Orthodox communities have joined Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher in raising “ethical concerns” about the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine because it stems from an aborted human foetus.
Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Australia Makarios, Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher and Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies, have urged Prime Minister Scott Morrison to pursue other vaccine options after the PM last week signed to purchase 25 million doses of the leading UK vaccine candidate.
The vaccination, being made in conjunction with UK drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, has been made using a kidney cell from an aborted foetus.
Here is the letter to the PM from Sydney’s Catholic and Anglican Archbishops and the leader of Australia’s Greek Orthodox. They are at pains to say they’re not anti-vaccines. @9NewsAUSpic.twitter.com/BH70A6RT4x
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the leaders have asked for assurance that the use of the Oxford vaccine will not be mandatory, no pressure will be put on people to go against their religious views and get the vaccine, and the government will ensure a “ethically uncontroversial alternative” is found.
“Many will feel deeply conflicted whichever way they go. You may be aware that for some people the Rubella vaccine already presents such a moral dilemma,” the letter said.
The letter adds that although “our churches are praying a vaccine is found, we hope it is not ethically tainted.”
“Please be assured that our churches are not opposed to vaccination: as we have said, we are praying that one may be found,” the letter said.
“But we also pray that it be one that is not ethically tainted.”
Archbishop Makarios has added his name to a letter sent to PM Scott Morrison raising “ethical concerns” about a potential COVID-19 vaccine.
Robert Booy, a University of Sydney Professor of Vaccinology, said yesterday vaccines have been developed with cell lines from aborted fetuses for the past 50 years, and that Christian groups had previously accepted their use because of the “big distance between the cell line and the final vaccine.”
On Monday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, downplayed concerns from the prominent church figures and said “the reality for the vaccines is that they need cell cultures in order for us to grow them.”
“There are strong ethical regulations surrounding the use of any human cell (in vaccines), particularly fetal human cells,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“This is a very professional, highly powered research unit at Oxford University, one of the world’s leading universities, so I think we can have every faith that the way they have manufactured the vaccine has been against the highest of ethical standards internationally.”
According to The Guardian Australia, a government spokesperson told them: “the Prime Minister respects the views of Australia’s many religious communities and understands the issues that are being raised.”
“Many vaccines in development do not contain these cell lines, including the UQ [University of Queensland] vaccine candidate which the government is already supporting with $5m,” the spokesperson said.
“The government will always follow the medical advice and will be encouraging as widespread use of the vaccine or vaccines as is possible.”
Greece has responded to Turkey’s illegal extension of its NAVTEX with its own advisory for a naval exercise in the wider area of SE Crete, Karpathos, Rhodes and South Castellorizo.
According to Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA) sources, Turkey extended its NAVTEX that expired on Sunday until Thursday, August 27, at 23:59 pm.
The Greek counter-naval exercise will run from early Tuesday, August 25, until the evening of Thursday, August 27.
Erdogan: Greece responsible for any ‘negative developments’ in East Mediterranean
In response, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey’s navy will not back down as Greece “sows chaos” in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Greece is conducting its own naval exercise in the disputed area. This is Greek Frigate Hydra. Credit: GEETHA.
“The ones who throw Greece in front of the Turkish navy will not stand behind them,” Erdogan said after a cabinet meeting.
He added that Athens did not have the right to broadcast maritime navigational and weather advisories (NAVTEX) in areas claimed by Ankara.
“Greece has declared its own NAVTEX unlawfully and in a spoiled manner…With this approach, Greece has sown a chaos that it will not be able to escape from,” Erdogan said.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Greece “is responding calmly… to defend its sovereign rights.”
“Greece is responding calmly and with readiness both on a diplomatic and on an operational level. And with national confidence it does everything needed to defend its sovereign rights.”
Turkish seismic research ship Oruc Reis is currently inside Greece’s continental shelf supported by seven Turkish warships. Two Greek Navy ships are close by monitoring their moves.
Tributes have flown in for beloved Greek singer, Yiannis Poulopoulos, who passed away on Sunday night at the age of 79.
The singer had been in the intensive care unit of the capital’s Attikon Hospital for treatment for serious health problems, sources said.
In one Facebook post, George Dalaras wrote: “Yiannis Poulopoulos, a great singer. He had the luck, the strength and the criteria to choose good songs.”
Γιάννης Πουλόπουλος, ένας σπουδαίος τραγουδιστής. Είχε την τύχη, το σθένος και το κριτήριο να διαλέξει καλά τραγούδια -…
This was followed by singers, Haris Alexiou and Yannis Markopoulos, as well as Greece’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Manos Konsolas, who wrote on Twitter: “A great loss for our musical culture.”
Born in the village of Kardamili, in the Peloponnese’s Messinia region, Poulopoulos became a household name with a series of hits in the 1960s. He collaborated with the country’s most eminent composers including Mikis Theodorakis, Giannis Spanos and Mimis Plessas.
In 1965, he was the first performer of four songs written by Manos Loizos. It was also about the same time he had a successful hit with ‘Mi mou thymonis matia mou’ (Don’t be angry with me, my love) composed by Stavros Kouyioumtzis.
By 1966, his records gained considerable popularity and his songs were featured in popular Greek films.
But the year that sent Poulopoulos to the top was 1969, when the album “O Dromos” (The Street) by Mimis Plessas and the lyrics of Lefteris Papadopoulos was released. Yiannis Poulopoulos sang 10 of the 12 songs, making the album the first gold record in Greek recording history.
That was the zenith of Poulopoulos career, allowing him to rest on his laurels for years. Until 1999, when he decided to retire from singing. Despite generous proposals to sing in clubs and record again, the singer declined to accept.
The 5th “Beyond Borders” International Documentary Festival kicked off on August 23 on the Greek island of Castellorizo. The festival was launched in 2016 by the Hellenic History Foundation (IDISME), co-organised with the Region of South Aegean and internationally supported by the Association Ecrans des Mondes in Paris.
The festival also enjoys the support of both the Australian Embassy and the Australian community, as well as the Society for the Restoration of Megisti.
The aim of this “eclectic” Documentary Festival is to honor remarkable examples of cinematic art and storytelling, with themes centered on history and society. ‘Beyond the Borders’ concerns the history of today, of before, here and everywhere.
To find out more about the festival, The Greek Herald spoke exclusively to its Artistic Director, Irini Sarioglou, as she carried out an imaginary tour on behalf of our readers who are unable to attend this year’s event.
1. The 5th Beyond Borders International Documentary Festival is just around the corner. The opening night is set for 23 August. Would you like to give us an imaginary tour to this year’s version of the festival and the important documentaries that will be screened?
This year has been a difficult year in the shadow of the pandemic. Nevertheless, more than 300 documentaries made by Greek and foreign filmmakers submitted an application to participate in the 5th Castellorizo International Documentary Festival. Out of these, the preliminary committee selected 24 documentaries (18 long/medium and 6 short-length films) from 18 different countries such as the USA, France, Australia, Israel and others.
Opening ceremony 23/8/20 CASTELLORIZO ISLANDAmazing night…BEYOND BORDERS – INTERNATIONAL DOC FILM FESTIVAL
This year’s Festival has the pleasure to launch three new awards. Thus, in addition to the awards for Best Historical Documentary, Best Socio-Political Documentary -both with the kind courtesy of the Hellenic Parliament- and the Special Award “Mediterranean Friendship” established by EKOME, the awards will also include the Best Short Documentary award, the Best Greek Documentary award established by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as well as the Special Award of “Odyssey”, established by the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad, which will be awarded to a Greek director abroad.
The difficult process of awarding the prizes is undertaken again this year by distinguished members of the world film community, while the chairman of the jury is the producer and director Barbara Wackernagel-Jacobs.
The Festival honors each year two institutions for their contribution in their field: a media outlet and an Academic Institution. This year, the Film Department of the School of Fine Arts at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki will be honored for its commendable contribution to the promotion of the new generation of Greek artists, while the Festival will honor the ALTER EGO MEDIA group for its contribution and imprint in news coverage.
