A Young Man Joins the Fight
Rotsidis Savva was born on January 18, 1935, in the village of Mammari, Nicosia, to parents Georgios and Anastasia. He grew up with his siblings Loizos, Andreas, Irini, and Polymnia. After completing his education at the village primary school and the Samuel School in Nicosia, he worked as an accountant for the Hellenic Mining Company and later as a warehouseman at the Micerou mine. From the very beginning of the conflict, Rotsidis committed himself to the EOKA cause, operating with the rebel teams in the Splash sector. His early involvement included the crucial attack on the guard of the Micerou mine explosives depot on November 18, 1955, a key operation that supplied EOKA with dynamite.
Capture and Escape
British authorities arrested Rotsidis in October 1956 after finding two revolvers in his possession. They subjected him to brutal torture during interrogation. Displaying remarkable cunning, Rotsidis feigned cooperation. He led his captors to the mountainous area near Agios Epifanios, pretending he would reveal a rebel hideout. There, he successfully deceived them and made a daring escape. He first went to his home, where his mother treated his wounds, before going into hiding. The EOKA leader, Dighenis, ordered a cautious approach, requiring his fighters to verify that Rotsidis’s escape was honorable before reconnecting with him. For several months, he moved between hideouts in Morphou, Agios Ioannis Maloundas, Palaichori, and Polystypos.
The Final Ambush
After finally reuniting with his rebel group, Rotsidis continued his campaign, participating in numerous attacks against the British. The conflict reached its tragic end on November 25, 1958. Rotsidis and his comrade, Rogiros Sipillis, went to a spring in the “Dark” area of Agros to fetch water for their hideout. British forces, breaking the existing truce, ambushed them there. The attack killed Savvas Rotsidis instantly, making him the last EOKA rebel to fall. His comrade, though heavily injured, managed to escape.
A Nation Mourns a Hero
In death, Rotsidis received a hero’s farewell. His parents dressed his body in a wedding suit at the Nicosia General Hospital. They welcomed the massive crowd that gathered from across Cyprus to pay their respects at their home, ordering the church bells to ring incessantly in his honour and offering kourabiedes to the mourners. This powerful display cemented his legacy as a final, symbolic martyr for the cause of freedom.
