Stathis K. CHristoforidis - Sarpoglis

Stathis Christoforidis, son of Konstantinos (1905-1984), known by the family nickname "Sarpoglis," was born in the small village of "Kounaka" in Upper Matsouka of Pontus. Following the displacement, he settled as a farmer in the village of Xirolimni in the Kozani Prefecture. A nostalgic of his birthplace and its traditions, during his free time from farming, he patiently wrote down everything he had heard from the oral tradition, as well as fairy tales, anecdotes, and memories from the place he was uprooted from at the age of seventeen, using the grammatical knowledge he acquired up to the sixth grade. His work is written in the Pontic dialect of Upper Matsouka. His published works include: 1. "Kolsois and Kialts," ARCHIVE OF PONTUS, vol. 31, 1971-72. 2. "Memories from Kounaka," Thessaloniki 1978. 3. "The Armenopoulia," Pontic Echo, issue 18, 1985. 4. Various anecdotes in the magazines "Pontic Home" and "Pontic Step." 5. "Dark Times and Dark Days 1: Amirant - Arabant: A Historical Narrative," Athens 1986, "Dark Times and Dark Days 2: Yagon: A Historical Narrative," and "Dark Times and Dark Days 3: Memories - Legends - Historical Anecdotes - Fairy Tales."