In previous years, BBC, RAI, ERT, Ecrans de Mondes were the honored media. The festival is under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad (MFA), the Municipality of Megisti, the Embassies of Australia, USA and Israel, while it has the kind support of the Hellenic Parliament, the General Secretariat of Island Policy, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, ERT and EKOME.
Artistic Director of the 5th “Beyond Borders” International Documentary Festival, Irini Sarioglou, spoke exclusively to The Greek Herald.
This year’s opening night will host a special tribute to the “patriarch of Rebetiko”, Markos Vamvakaris. Sofia Papazoglou will give a tribute concert to him and to “our own foreigners” Rosa Eskenazy, Stella Haskil and Marika Ninou, together with a group of renowned musicians. As part of the tribute, there will be a screening of Nikos Skarentzos’ documentary “Markos”, which participated in the official program of the 22nd Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Of course, a big surprise awaits the attendees at the closing ceremony of the festival, as the excellent documentary “Saving North” by Mitchell Johnson will be screened in its first world screening. The curtain of the Festival closes with the great musician Dimitris Bassis and his solo musicians.
2. The festival is held, as every year, in the remote island of Castellorizo. At a particular historical juncture, with the veil of concern spreading due to the tension in Greek-Turkish relations. Are you at all worried about this and what messages could this important cultural event, with its global impact, have to offer?
I will quote a very favorite writer from Castellorizo, Christina Efstratiadou. In her book Stories of Castellorizo, she vividly describes her island at the beginning of the 20th century where she grew up herself. Efstratiadou therefore states “14,000 people, at the dawn of the 20th century and despite the wars, the emigration, the conquerors, we survived. We survived, because we’d rest on something very strong. On our culture. Culture was action.”
We try to revive this rich spiritual tradition of Castellorizo with a sense of responsibility but also a high sense of debt…
3. An intense Australian scent emanates from this festival. Would you like to explain to us a little about Australia’s contribution to the organisation of this festival?
The festival is under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Greeks Abroad (MFA), the Municipality of Megisti, the Embassies of Australia, the USA and Israel. But we have had and continue to have a closer relationship with Australia, mainly because the largest community of migrants from Castellorizo today lives and prospers in faraway Australia. The Society for the Restoration of Megisti has been our helper and co-organizer all these years. It will be a great honor and pleasure to welcome the Australian Ambassador to Athens and his family on our island this year as well.
4. Although this year taught us that everything is uncertain, would you like to share the long-term goals which you expect to fulfill by continuing to expand this institution?
First of all, the reason for the establishment of this festival was the last production of the Hellenic History Foundation back in 2016. It was a volume and a historical documentary dedicated to Castellorizo entitled “On the Edge of the Aegean, Castellorizo, 1890-1948”. In fact, this documentary won the First Prize for Best Historical Documentary in London that same year. Our wish was to show this film on our remote island as well, which eventually led us to the idea of establishing the “Beyond the Borders” International Documentary Festival of Castellorizo, to help the island regain its rightful place in the cultural scene.
And I emphasize the word “regain”, because few may know the culture that the island had until the Asia Minor tragedy. It always looked up to the greatest city of Ionia, Izmir, and that is why the people of Castellorizo always brought the best products to their island … From methods of learning French without a teacher to Ceylon scarves!
The team behind the Castellorizo International Documentary Festival is the rare, beautiful Greece that speaks with works, life stance and attitude … It focuses on the essence, the high-quality documentaries and the cultural activities that have a reason to come to Castellorizo. I remind you that, after 110 years, we brought professional theater to the island… Then the role of the co-organizers is very important; one in Paris (Ecrans des Mondes) and the other in Sydney (Restoration Committee of Megisti).
Our goal is to bring the whole world, Greeks and foreigners to Castellorizo and to transfer the history and culture of Castellorizo to the ends of the universe. And for this reason, with its completion, the Festival travels inside and outside Greece every year, screening its award-winning films.
