Lambros Katsonis
Encyclopedia
Lambros Katsonis was a Greek naval admiral of the 18th century. Born in Levadia, he joined the Orlov Revolt
in 1770, but not pleased by the result he built up a small fleet and began harassing the Ottoman
s in the Aegean Sea
. In 1778 he assembled a Greek pirate fleet of seventy vessels, which harassed the Turkish squadrons in the Aegean and forced the Ottomans to abandon the island of Kastelorizo
; the castle
on the island was renamed to Lambros Katsonis Castle. In 1790 he engaged the Turkish fleet in Kafirea, defeating it. Katsonis had his hideout in the bay of Porto Kagio
. His crew grew very restless and they attacked and sunk two French
naval ships. This caused the French to join with the Ottomans to try to stop Katsonis. They cornered him at Porto Kagio and Katsonis' navy was destroyed. Katsonis escaped to Odessa
and Yalta
where he was granted the Livadia Palace
estate by Catherine the Great. He lived out the rest of his days there.
His wife was known as Angelina in Russia, but her real name was Maria Sophianou. He had three sons and possibly one daughter. His first son was killed by the Turks when was still infant, in the Greek island of Kea Kea
. The second, Lykourgos (known in Russia as Ликург Ламбрович Качиони, 1790-1863), born in a Greek island, had a brilliant career as officer in the Russian Army, including his service in the Greek Battalion of Balaklava
. The third son, Alexander who was born in Krimea, became also an officer in the Russian Army. According to some sources he had a daughter named Garyfallia, but there are no informations about her life. One of Lambros' grandsons, Spyridon son of Alexander, was a known Russian writer. He had a daughter named Garyfallia but there are no information about her life. He was also the godfather of Odysseas Androutsos
, a commander of the Greek War of Independence
. He died in Crimea
.
Orlov Revolt
The Orlov Revolt was a precursor to the Greek War of Independence , which saw a Greek uprising in the Peloponnese at the instigation of Count Orlov, commander of the Russian Naval Forces of the Russo-Turkish War...
in 1770, but not pleased by the result he built up a small fleet and began harassing the Ottoman
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...
s in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. In 1778 he assembled a Greek pirate fleet of seventy vessels, which harassed the Turkish squadrons in the Aegean and forced the Ottomans to abandon the island of Kastelorizo
Kastelorizo
Kastelorizo, , is a Greek island and municipality located in the southeastern Mediterranean. It lies roughly off the south coast of Turkey, about 570 km southeast of Athens and east of Rhodes, almost halfway between Rhodes and Antalya and to Cyprus...
; the castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
on the island was renamed to Lambros Katsonis Castle. In 1790 he engaged the Turkish fleet in Kafirea, defeating it. Katsonis had his hideout in the bay of Porto Kagio
Porto Kagio
Porto Kagio is a village in Mani, Greece.History writes that the year 1570, the Ottomans tried to build a castle there to block the sea route for the Venetians to their colonies in Crete and Cyprus. As soon as the Maniots heard of this, they besieged the castle. They also sent messengers to the...
. His crew grew very restless and they attacked and sunk two French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
naval ships. This caused the French to join with the Ottomans to try to stop Katsonis. They cornered him at Porto Kagio and Katsonis' navy was destroyed. Katsonis escaped to 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,...
and Yalta
Yalta
Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea.The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black...
where he was granted the Livadia Palace
Livadia Palace
Livadia Palace was a summer retreat of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family in Livadiya, Crimea in southern Ukraine. The Yalta Conference was held there in 1945, when the palace housed the apartments of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and other members of the American delegation...
estate by Catherine the Great. He lived out the rest of his days there.
His wife was known as Angelina in Russia, but her real name was Maria Sophianou. He had three sons and possibly one daughter. His first son was killed by the Turks when was still infant, in the Greek island of Kea Kea
Kea (island)
Kea , also known as Gia or Tzia , Zea, and, in Antiquity, Keos , is an island of the Cyclades archipelago, in the Aegean Sea, in Greece. Kea is part of the Kea-Kythnos peripheral unit. Its capital, Ioulis, is inland at a high altitude and is considered quite picturesque...
. The second, Lykourgos (known in Russia as Ликург Ламбрович Качиони, 1790-1863), born in a Greek island, had a brilliant career as officer in the Russian Army, including his service in the Greek Battalion of Balaklava
Greek Battalion of Balaklava
The Greek Battalion of Balaklava was a military unit of the Russian Army which participated in the Russo-Turkish wars of 1768–1774, 1787–1792 and 1806–1812. It was consisting of Greek expatriates who were living in the Balaklava area....
. The third son, Alexander who was born in Krimea, became also an officer in the Russian Army. According to some sources he had a daughter named Garyfallia, but there are no informations about her life. One of Lambros' grandsons, Spyridon son of Alexander, was a known Russian writer. He had a daughter named Garyfallia but there are no information about her life. He was also the godfather of Odysseas Androutsos
Odysseas Androutsos
Odysseas Androutsos ; was a hero of the Greek War of Independence.-Early life:He was born in Ithaca in 1788, however his family was from the village of Livanates in Phthiotis prefecture...
, a commander of the Greek War of Independence
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
. He died in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
.