Constantine Kanaris

Constantine Kanaris was a Greek admiral, statesman, and a hero of the Greek War of Independence. He was born and grew up on the island of Psara, close to the island of Chios, in the Aegean. The exact year of his birth is unknown, but it is estimated to be around 1790 or 1793. He was left an orphan at a young age and became a seaman like most members of his family. He joined the Greek uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1821 and became famous for his use of fire ships, which were vessels loaded with explosives and set on fire to destroy enemy ships. He successfully attacked the Turkish fleet several times, blowing up the flagship of the Ottoman admiral and forcing the Turks to retreat to the Dardanelles. He also fought against the Egyptian navy, which was sent to suppress the Greek revolt. He tried to burn the fleet of Muhammad Ali, the ruler of Egypt, at Alexandria in 1825, but failed due to a change of wind. He was one of the few naval commanders who survived the destruction of his home island of Psara by the Turks in 1824. He continued to fight for the independence and unity of Greece until the end of the war in 1832. He was also involved in the political affairs of the newly established Greek state. He was a leader of the Russian Party, which supported the interests of Russia in Greece. He opposed the rule of King Otto, the Bavarian prince who was imposed on Greece by the Great Powers. He served as prime minister four times between 1844 and 1865, and was one of the three regents who governed the country after the overthrow of Otto in 1862. He supported the accession of King George I, the Danish prince who was elected by the Greek people. He came back from retirement to lead the government during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, but he died in office on September 2, 1877. He was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens and his heart was placed in a silver urn. He is regarded as a national hero and a symbol of the Greek naval tradition.