John Barboutis: “We are proud of the cultural heritage of Castellorizo”
As evident, the Society for the Restoration of Megisti contributes significantly to the organisation of the festival. Therefore, The Greek Herald also spoke exclusively to a member of the Sydney-based society, John Barboutis.
“I was in Greece watching TV. I was about to leave at that time and suddenly I saw an advertisement with Castellorizo on TV. It was about the “Beyond the Borders” festival. It was then that I first discovered this effort for the festival and also saw that there was advertising for it everywhere. Castellorizo became the focus of my attention for a few days,” Mr Barboutis tells The Greek Herald.
“When I returned to Australia, I found Irini Sarioglou’s number and contacted her. I told her that all this advertising for Castellorizo was amazing. Awesome. So I talked to some of the members of the society, there was some money, and we decided to contribute with an amount for its better organisation.
The main goal of the Society:
We asked Mr Barboutis, what is the main goal of the Society for the Restoration of Megisti?
“It was the construction of infrastructure in Castellorizo. This was a difficult task because before the festival, few people headed to the island. Transportation is not its best point. But today, during the festival, more than 200 people are there and strengthen the local economy. So infrastructure can be built more easily. It is estimated that the turnover of the local economy increases by 20%,” Mr Barboutis answers.
“For about a week, Castellorizo has the attention of many people in Greece since it is advertised everywhere, but even in many countries in Europe. That is why we continue to support it. My daughter was at the festival two years ago and she told me it was amazing.”
The committee that supports the documentary festival for Castellorizo is the Society for the Restoration of Megisti. This committee is independent, however, overseen and supported by the Castellorizian Association of NSW Ltd.
The Castellorizian Association of NSW Ltd, was founded in 1924 and during its existence has a long history of supporting Castellorizo.
“Our organisation is a subcommittee of the Association, as some members of the Board of Directors participate in the rehabilitation committee, including myself, Ross Karp and John Koutsoukis,” said Mr. Barboutis.
“Our long-term goal with this festival is to safeguard our cultural heritage. The heritage of Kastellorizo for which we are very proud.”
There was Greek history and culture on full display on Sunday at The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney’s digital production commemorating the 2,500th anniversary of the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.
Held at the church hall of St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Parish in Marrickville, a pre-recorded digital lecture was given by Dr Yvonne Inall, who is a Project Officer at the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens.
The digital presentation was enjoyed by everyone who attended. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
His Grace Bishop Emilianos gave a speech. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
Dr Inall gave interesting insights into the archaeological findings from both battles, with a specific focus on Greek and Persian armour, as well as how ancient triremes functioned.
And that’s not all.
The perfect ending to Dr Inall’s lecture came with a digital dancing performance from The Hellenic Lyceum dancers, followed by speeches from His Grace Bishop Emilianos, Consul General of Greece Christos Karras and President of The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney, Liana Vertzayias.
“Thank you to The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney for participating in the global commemoration of the battles with such a unique event,” Mr Karras said in his speech, adding how Greece is now “a peaceful country which insists on solving conflicts with dialogue.”
Reverend Fathers Christodoulos, Yerasimos, Prochoros and Athanasios, as well as representatives of Greek community organisations, were also in attendance.
Consul General of Greece Christos Karras spoke at the commemoration. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
Members of The Hellenic Lyceum of Sydney. Photo: Andriana Simos / The Greek Herald.
The day concluded with a short question time and then guests, who adhered to social distance measures, were offered light refreshments ranging from diples to tiropites.
Football Victoria CEO, Peter Filopoulos, will be departing the organisation after 2 years to take up a Head of Marketing, Communications and Corporate Affairs role with Football Federation Australia (FFA).
Filopoulos has held senior roles at Swimming Australia, Etihad Stadium, North Melbourne and Hawthorn Football Clubs, and was part of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games 2000.
