Pafos Live 12 October 2024
The unveiling of the Monument of the 200 years since the Greek Revolution of 1821 was held today, Saturday, October 12, by the former President of the Hellenic Republic.
The unveiling ceremony was welcomed by the Mayor of Pafos, Mr. Phedon Phedonos, as well as the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Ms. Athena Michaelidou, while the main speaker was Mr. Pavlopoulos.
In his address, Mr. Phedonos said that the city of Pafos is inextricably linked to Greek culture since there are historical records of its uninterrupted presence in our city for 2,300 years, which necessitated the realization of a project that will promote this connection. This landmark, as he described it, highlights and promotes one of the most powerful components of the collective consciousness and memory of our society. Addressing the former President of the Hellenic Republic, he noted that the acceptance of the invitation of the Municipality of Pafos by Mr. Pavlopoulos to attend and address the event, particularly honours our city, since through words and actions, for decades Mr. Pavlopoulos' action promoted and defended at national and international level issues of major importance for Hellenism and in particular the case of Cyprus. Concluding his address, Mr. Phedonos thanked the Minister of Education Mrs. Athena Michaelidou for her honorary participation in the event, which contributes to sending the appropriate messages, while on behalf of the Municipality of Pafos she congratulated the architect and contributors of the project who were inspired and created a monument – work of Art that is an "estate of us" for our city.
Mrs. Michaelidou, in turn, stressed that the presence of Mr. Pavlopoulos at today's ceremony confirms once again the strong fraternal ties that distinguish relations between Greece and Cyprus over time. He also described the monument as a journey of centuries and eras, symbolically uniting our country with national history, reminding us of the struggles of all Hellenism for freedom and justice, stressing the duty we have to preserve its continuity.
Pavlopoulos, after thanking the Mayor and the City Council for the invitation, stressed the importance of national unity in defending the freedom and sovereignty of Greece and Cyprus against Turkish threats, while underlining that the struggle for the full liberation of Cyprus will continue until the withdrawal of Turkish troops and the final solution of the Cyprus issue. Addressing the international community and the people of our martyred homeland, he said that all Hellenism is determined to shield, by any legal means and without a trace of retreat or retreat, its freedom and territorial integrity as well as the sovereignty of both the Hellenic and Cypriot Republics.
The ceremony began with a presentation of the project by the architect Mr. Yiannis Koutsolambros and included songs by the choir of the Cultural Association "Evagoras Pallikaridis". At the end of the event, the Monument was unveiled by Mr. Pavlopoulos and the Mayor of Pafos, Mr. Phedon Phedonos.
