Kostas Menoikos, son of Nikolaos and Theonitsa Menoikos, was one of our own. Born on October 28, 1948, in Varosha, the heart of the occupied city of Famagusta, his parents emigrated to Australia in 1950 when Kostas was just two years old.
I remember his late mother, a pioneer in the annual marches of the Coordinating Committee for the Cypriot Struggle. She would hold up a placard with her son’s photo and name whenever an official visited our town. Until 1999, Kostas was listed as missing.
Who could have known!
I spoke with his sister, the beloved Eleni Stefanidi. She, along with her late parents and husband, endured the ordeal of repatriating her brother’s remains and his burial. Kostas has been resting in the Keilor cemetery since 2000.
Let’s start from the beginning. After graduating from high school, Kostas chose to become a lathe operator. However, Cyprus was always in his heart. In March 1970, after settling on the island, he enlisted in the National Guard, training in armoured vehicles.
With the outbreak of the war on July 20, 1974, he was working at a bar in Pella’s Pais. Reports from friends confirmed that Kostas went with them to the surrounding camps to inform the officers about the invasion. The last person to see him that day was his aunt, Maria Chepi, who lived in Kyrenia. Unfortunately, his trail went cold from then on.
Devoted to his homeland
“We made numerous publications with his name and photo in the Cypriot, Greek, and international press. From time to time, we received scattered information. Many reports led us to the prisoners’ camps in Adana, while others only increased our anxiety. When we delved into details, the mouths were tightly shut, and the doors doubly barred,” Eleni explains.
The Identification Committee for Human Remains, using DNA methods, shed light on the Menoikos family’s tragedy.
This committee, consisting of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot scientists based in Nicosia, conducted a thorough examination of bones found in a grave in the Lakatamia cemetery, leading to identification with the family’s DNA.
“The delay was due to the absence of identifying features on the remains. My mother and I went to Cyprus, and after the necessary procedures, we escorted my brother’s remains to Melbourne,” adds Eleni.
The funeral was held at the Church of Apostle Andrew in Sunshine, officiated by the current Archbishop Ezekiel.
Neos Kosmos covered the event, sharing with our readers the war situation in Cyprus, and the patriotism and sacrifice of Kostas Menoikos.
“Finally, our family felt some relief. Our parents could visit his grave, light a candle, and say a prayer for his eternal rest. As for me and our children, we miss him incredibly,” Eleni says with sadness.
The hero now lies in the Keilor cemetery, resting peacefully after 26 years.
