He is severely beaten in prison, a deep wound to the head permanently impairs the vision of his right eye
On the island of Macronissos he experiences his biggest nightmares
Onassis hides him on his island and helps him escape the junta on a private plane
Mickey Theodorakis was sent off chanting: “The Pillar of the Nation”
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Cruel torture in prison, beaten to death, 3 times buried alive, life-saving operation after his torturers left him lying lifeless in the morgue. It was there that some of his most famous works were born. Infected with tuberculosis and sent to a military hospital with broken bones. He can’t stand everything he goes through mentally, and at the last arrest he tried to commit suicide. Despite the failed attempt
the ghosts of horror continue to haunt him
– he fainted constantly, and the nightmares at night did not give him a moment’s restful sleep.
This is a very small part of the story of Mikis Theodorakis, worthy of being immortalized in a novel.
He was born on the island of Chios in 1925. His father – a Cretan Greek – was a clerk and therefore the family had to move every 2-3 years. His mother was from the Greek community in the Turkish city of Cesme and was a refugee from the Turkish massacre in Smyrna in 1922.
From an early age Mikis was fascinated by folklore and chants in Orthodox churches. At first he was religious, but shortly afterwards he was outraged by the hypocrisy of the clergy – especially by their collaboration with the fascists during the occupation of Greece.
Everyone noticed that the boy had an extraordinary talent. At the age of 12 he wrote his first song. He composed his own songs by ear because his family did not have the means to buy him musical instruments. He learns to play the piano at the home of a wealthy neighbor, where he sometimes sneaks in while the occupants are gone.
17 years old
he is determined to pursue music
The reason is that in 1942 in Tripoli he watched a film in which he heard “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven.
By the way, it was there that he took part in anti-fascist demonstrations for the first time, where he was arrested and tortured to betray his supporters. Theodorakis does not betray anyone.
When he returned home, he told his parents that he wanted to study music. Until then, the family thought that Mikis could become an architect because he was very good at math and painted very well. Although his father’s dream collapsed, he supported him and was the first to turn him to anti-fascism. Thus, in 1943, the boy was enrolled to study composition at the Athens Conservatory, receiving a scholarship for poverty.
During the German occupation of Greece, 18-year-old Theodorakis joined the resistance by becoming a member of the anti-fascist Greek People’s Liberation Army (ELAS). He was again tortured behind bars in Athens. Sometime around this time, Mikis decided to become a communist because he admired the stoicism, idealism, and pursuit of a fairer world among other communist prisoners. Most of them were workers. Much later, the composer shared about this period: “God revealed himself to me in the face of a worker.” This moment is predetermining for him musically as well. While in prison, and later, when he was arrested again, he created some of his most shocking works, which bear the imprint of his indomitable fighting spirit.
After another capture, he was so severely beaten and tortured that the inquisitors were convinced he was dead and moved to the morgue. Fortunately, his friends get him out of there and even manage to provide him with an emergency operation that saves his life. He had a deep wound on his head and although he was recovering, he was permanently visually impaired in his right eye. After coming out of prison, barely recovering from his wounds, the young Theodorakis joined the so-called December 1944
After the end of World War II, a civil war broke out in Greece. Then
he was arrested again
and, along with many other communists, was interned first on the remote island of Ikaria and then on the island of Macronissos, near Athens. It was there that his first symphony was born. In both places he was again subjected to cruel torture, and many of his fellow prisoners were killed. Mikis was twice buried half-alive, but miraculously survived thanks to his faithful comrades. In 1949 he was sent to the military hospital in Athens with tuberculosis and broken bones. With great effort and connections, his father managed to get him out of there as a cripple and take him to the island of Crete, but there was another arrest and threats that he would be returned to Macronissos. After the defeat of the Communists, he was again interned in various labor camps.
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