In 1972, George Kyriacou was awarded first prize in the Panhellenic competition for the design of a national monument dedicated to the EOKA hero Gregorios Afxentiou. A central figure in the Cypriot struggle for independence, Afxentiou perished in 1957 during a standoff with British forces at the Machairas Monastery.
Despite the early success of Kyriacou’s proposal, the realization of the monument was delayed for over two decades due to political and administrative obstacles. The completed work was ultimately unveiled in 1997, marking the 40th anniversary of Afxentiou’s death, in a state ceremony led by the late President of the Republic of Cyprus, Glafkos Klerides.
The Machaira Eagle, maquette for the final monument, embodies the spirit of resistance and sacrifice. The soaring eagle, an enduring symbol of freedom, was selected by Kyriacou to evoke both the physical landscape of the Machairas Mountains and the transcendent legacy of Afxentiou’s heroism.
This maquette represents not only a pivotal moment in Cypriot monumental art but also a significant work in Kyriacou’s sculptural oeuvre, bridging classical monumentality with modern national identity.