Salamina Sirin Exclusive: 34 Ta Kanonia Tis Marias Apo Ti

The number 34 is not random. In the context of the Greek War of Independence, artillery was scarce. A private ship carrying 34 cannons was a formidable weapon. If the Maria had indeed fought for Greece before the official revolution, she would represent the spirit of early resistance — a precursor to the famous fireships of Hydra and Spetses.

Salamis, already hallowed by the defeat of Xerxes, would gain another layer of naval glory — not with triremes, but with cannon smoke.

The commonly told story goes like this:

In the winter of 1828, after the Battle of Navarino had shattered Ottoman naval power, a wealthy Philhellene named Maria Kalogerou (no relation to the famous singer) financed a ship from Salamis to carry ammunition to the besieged fortress of Methoni. But the Maria never reached Methoni. According to Ottoman records found in Istanbul (published here for the first time in a Sirin exclusive), the brig was intercepted not by the Sultan’s navy, but by a rogue Greek pirate fleet masquerading as patriots.

Instead of surrendering, Captain Dimitrios Rallis ordered the 34 cannons fired simultaneously in a single, devastating broadside. The overloaded ship recoiled so violently that her starboard planks split. Within minutes, Maria sank, taking the 34 cannons and 34 sailors to the bottom. 34 ta kanonia tis marias apo ti salamina sirin exclusive

But the story does not end there.

Local fishermen have reported that on certain still nights, exactly 34 low booms echo across the strait between Salamis and Perama. Old folks call them “ta kanonia tis Marias” – the cannons of Maria, forever saluting a homeland they never saw liberated. The number 34 is not random

Our exclusive investigation has uncovered a previously unknown document: a letter of marque issued in 1805 by the Russian consul on Zakynthos to a Captain Michalis Andreadis, authorizing him to sail the brig Maria with 34 cannons against Ottoman shipping. The letter specifically mentions “operations based from Salamis.”

Furthermore, Sirin obtained a hand-drawn map (circa 1810) from a private collector in London, showing the southern coast of Salamis with an “X” marking “Maria’s cannon cache.” Could it be that only part of the armament is on the wreck – and the rest were offloaded and buried on land before the final battle? The commonly told story goes like this: In