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Christmas cards of Makarios III, 1954 - 1974

 Sub-Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0115/RCS/RCMS 59/7

Scope and Contents

Six of Archbishop Makarios' personal coloured Christmas cards in envelopes, sent to Miss Elsa Spencer. The cards depict Nativity scenes taken from Cypriot wall paintings.

Dates

  • Creation: 1954 - 1974

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

From the Fonds:

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Biographical / Historical

Makarios III (1913-1977) was born Michael Mouskos on 13 August 1931 at Ano Panayia near Paphos, Cyprus. He was educated at the monastery of Kykko and the Pan-Cypriot high school in Nicosia, and was ordained deacon in 1938, taking the name of Makarios. After studying theology and law at Athens University he was ordained priest in 1946, and became a scholar at Massachusetts University. In 1948 he was elected Bishop of Kition. Makarios became a member of the Cypriot Ethnarchy, and promoted the union of Cyprus with Greece. He was made Archbishop of Cyprus in 1950, but was deported by Britain to the Seychelles in March 1956 for his intransigence over the union issue. In 1958 Makarios agreed to accept the independence of Cyprus, and in 1959 he became President of the new republic, which was inaugurated in August 1960. Despite the renewal of communal violence from 1963, Makarios was re-elected President in 1968 and 1973. However, he was forced to leave the country in July 1974, following an attack on his residence. Makarios returned to Cyprus in December 1974 after Turkey occupied the island and removed the Greek dictatorship that had been established in his absence. He died on 3 August 1977 at Nicosia with Turkey still in possession of large parts of the country.

Extent

1 folder(s) (1 folder) : card

Language of Materials

English

Greek, Modern (1453-)

Former / Other Reference

MSS 18

Other Finding Aids

MSS Addenda, vol. I.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented by Miss Elsa Spencer, October 1977.

Related Materials

The R.C.S. Manuscripts Collection includes a letter from Makarios III, RCMS 22/12/1, acknowledging the receipt of the R.C.S. 'Biography catalogue'. The R.C.S. Photograph Collection includes photographs of Makarios III (see Y3018H and Y3018J).

General

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue. The biographical history was compiled with reference to the entry on Makarios III in Lord Blake and C.S. Nicholls, eds, 'Dictionary of national biography', 1971-1980 (Oxford University Press, 1986), pp. 537-538.

Originator(s)

Makarios III, 1913-1977, Archbishop of Cyprus

Finding aid date

2003-09-15 11:55:54+00:00

Includes index.

Repository Details

Part of the Cambridge University Library Repository

Contact:
Cambridge University Library
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Cambridge CB3 9DR United Kingdom