250 YEARS FROM THE BIRTH OF IOANNIS KAPODISTRIAS

Born into a noble family of Corfu in 1776, Ioannis Kapodistrias (Count Capo d’Istria) studied medicine, philosophy and law in Italy. Returning to Corfu, he engaged in local politics, before entering the Russian diplomatic service in 1808. As an envoy of Tsar Alexander I, Kapodistrias contributed to the shaping of the Swiss Confederation and the drafting of its constitution. Although he considered the Greek Revolution premature, as Russian foreign minister he worked to forestall an intervention of the Great Powers in favour of the Ottoman Empire. He was eventually sidelined and took leave in 1822. He was elected by the Third National Assembly as Governor of Greece in 1827 and used his diplomatic prowess to secure Greece’s recognition as an independent state and obtain further territorial gains. He laid the foundations of the modern Greek state, establishing its first administrative, economic and military structures and promoting education, agriculture and the crafts. However, he met with strong opposition from entrenched interests, which led to his assassination on 27 September 1831.