Elisavet Ypsilanti

Elisabeth Ypsilantis (; 1768–1866), (; ), was a Greek aristocrat and an important figure during the period before the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

Biography

Elisabeth Ypsilantis was born in 1768 in Iași, Moldavia. She was the daughter of Prince Constantin Văcărescu and Safta Kretzulescu. The great-granddaughter of Ianache Văcărescu, she came from the Văcărescu family, an important family of Moldavia originally from Northern Epirus.

She became a second wife of the ruler of Moldavia Constantine Ypsilantis. Together they had 7 children, the first of whom were the members of the Filiki Etaireia and protagonists of the Greek War of Independence, Alexandros, Dimitrios and Nikolaos: Aikaterini (1791–1835) Alexandros (1792–1828), leader of the Filiki Etaireia Dimitrios (1793–1832), member of the Filiki Etaireia Nikolaos (1796–1833), leader of the Sacred Band Maria (1798/1802–1846), wife of A. Schinas

After the death of her husband in 1816 and the confiscation of the property of the Ypsilantis family by the Sultan, Elisabeth was one of the main sponsors of the Greek Revolution, for which she offered the rest of her property. The result was that she fell into great poverty. Despite all the privations, however, she continued to support the vision of national liberation in every way.

She died in Odessa, on 2 October 1866.