orig. Mikhai Khristodolou Mouskos born Aug. 13, 1913, Pano Panayia, Cyprus died Aug. 3, 1977, Nicosia Archbishop and primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and president of Cyprus (1959-77). Son of a poor shepherd, he was ordained in 1946; he became bishop in 1948 and archbishop in 1950. A supporter of Cyprus's union with Greece, opposing both independence and partition, he negotiated with the British governor of Cyprus (1955-56) but was arrested for sedition and exiled. In 1959 he accepted independence for Cyprus and was elected president, with a Turkish vice president. Twice reelected, he fled Cyprus following an attempted coup by the Greek Cypriot National Guard (1974). Despite a subsequent invasion by Turkey and the establishment of a separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north, he resisted partition of the country