Nikolaos Skoufas
Encyclopedia
Nikolaos Skoufas (1779 – July 31, 1818) - member of the Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...

 ("Society of Friends"), a Greek conspiratorial organization against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

.

Skoufas was born in 1779 in the village of Komboti, Arta Prefecture
Arta Prefecture
Arta is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Arta.-Geography:The regional unit of Arta is located north of the Ambracian Gulf. The main mountain ranges are the Athamanika in the northeast, the Pindus in the east, and Valtou in the...

. He worked at various times as an apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....

, a commercial secretary and a hatter
Hatter
A hatter is a person engaged in hatmaking.Hatter also may refer to:*The Hatter, a fictional character in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland* Luton Town F.C., team a.k.a. "The Hatters"* Stockport County F.C., team a.k.a. "The Hatters"...

. Skoufas left as a merchant for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

 for business purposes. While there, he became acquainted with Athanasios Tsakalov
Athanasios Tsakalov
Athanasios Tsakalov was a member of the Filiki Eteria , a Greek patriotic organization against Ottoman rule.Tsakalov was an Epirote born in Ioannina, in the Epirus province of Greece. In young age he left Greece to be with his father in Russia...

 and Emmanuil Xanthos
Emmanuil Xanthos
Emmanuel Xanthos was a founder of the Filiki Eteria , a Greek conspiratorial organization against the Ottoman Empire....

. The three men came up with the idea of founding a secret organisation to prepare the ground for Greek independence. So, the Filiki Eteria was founded in 1814 in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...

. Skoufas dedicated the rest of his life to the cause. For this purpose he went to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

 but his ideas did not meet with the approval of many people of the local Greek community.

In 1818, the three partners moved to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

to further their cause, but in July of that same year Skoufas fell ill and died.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK