Vasos Ftochopoulos, founder of one of Nicosia’s most iconic taverns and a prominent figure in the island’s writing and publishing scene, died on Tuesday at the age of 76.
Born in 1950 in Yialousa, Ftochopoulos moved to London with his parents at a young age before later settling in Thessaloniki, where he became active in political and social circles, with the Cyprus issue remaining a defining concern throughout his life.
He left a lasting mark on Cyprus’s intellectual and public life. Through the “Aegeon” publishing house, as well as magazines and newspapers such as Autodithese and Enosis, he shaped crucial political and cultural debates, expressing his views on the Cyprus problem.
His name also became inextricably linked with the historic “Aegeon” tavern in Nicosia, for many years a meeting point and cultural refuge for intellectuals, artists and politicians from Cyprus and Greece.
The Aegeon tavern was first launched in 1982 as a traditional Greek and Cypriot gathering place. In 2018 it was acquired by Amaro Hospitality Group, which carried out significant reconstruction and modernisation work on the premises.
Iconic bookshop-restaurant To Erma, in Nicosia’s old town, paid tribute in a social media post, describing Ftochopoulos as “not just a friend, but its foundation”.
“To Erma bids farewell to its founder, not just a simple friend. With pain, but also with gratitude for all that we lived through together,” the post read.
Ftochopoulos leaves behind a multifaceted legacy in publishing, culture and public debate in Cyprus.
