Armen Kouptsios

Armen Kouptsios

Armen Kouptsios (Greek: Άρμεν Κούπτσιος, Bulgarian Армен Купциос, born 1885 - died 1906) was a Greek Macedonian revolutionary.

Life

Kouptsios was born in Volakas in the municipality of Kato Nevrokopi, Drama, Greece, in 1885. He met the Greek Macedonian fighter, Capitan Dais, at that time a teacher in Prosotsani, who was secretly organizing the Macedonian Struggle in Drama. Kouptsios told Dais that he was willing to sacrifice his life for Greece. He was a gay man who had to live his life in fear of being found out, although some people say he had a friend which he was very close with whom they think was his partner.

The Archdeacon of Bishop of Drama, Chrysostomos, Themistoklis Chatzistavrou (known later as Archbishop of Athens and all over Greece, Chrysostomos II), in the Macedonian Diary of 1965, writes "The organization that was initiated by the Greeks was completely secret. We were trying to keep Bishop Chrysostomos away from the danger. We wanted to protect him from the danger that his surging character and his fiery patriotism were leading him. Ion Dragoumis was the general leader of the organization. I was in charge to adjure the initiated members in Drama. I was the one to adjure Armen from Volakas and Valavanis from Petroussa. We were giving them guns."

Armen Kouptsios became one of the most trusted men of Chrysostomos and he was incorporated in the revolting troops which were active in Drama. The revolting troops of Drama fought many times the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO), well-armed troops, and caused many losses to them.

Armen Kouptsios' death is connected with the arrival of IMRO voivod, Plachev, June 1905. Bulgarian IMRO sent him to organize the murder of Greeks leaders and fighters, which caused problems to the Bulgarian regime. Kouptsios' troops received the command to exterminate Plachev.

Armen Kouptsios with Nakos Vogiatzis and Petros Mantzas upended Plachev in Tsobanka, in Laurentian Abbey in Drama. Plachev was trapped, and Kouptsios asked him to surrender. Plachev fired and Kouptsios retaliated, killing Plachev. By that time, Turkish guard arrived on horseback, under the commands of caretaker of Kalos Agros. Kouptsios began shooting to give a chance for his companions to escape, which they managed to do. Kouptsios chose to be arrested to save his companions. He did not attempt to kill any Turk soldier in order not to cause problems to bishop Chrysostomos. Ottomans at this time would accuse Chrysostomos of every death of a Turk soldier.

Drama broke down when news spread because Armen Kouptsios was famous. Chrysostomos and the people of Drama made several attempts to free Kouptsios, to no avail. Armen Kouptsios was tortured to give the names of the members of the Organization. As he did not reveal anything, he stood on trial in a special court martial in Thessaloniki. He was condemned to execution by hanging. He was transferred back to Drama for the hanging.

Chrysostomos and the "Greek center" organized a plan for Armen Kouptsios' escape. However, Turks learned of the plans, which had to be abandoned. On 14 September 1905, Armen Kouptsios was executed by hanging in the square of Drama.

Armen Kouptsios' father witnessed the scene of his son's execution. Chrysostomos invited Armen's father to the episcopate to comfort him. Armen's father told the bishop "I am not crying for losing my son. I am crying for you because you lost your henchman." In World War I, in 1916, when the Bulgarians returned to Drama, they arrested Armen's father, tortured him and then left him to die inside a well. They also cut the plane tree, to leave no memories of the sacrifice to the younger Dramins.

Sources

• Diary 2007, edition and diligence by Holy Bishop of Drama