At the outbreak of the Macedonian Struggle in 1904, Sionidis fought against the pro-Bulgariankomitadjis,[b] acting in an area covering Grčište, Gevgelija and Doirani. Sionidis first fought under Georgios Zira,[c] then under Emmanuel Katsigaris [bg],[d] before he finally founded his own militia.[2]
In the autumn of 1904, Bulgarian komitadjis killed several of Grčište's Greek inhabitants, including the teacher Catherine Hadjigeorgiou, who was Michael's cousin, the teacher Constantine Sionidis, Andronikis' daughter, and five other Greeks. In retaliation, Sionidis led his militia in an attack on the village of Marvinci, where the komitadjis were hiding.[2] After getting injured, he went to Gevgelija to recuperate (January 1905).[3]
Following the end of World War I, Sionidis, as president of Matsikovo community, retrieved the remains of nine evzones whom the Bulgarians had killed during the Second Balkan War, and buried them in his village. In 1927, the Epitropi Metonomasias[e] renamed Matsikovo to Evzonoi in their honour. Michael Sionidis died in 1935.[3]
For his services, he was awarded the Golden Cross of Valour, Greece's highest bravery award, along with the War Cross and the Commemorative Medal of the Macedonian Struggle.[3]
Notes
^"The pair are dressed in pants of woolen material, waistcoats and wear the caps of makedonomachoi. In addition they wear homespun stockings. The figure at left wears tsarouhia without pompons, and the right wears service boots. The figure at left wears a square silver amulet with a skull and crossbones suspended over his chest. They each carry a Fusil Gras mle 1874. They wear their cartridges in their belts. The left wears a double-edge kama knife in his belt while the right has a knife and a Gasser M1870 Montenegrin Pattern revolver."[1]
