Difference between pages "Saint Barbara" and "Varkiza Agreement"

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'''Saint Barbara''', known as the Great Martyress in Orthodox churches, was a Christian saint and martyr, who flourished in the [[3rd century]] AD.
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[[Image:Varkiza_ap_06.jpg|frame|Guerillas listen to radio news announcement of the Varkiza Agreement.]]
  
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==Her story==
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On [[February 12|12 February]] [[1945]] the '''Varkiza peace agreement''' was signed. It was an agreement that terminated institutionally the political and military fighting of December [[1944]] and aimed at reconciliating the opposite blocs of the country.
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Her story says that Barbara was a beautiful girl who dwelt in the city of [[Nicomedia]] in [[Asia Minor]].  Dioscurus, her cruel pagan father, had her shut in a tower in order to preserve her from suitors.  She nevertheless secretly converted to Christianity.  Her father commanded that she be built a bath-house, so that she would not have to use the public baths. The design for the bath-house originally had two windows, but Barbara had a third installed to commemorate the Trinity.  Her father, seeing this change, discovered that she was a Christian.  He had her taken to a Roman imperial magistrate during a persecution of Christians, who ordered her to be beheaded, and directed that her father carry out the sentence himself.  He did so, but, according to the story, was struck dead by lightning in divine retribution. [[Juliana of Nicomedia]] suffered the death of a martyr along with Barbara and was likewise sainted.
 
  
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== Her memory ==
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The minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Sophianopoulos, the minister of the Interior Periklis Rallis amd the minister of Agriculture Ioannis Makropoulos, participated in the talks, authorized by the government of [[Nikolaos Plastiras|Plastiras]], while the delegation of [[Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo|ΕΑΜ]] consisted of [[Georgios Siantos]], secretary of the central committee of the [[Communist Party of Greece|Greek Communist Party]] (KKE), [[Dimitrios Partsalidis]], secretary of the central committee of [[Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo|ΕAM]] and [[Ilias Tsirimokos]], general secretary of ELD. Each side had with it three military experts, while the proceedings were closely supervised by British dignitaries in [[Athens]].
  
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St. Barbara was formerly one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Her association with lightning caused her to be invoked against lightning and fire; by association, she also became the patron of artillery and mining.
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The agreement included nine articles on the basis of which civil liberties, and especially the freedom of the press and unionism freedoms were reinstated, a general extended amnesty was granted with the exception of offences of common law against life and property, while the government was committing itself to purge the civil services, gendarmerie, Security Police and police. For EAM/ELAS the obligation to liberate its prisoners and the disarmement of its armed sections was decided.
  
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In the 12th century, the relics of St. Barbara were brought from [[Constantinople]] to the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev, where they were kept until the [[1930s]], when they were transferred to St. Vladimir's Cathedral in the same city. Her veneration in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] remains very popular and her feast day is celebrated on [[December 4]].
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Last, the Greek government promised to form a national army to which the members of [[Ethnikos Laikos Apeleftherotikos Stratos|ELAS]] would be accepted and committed for the conduct of a genuine and free plebiscite as soon as possible within [[1945]].
  
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In the Spanish language, the word ''santabárbara'' means the magazine of a ship or fortress. It was customary to have a statue of Saint Barbara at the magazine to protect the ship or fortress from suddenly exploding. She is the namesake of the U.S. city of Santa Barbara, California, located north of Los Angeles. There were many churches dedicated in her name in Russia, including the one in Moscow next to Saint Basil's Cathedral and in Yaroslavl.  
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The significance of the agreement is projected even more by the fact that its text was published in the Official Gazette, a fact that gave to its content the force of a law.
  
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== Trivia ==
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Nevertheless, the breach of its terms by both sides led to a new political polarisation and the dramatic events of the last stage of a harsh civil war that lasted until [[1949]]. The extremities that occurred in its duration injured for several decades the coherence of the social fabric of the country and altered incorrigibly the productive and social geography of the Greek people.
  
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She is depicted in art as standing by a tower with three windows, carrying a palm branch and a chalice; sometimes cannons are depicted by her side. 
 
  
  
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==External links==
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[[Category:Peace Agreements]]
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*[http://www.orthodoxcentral.com/saints/saintbarbara.htm Saint Barbara in Orthodoxy]
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[[Category:1945]]
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*[http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/golden308.htm Catholic-forum]
 
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[[Category:Christian martyrs]]
 
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[[Category:Christian legend and folklore]]
 
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[[Category:Saints|Barbara]]
 

Latest revision as of 11:00, October 18, 2007

Guerillas listen to radio news announcement of the Varkiza Agreement.

On 12 February 1945 the Varkiza peace agreement was signed. It was an agreement that terminated institutionally the political and military fighting of December 1944 and aimed at reconciliating the opposite blocs of the country.

The minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Sophianopoulos, the minister of the Interior Periklis Rallis amd the minister of Agriculture Ioannis Makropoulos, participated in the talks, authorized by the government of Plastiras, while the delegation of ΕΑΜ consisted of Georgios Siantos, secretary of the central committee of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), Dimitrios Partsalidis, secretary of the central committee of ΕAM and Ilias Tsirimokos, general secretary of ELD. Each side had with it three military experts, while the proceedings were closely supervised by British dignitaries in Athens.

The agreement included nine articles on the basis of which civil liberties, and especially the freedom of the press and unionism freedoms were reinstated, a general extended amnesty was granted with the exception of offences of common law against life and property, while the government was committing itself to purge the civil services, gendarmerie, Security Police and police. For EAM/ELAS the obligation to liberate its prisoners and the disarmement of its armed sections was decided.

Last, the Greek government promised to form a national army to which the members of ELAS would be accepted and committed for the conduct of a genuine and free plebiscite as soon as possible within 1945.

The significance of the agreement is projected even more by the fact that its text was published in the Official Gazette, a fact that gave to its content the force of a law.

Nevertheless, the breach of its terms by both sides led to a new political polarisation and the dramatic events of the last stage of a harsh civil war that lasted until 1949. The extremities that occurred in its duration injured for several decades the coherence of the social fabric of the country and altered incorrigibly the productive and social geography of the Greek people.

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