The national hero Anastasios Papaioannou was born in 1876/7 in Megalo Vogialiki in Eastern Romylia. He began his work by founding the cultural association “Karyatis Artemis” in his hometown and teaching as headmaster at the four-grade school of Karyes from 1903 to 1906. He was then ordained and became known as Papa Nicandros. He participated in the Macedonian Struggle with armed action and played an important role in the liberation of Aridaia (4.11.1912) during the First Balkan War.
In Giannitsa, he built the Church of Agia Paraskevi next to which he was buried. His bronze bust (0,90×0,60×0,30m) was erected by the municipality of Giannitsa on the initiative of the Cultural Association of Giannitsa ‘ANATOLIKI ROMYLIA’. It was carved by the sculptor Efthymios Kalevras, while the casting was done at the Gavalas foundry. It was placed in the small square of the Karyotes settlement of Eastern Romylia and was unveiled on Sunday 14 September 1982. The name of Papa Nikandros was given to the 1st Primary School of Giannitsa and to an adjacent street.
