Soviet Stamp in Honour of Manolis Glezos -- Daily LIFT #162

Soviet Stamp in Honour of Manolis Glezos -- Daily LIFT #162

Manolis Glezos was a legendary Greek resistance fighter. On 30 May, 1941 Glezos and Apostolos Santas climbed on to the Acropolis in Athens and ripped down the Nazi flag that was flying there after the occupation. He was arrested by the Nazis and tortured, though they did not realize they had the man who had done this, and despite the torture, tuberculosis and a subsequent imprisonment by the Italians he survived the war.

After the war he was arrested, imprisoned and even sentenced to death for his  leftist activism during the Greek Civil War, the Cold War and the fascist military junta. In total he spent over 11 years in prison and over 4 years in exile.

Glezos died today at age 97.