Armen Kouptsios



Armen Kouptsios (Άρμεν Κούπτσιος, Bulgarian/Армен Купциос) was born in Volakas (municipality of Kato Nevrokopi, Drama regional unit), in 1885. He met the Greek Macedonian fighter Capetan Dais, when Dais, as a teacher in Prosotsani, was organizing, in secret the Macedonian Struggle in Drama. To him, Kouptsios revealed his will to fight for mother Greece, until death.

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 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, that were acting 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, that caused problems to the Bulgarian regime. Kouptsios' troop received the command to exterminate Plachev.

Armen Kouptsios with Nakos Vogiatzis and Petros Mantzas uppended Plachev in Tsobanka, in Laurentian Abbey in Drama. Plachev got trapped and Kouptsios asked him to surrender. Plachev shot and Kouptsios retaliated, killing PLachev. By that time, Turkish guard in horseback, came, under the commands of caretaker of Kalos Agros. Kouptsios started shooting in order to gice the chance to his companions to escape, as the actually did. He chose to be arrested in order to save his companions. He didn't try to kill any Turk soldier in order not to cause problems to bishop Chrysostomos. Ottomans always were accusing Chrysostomos, in every death of a Turk soldier.

Drama broke down when news spread because Armen Kouptsios was famous. Chrysostomos and Drama people made a lot of attempts to free Kouptsios, with no result. Armen Kouptsios was tortured in order to reveal names of the Organization. As he didn't reveal anything he stood on trial in 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 centre" organized plan for Armen Kouptsios' escape. Turks learned about the plan of escape and changed the way back. So, the plan of escape abandoned. On 14 September, 1905, Armen Kouptsios executed in the great plane tree, in the square of Drama.

Armen Kouptsios' father watched the scene of his execution. Chrysostomos invited Armen's father in the episcopate in order to comfort him. Armen's father said to 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 Bulgarians came back to Drama, they arrested Armen's father, they tortured him and then they let him die inside a well. Bulgarians also, cut the plane tree, to leave no memories of the sacrifice to the younger Dramins.