FFA Chief Executive, James Johnson, said he was delighted to appoint Filopoulos to such an important and expanded role, identified as a key measure in Principle I of the XI Principles for the future of Australian football (XI Principles).
Football Victoria CEO, Peter Filopoulos, will be departing the organisation after 2 years.
“Peter will bring an outstanding set of skills, experience, football knowledge and acumen to FFA. He was the stand-out candidate during an extensive recruitment process,” the FFA CEO said.
“He will join the FFA Senior Management Team and lead the development and execution of FFA’s Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Content and Media strategies.
“We want to tell Australian football’s story in all its diversity, and part of Peter’s responsibilities, as envisioned within the XI Principles, will be to develop a comprehensive Communications Strategy for FFA, on behalf of the whole football community.”
Filopoulos said he was excited by the challenges ahead at FFA, and was proud of his achievements at Football Victoria.
“I owe a debt of gratitude to Kimon (Taliadoros) and the Board for the vision and backing they have demonstrated in my time with FV and, of course, to the clubs and everyone across the game who has embraced what we’ve set out to do,” Filopoulos said in a media statement.
“I’m looking forward to being part of the team at FFA and supporting James in bringing to life the vision and strategic priorities he and the Board have laid out.”
Filopoulos will commence his new position at FFA on September 1 this year.
Saint Cosmas of Aitolia goes by many titles – Christian saint, priest, monk, popular preacher and educator. To mark the day of his execution on August 24th, 1779, we take a look at why these roles perfectly encompass the man Cosmas was.
Early Life:
Cosmas was born in Aitolia, Greece, and received his elementary education in his home province.
After spending some time as a teacher, he entered the theological academy on Mount Athos then headed by Eugerios Voulgares, one of the eminent Greek educators of the eighteenth century.
St Cosmas was a well-known educator and preacher.
Shortly afterward, Cosmas became a member of the monastery of Philotheou (one of the twenty monasteries of Mount Athos), where he was later ordained as a priest.
Educating the masses:
Around 1760, Cosmas left the monastery for Constantinople, where he received the blessing of the Patriarch Seraphim II.
He began preaching in the enslaved capital, followed by Nafpaktos, Mesolonghi, and other areas, returning to Constantinople in 1774. With the permission of the new Patriarch Sophronius II, the Saint resumed his apostolic task.
What alarmed the Ottoman authorities was the great popularity enjoyed by Cosmas.
His honesty and direct manner of preaching in the language of the people, his reputation for sanctity, his frequent visits to remote villages and hamlets, and his total disregard for material possessions caused hundreds, sometimes thousands, of men and women to follow him while he traveled from village to village.
Cosmas preached a gospel of love and concern for the fair and just treatment of women and children.
In addition, he laid great stress on education, founding ten secondary schools and over two hundred elementary schools. Often he secured both teachers and funds for these schools.
He believed that an educated person would be able to rise to a higher standard of moral and ethical living and thus be better prepared to resist the temptation, due to discrimination as well as social and economic pressures, to convert to Islam.
Cosmas was executed on August 24, 1779. Photo: Holy Monastery of Pantocrator of Melissochori.
Executionand Legacy:
Cosmas was admired and even feared by many Turks, and hated by many Jews. They spread unfounded accusations against him and slandered him to Kurt Pasha, to whom they offered money if he would put Cosmas to death.
Kurt Pasha conspired with the hodja of the village of Kolikontasi in Albania to set a trap for Cosmas. On the pretext that the Pasha wished to see him, they took Cosmas to a remote spot and hung him on August 24th, 1779.
His murderers stripped his sanctified body, tied a stone to it, and threw it into the river. The local Christians looked for his corpse, but could not find it.
In a miraculous manner, it rose to the surface and was pulled out by Father Markos, the priest of the All-Holy Theotokos of the Presentation Monastery, which is near Kolikontasi, and buried it at the back of the sanctuary.
He was quickly established in the mind of the people not only as a martyr but as a true apostle.
Cosmas can truly be credited with effecting enormous changes in education and in the moral behavior of the people of western Greece and southern Albania.
