In the Ottoman Empire, the 60-es was a period of the Tanzimat reforms aimed at overcoming feudal backwardness of the country in order to eliminate arbitrariness and corruption, creating a bourgeois society based on freedom and law; but they was carried out very slowly and inconsistently across the country. Under these conditions in spring 1866, some laymen once again raised the issue of transfer of monasteries’ property under public control to finance the establishment of social institutions: schools and hospitals. It was opposed by the clergy, and they conveyed a commission to elect delegates who shall seek a solution of the Patriarch in Constantinople. The dispute broke governor of the island, Islamized Greek Ismail Pasha. Being a doctor, he understood the importance of the issue and distrusted the church; therefore he demanded solution on the spot, appointing to the commission his own people and putting in jail unwanted ones together with the elected delegates: thus he grossly violated principles of individual freedom, proclaimed in the country, and also intervened in the Church matters. Brazen arbitrariness angered local Christians, and on May 14 they organized a gathering in Saint Kyriaki monastery at Chania where there were formulated a number of accumulated political, economic and social demands which have to be send to the Sultan. They were also submitted to consuls of European countries. Feeling a new disturbance, Muslims pulled closer to fortifications, and the Sultan sent his replay on June 20 after receiving information on the situation. He angrily refused to Christians in almost everything and ordered governor to send troops to disperse troublemakers in hope to suppress all quickly and decapitate resistance, but then Greeks took up arms.

Russian warship “General-Admiral” under the command of captain 1^st rank Ivan Butakov was sent into Suda-Bay. In Russian navy, “General-Admiral” was the largest wooden sailing steam-powered frigate with a crew of 793. Official purpose of the expedition was the protection of Russian citizens and diplomatic agents. Ships of other great powers arrived with the same purpose in the Suda-Bay.

In the Arkadi monastery there are huge stocks of gunpowder purchased by Greek patriots at their own expense. Koroneos, a Greek regular officer, who voluntary had joined the rebels and found monastery inconvenient for defense, left it together with his detachment. This became known to the new appointed governor Mustafa Pasha from Bishop Lambris the Sphakian, called by Cretans “Turk child”.

15000-strong Turkish army equipped with 30 guns besieged Arkadi monastery where there were 259 armed men, including members of the Cretan Revolutionary Committee, and more than 600 women and children. When defenders of the monastery used up all their bullets, the Turkish artillery breached monastery’s gate. It led to a melee. While thousands of soldiers were rushing into the monastery, the defenders set fire to the powder keg, and a blast killed 864 Cretans with about 1500 Turkish and Egyptian soldiers. 114 survived prisoners were immediately slaughtered. Around the world, the exploit in Arkadi monastery attracted sympathy towards the uprising. Victor Hugo wrote about this exploit and accused European governments of “conspiracy of silence” regarding the heroic Cretans.

After the events in Arkadi and Selino Castelli (Palaiochora), from where a British gunboat evacuated some 340 women and children, thousands of refugees sought shelter from chasteners in coastal caves on the south of Crete. Turkish cruisers shot them down. Foreign ships could not help, as the authorities have forbidden them to come into contact with the local population and alongside of shore to take on board people. Butakov asked the Russian government’s permission to intervene but got vague answers. At his own risk, captain Butakov decided to carry out to Greece 3000 refugees. Dropping anchor 4 km east of Sougia, facing Tripiti gorge (western spurs of mountains Lefka Ori, Chania area), “General-Admiral” took on board 1142 refugees, of which more than 1000 were women and children. Suddenly rising wind prevented to take more people.

In his diary Butakov wrote: “Although the removal of families on the frigate is a risky thing, and taking it on myself I certainly would not have been approved by ambassadors as well as by the government, but the public opinion would be for me… We have so, each can do what he want on his own, but in the way, that all should turn out well without harming the government. When it turned out badly, you will be answerable for all… I do not know whether I would make up my mind to gamble away my entire destiny. I will take care waiting the return to Candia (it was the name of Crete, therefore Cretans were called Candiotis). Some people have had to bleed for the benefit of Russia and its honor, but I offer my job. There are good people to take care of me. Let’s wait.”

Butakov was struck by the behavior of the crew. His sailors gave Greek women sailor’s cloaks and some of them even parts of their diet. Boatswain shook infants and young officers handed out sugar and candy, bought with their own money. The arrival of the frigate to Piraeus, the port of Athens, was accompanied by a mass meeting.

March, 2017